Encouraging Kids to do Homework in Stress-free Ways
Education should be a mode to bear fruits not merely of knowledge, but of moral character. It is a powerful weapon that should be utilized to empower our future generation. Unfortunately, there is a threat to this powerful weapon. Education in the current generation is been seen as a torturous burden by children and parents alike. Thanks to the overburdening of studies in the form of homework.
A survey conducted by The Journal of Experimental Education shows that with the additional hours of homework, 80% of the students have acquired at least one stress-related syndrome. 44% students acquired three or more stress-related symptoms. This is a cause of great worry for many as homework not only causes anxiety among children but also repels children from education, further dwindling the count of education among students.
The recent cases have shown that with the increase of homework given by educational institutes, the number of hours in accomplishing the homework too has increased drastically. This has resulted in less time being dedicated to children’s social activities which lead to depression and stress. But amongst all these odd challenges, there is still a ray of hope to raise our kids in a stress-free environment. Below, we mention some noteworthy steps that can work as a stress-buster if put into practice:
Establish a routine
To accomplish every task set, it is important that there should always be a plan of action. This applies to the children’s study sessions too. Encourage and help the child to set up a structured program. Define parameters for various activities to be carried out. For e.g. after returning from school, schedule a time for rest. The playtime, study time, homework, and entertainment time should all be well-defined.
Ensure that all these tasks are been diligently carried on a day-to-day basis. This will relieve the pressure on studies and will help increase the overall performance of the child.
Exercise ‘worthy’ time management
Whether it is time for social activities, or completing assignments, restriction of time must be taken into consideration. At any given point in time when doing homework, kids must be trained to be single-mindedly focused on the completion of the homework. Ensure that all the distractions such as televisions, video games, and social networking sites are cut off for that tentative period of time. This will inculcate the discipline of time and also bear fruitful results in the form of getting the task at hand completed.
Take instructions from the teachers
Most children falter and get stressed out while doing their homework because many of them fail to follow instructions that the teachers dictate. It is the responsibility of the parent to make the kids understand the importance of the instructions given by the teachers. They should inculcate the habit of writing down these instructions. When at home, these instructions will be extremely beneficial in completing the homework. This also reduces the anxiety students have about completing the homework incorrectly.
Communicate with the teachers regularly
As education keeps on expanding its horizons, some children do find it difficult to keep up with the syllabus – let alone the homework that comes along with it. In order to diffuse this situation, it is essential that parents and teachers strengthen their bond of communication by regularly checking up on the performance of the kid. Understand the strengths and weaknesses of the child and collaborate to make sure that the weak points are being worked upon. Also, parents should contribute some efforts as providing homework help to the kid so that the kid does not feel overburdened when the going is tough.
Evade harsh criticism
Most of the time parents tend to be harsh with their kids due to their inability to perform academically or their unwillingness to do the homework allotted to them. Parents must ensure that the kid should be counseled in an appropriate way and that he or she understands the importance of completing their homework. This will eventually create a sense of interest in the child in doing homework in the regular timeframe.
Appreciate Accomplishments
Complementing your kids from time to time gives them a spurt of energy to perform better. For example, appreciate their efforts if they complete their homework before a stipulated time. Reward them with their favorite dish or an ice cream for the homework well done. This makes the child look forward to many such assignments which help generate a competitive spirit in the right manner rather being complacent in completing the homework.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and active outdoor activity
Kids must mandatorily be involved in an outdoor activity. Playtime is necessary to improve the stimulation of the brain. Being actively involved outdoors helps the child to learn socializing, be one with nature, and how to make friends. This will also ensure that the kid remains healthy and gets adequate entertainment before getting back to their homework.
Also, inculcate the right eating habits in children to make sure that they do not develop lethargic tendencies. Having a proper diet will ensure that their mind and body remain pro-active throughout the day.
A good diet is also a boon for brain development which further helps children perform better in studies.
Avoid Deferment
Many kids tend to procrastinate for quite long. This is also one of the underlying causes of stress in children. A child needs to understand that it would rather be wise to invest available time fruitfully in completing their homework rather than whiling away their time on Facebook. Procrastination leads to piling up of the pending homework which will then lead to anxiety as the kid rushes to complete the homework in a stipulated time frame.
These are some of the methods that can help reduce the stress and fear of homework from the kids. Using these techniques, the child will get the best out of accomplishing homework and will also sharpen their learning skills that will prove far more useful in the future.
Author Bio:- Aditya Singhal is the co-founder of Transtutors, a leading Online Education platform for college students. Having graduated from prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Delhi, Aditya has a personal interest in helping students.
