CLEVELAND — We are now in November, which means we've been back to school a while, but kids - and parents - are now in the midst of homework stress. Between activities and projects and then daily homework, sometimes families feel like they are drowning.
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In this week's Mom Squad, we talk at length with nationally renowned parenting educator Laura Linn Knight about how to time up doing homework according to your child's emotional needs.
She says starting homework as soon as your kids walk through the door could cause more stress and lead to more resistance from your child.
“So, to come straight home and just launch into the homework teen can just be really taxing and tiring on them. And what I hear from a lot of families is they're sick of the power struggle that ensues because of the homework,” says Knight.
“So, parents are saying, ‘you know, you need to do your homework, and you need to do your homework now,’ and then the children are pushing back, or maybe they're not, but then they're getting whiny, and you don't want them to be whiny. And then all of a sudden, there you are, you haven't seen your child all day it's finally an opportunity to connect with them to spend time with them, and you're in an argument,” says Knight.
She recommends finding an hour of downtime, whether it’s letting them play outside or with their toys. Or, for older kids, just letting them decompress with something they enjoy doing.
It’s difficult with sports schedules and extra-curricular activities, so the schedule may depend on what works best for you.
For her advice on how best to schedule homework, when to know to ask your teacher for help and how to make homework more of a bonding experience, watch the full episode on our WKYC YouTube channel or on WKYC+.
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