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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

homework

10 replies

debsey · 20/02/2011 14:02

My 8 year old only brings home 2 pieces of homework a week, 1 literacy and 1 numeracy which is plenty along with spellings and reading. She is more than capable of doing this but it's really like getting blood out of a stone trying to get her to do it. She now has a project to complete and I'm struggling to get her to do any of it even with a lot of help from me. I'm finding myself struggling not to shout at her cause she really can't be bothered. How are we going to cope when she starts to get homework every night? :(

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

DrSeuss · 21/02/2011 10:49

Reward chart? Get ten stickers and get a treat? Or just refuse to give her help with the project, drop a note to her teacher explaining why you are doing this and what you hope to accomplish, mark the due date on the calendear or on a note on the fridge and leave her to it. When everyone else has a project to present and she has nothing the penny will drop. Harsh but far better than doing as some of the parents of teenagers I encounter as a teacher who just carry their kids.

crazygracieuk · 21/02/2011 11:30

Is there a consequence if she doesn't hand it in? At our school, children who are y4 and above are punished for not doing homework. This means that they do the work at playtime or lunchtime and I think that they lose a minute too. These punishments and the embarrassment factor motivate my kids to do homework.

LindyHemming · 21/02/2011 11:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IndigoBell · 21/02/2011 12:19

The more you threaten, cajole, etc the less she'll do it.

Totally ignore her holiday homework. On the last day ask her if she's done it. Then let her either not hand it in, or do it then if she chooses to.

She has to learn to take responsibility for doing her homework. And by you bugging her about it she can't do that IYSWIM......

Better she learns that lesson now, then at 15...

Original poster

debsey · 22/02/2011 17:04

I'm thinking that leaving her to face the consequences at school will be best even though it would break my heart for her to get into trouble over not completeing it. Sort of torn here. She gets on well with her work at school, so I'm told, so maybe it would be the shock she needs to think abit more. There's only so much help I can give her at home(apart from doing it for her and I wont do that). She has made a half hearted attempt at starting it so we'll see how the rest of the week pans out. Thanks.

OP posts:

IndigoBell · 22/02/2011 17:44

Why would it break your heart for her to get into trouble for not doing her homework?

It was her homework. And she didn't do it.

This time she'll get in trouble.

Next holidays she'll know it's her responsibility. She'll know you will let her not do it. And then (hopefully) she will take responsibility for doing it...

FreudianSlippery · 22/02/2011 18:09

I agree that she is now old enough at 8 to take responsibility herself, in terms of actually doing the work, even if she still needs help from you. :)

DrSeuss · 22/02/2011 18:57

You can break your heart now or when she gets all Fs in her GCSEs.

crazygracieuk · 23/02/2011 16:46

I felt sorry the first time that I sent ds to school with unfinished homework but he has NEVER been difficult about it since. In fact, as a result he has become to one to initiate homework and I have kicked myself for not doing it sooner.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 23/02/2011 17:06

I think that at 8 years old she is old enough to work out the consequences of not doing her homework. Take a step back and tell her that it is her responsibility but you are available to assist if she needs you. I wonder if the homework battle has become one of her ways of getting all your attention focussed on her. When DS1 (7yrs - Yr3) is acting up about homework I try to walk away and say through gritted teeth call me when you are ready to do this.

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