Homework motivation

[TheOneIssue]

I almost feel silly to ask this, but how do you motivate your children to do and focus on homework? Whenever I bring it up, he gets very upset, and it takes 20min to even get him to sit down. Then he is not focus and I have to sit there and constantly redirect his focus by asking "so what is the next step?" "Go to the next question ". "Write the number down" etc. My wife says that I need to inspire him to WANT to do it, but how do you do that? Are there any parents whose kids do homework happily and relatively quickly? This morning, for example it took 45min for him to do 10 subtractions of 3 digit numbers. He's 9.

I've got 6 kids and if they do not do it they get in trouble in school and have to miss part of their break time etc. I wouldn't make him do it. Let him be told off by the school a few times and hopefully the tables will turn and he will ask for your help.. Or just refuse to give him the xbox/ps4 control pad back until it's done, I've also done that a few times.. x

I find a fixed time of when they do it helps. So Monday morning before school wouldn't be my choice. Mine either crack on with it Friday afternoon or use Sunday morning for homework. We try to make sure they can have routine to get used to this. You will never make home love it. But bribery works - no Xbox or TV till it's done. Make sure you don't always micro manage them. Or he won't learn to manage himself. But let him know if he is having trouble that he can ask for help. (Unless there is SEN this would be the case in class.)I find jobs to do in the kitchen while they do homework so I can see if it's really too hard or if they are trying. Good luck.

....never make him love it....that should say

Homework at primary school is largely a complete waste of time and there is little to no evidence of it improving outcomes. Infact, the same can be said of most homework in general until you get to KS4&5 or possibly yr9 if in a school where they start the GCSE courses in yr 9.
Motivation for homework/study must come from within and forcing and punishment are not the best way - certainly over the long term at motivating children...infact motivating anyone!
I would focus on why he doesn't want to do it. I'd also be asking the school what the purpose of it is.

I wouldn’t say DD (9 next month) does it happily but she does do it quickly! She gets her main homework on a Friday to be in the following Friday so I usually encourage her to do it on Saturday morning after breakfast. That’s the best time for us usually as DH and I are both around, everyone’s in a good mood etc. To be fair, there’s not usually much that needs doing and she’s bright so can usually do it without help. So my tip is to pick the ‘best’ time when it can be done without needing to rush and not when they’re tired or have spent the whole day at school already and as pp said, have it as part of a routine.

I had one child that did their homework happily and one that didn't. This was absolutely nothing to do with anything I did, but their basic personalities.

Personally, at 9, I'd just remind him gently that he has homework, and if he doesn't do it let him suffer consequences at school. It's not worth losing your sanity over (voice of bitter experience).

From when we've finished dinner to bed time it's 120 min. Once homework, 10 pages reading and instrumental practice (2 instruments) is done, dd can have ipad/TV/toys/phone but not before. She is usually finished with everything in 45 minutes to max out her screen time. I don't think any DC is 'motivated' to do work - there has to be a reward. I wouldn't go to work if I wasn't paid.

Mine get homework every day of the week - roughly 20 minutes. There's no TV or tablets during the week. They tend to do their homework, read, instrument practice and sometimes they would do some arts and craft after dinner. Like NellyBarney, we only have 1-2 hours for them to do all of that.
Having said that, when my son was in a state primary school, he realised that his teacher didn't care whether or not the children did their homework, so he very rarely did. So it could be that the school doesn't care about homework and it's just a tick box exercise, so the children having a sense of that don't want to do it. It could also be that he thinks the work is too easy for him and it's just a waste of his time. If the homework is important you'll get a sense from the school. And if the teacher is not complaining about his homework or there are no consequences then leave him be. It shouldn't be you forcing him to do his homework, that's the school's job. At my school, you had to do your homework during a lunchtime detention. In my view, if the school has proper measures/consequences in place, you won't need to force him to do it.

Are there any parents whose kids do homework happily and relatively quickly?
Yes, one of mine does and the other is just like your son! It isn't anything I've done or not done with either of them. One is just naturally more motivated and the other very laid back.
On the other hand the laid back one was an easy, chilled baby and the motivated one was a bit of a terror!