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MNHQ

Talk to Explore Learning about helping your DCs with their homework - you could win a £250 Love2Shop voucher NOW CLOSED

237 replies

AngelieMumsnet · 09/09/2014 13:06

We've been asked by Mumsnet Family Friendly Innovation Award winners, Explore Learning, to find out about Mumsnetters' experiences with helping their DCs with their homework.

Explore Learning say "As a tuition provider, it's our aim to teach children skills that are directly transferable to the classroom, and give them confidence to tackle their work at school (we don't set any extra homework for our members to do). We also aim to reduce the stress for parents at homework time, and would like to find out more about what would make lives easier for mums and dads when it comes to helping or encouraging their kids."

So, how - if at all - do you help your DCs with their homework? Do you sit with them while they work on it? Or if your DCs are older, do you just leave them to it? What are the challenges when it comes to homework? When's the best time to tackle it? Are there any subjects which you find it harder to help your DCs with? Where's the best place to do it in your home?

Whatever your experiences of helping your DCs with their homework, Explore Learning would love to hear about it.

Every MNer who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw, where one winner will receive a £250 Love2Shop voucher.

Please note your comments may be included on Explore Learning's social media channels, and possibly elsewhere, so please only post if you're comfortable with this.

Thanks and good luck,
MNHQ

OP posts:
wingobins · 20/09/2014 23:11

The internet is a big help nowadays with homework especially when the kids have to look up someone or something. I can also learn myself from helping my children! My youngest is in key stage 2 but tends to mainly get reading as homework ever night which can often become boring to her as she has lots of books at home and a kindle and is an excellent reader. I like to listen to her first and then she still likes to hear me read to her also so we would chose a book and read a chapter once homework is done. I do think they tend to change the methods of maths quite often though in secondary schools and some of it even I would struggle!

twinklenic · 20/09/2014 23:51

my older children are now 14 and 15 years old and my youngest is 1 yr old. I remember the struggle i had trying to get my son to do his homework. He has ADHD and it took forever if it was written work. Some days i would literally cry once he'd gone to bed. My daughter was a different story and would spend ages writing :) I really enjoyed reading with them
Their homework now baffles me!! i tried to help my 14 yr old daughter with some maths work last week and we got 7/ 15 lol

lindsayc06 · 21/09/2014 02:52

my daughters enjoy homework and we always get straight to it as soon as they get in from school, i try and make it as fun and let them take as much time as they need, i only work weekends so we arent in a rush to do anything. and outside of homework i always do little quiz's, sums, read books anything to encourage them.

WheresTheCoffee · 21/09/2014 06:21

do you help your DCs with their homework?
I sit with DS 7 or at least potter about in the same room, he is easily distracted! If it involves a lot of writing then he will often ask me to check the spelling of some worlds on a scrap piece of paper before he puts it in his book.
What are the challenges when it comes to homework?
DS has a number of afternoon clubs and I find that after school he is often too tired to concentrate fully so he will usually work on it over the weekend

peaf · 21/09/2014 06:24

I think it's a pretty good idea but sometimes there is just too much of it!

ScrambledEggAndToast · 21/09/2014 07:58

My son's primary school rarely, if ever, set homework. Consequently, secondary school has been a bit of a shock. Since the start of term we have been sitting down together every night and going through everything just to get him into a routine. We have all the stationery he needs so he doesn't need to take it out of his school bag and ensure it's done as early as possible so he can get back to the important stuff, the xbox!!

TeeBee66 · 21/09/2014 09:12

DD has just started Year 2 and is getting approx 3 lots of homework a week, literacy, project work & numeracy plus books sent home for reading. The latter are on an adhoc basis where once a book is returned another is sent home. She tends to do some reading to DH after tea and usually gets through 2-3 books a week this way depending upon their complexity. As to set homework I try to ensure she gets it done as soon as she can to instill a sense of "don't leave it all til the lastminute.com". I use the stick and carrot method with the computer, Wii or TV as the carrot! Numeracy she usually gets on with on her own, the project work usually requires more though and so she has me sit with her whilst she does this. At the moment literacy comprises learning to spell set words so both DH and I do little tests of the words she is having trouble with - as she knows she will be tested back at school!
She usually gets on with it without much fuss but then it is not challenging at the moment...ask me the same question in 5 years!

gemma143 · 21/09/2014 09:14

LO has just entered Yr 1 so now gets reading, spelling and maths over the week. He still wakes up very early, hasn't yet got to the 'won't get out of bed' stage, so tends to do his homework in the morning before school rather than when he's tired after school. This will have to change of course as he gets older.

Marg2k8 · 21/09/2014 09:26

My children are now older and I'm afraid that things like A level maths are beyond me!

marcc82 · 21/09/2014 09:48

Got all this to come from next year!

finleypop · 21/09/2014 09:55

I let my son tackle his homework on his own until he asks for help, which I am happy to give. When he has finished it, he brings it to me & we discuss what he has done & I check it over & make suggestions for anything he could have done differently & praise him when he has done well

jdunthorne · 21/09/2014 11:46

Primary school homework is the equivalent of parental torture! Getting a tired child to sit down and do school work at home is never an easy job in my house. We always get there in the end but I think it's more of a Mum challenge that a genuine consolidation of knowledge at this age. Senior school homework is much better for us - my daughter sits down, completes her homework and I check it - no tears, no shouting, no stress!

nettymay · 21/09/2014 12:11

Grandma and Grandad could always succeed with persuasion so I usually handed the job of homework over to them!

lizd31 · 21/09/2014 12:18

I love to help with homework as it keeps me up to date with things & my brain active

BizziLiz · 21/09/2014 12:18

In our house it's a routine. We have a set time - when they get in from school and after a glass of milk and a banana, and a set place - at the kitchen table. I make sure I'm around if they've any questions but I don't do the work for them in any way, just guide them to think about what they're being asked to do and that they have the tools to do it.

Gbear0382 · 21/09/2014 13:46

Encouragement if they need it and plenty of chocolate to keep the brain turning!

luijo · 21/09/2014 14:18

I try to encourage my children to complete homework before tea on a daily basis, and show an interest in what they are doing. I allow use of the family computer so they can learn to look up things for themselves rather than me providing the answer. My daughter has topics to be completed on a three weekly cycle, so I help her to organise a study timetable, so that she is not spending long periods of time doing it all at once.

happysouls · 21/09/2014 14:19

I had to stand over him glaring to get anything done. Terrible! The internet is great, so much information to help if you're stuck. The thing is that with the internet it should have been so much easier for him to do his homework than back when I had to do mine! I don't remember my parents having anything to do with my homework ever, I just got on with it!

luijo · 21/09/2014 14:19

I try to encourage my children to complete homework before tea on a daily basis, and show an interest in what they are doing. I allow use of the family computer so they can learn to look up things for themselves rather than me providing the answer. My daughter has topics to be completed on a three weekly cycle, so I help her to organise a study timetable, so that she is not spending long periods of time doing it all at once.

happysouls · 21/09/2014 14:21

Actually wanted to edit my message as re-reading it I find it sounds terrible! When I say "stand over him glaring" that makes me sound awful, I think that just describes how I felt, but the reality was that I helped him as much as he needed whilst not doing it for him, and was patient beyond belief! He just needed so much coaxing to do anything!

happysouls · 21/09/2014 14:22

I had to stand over him glaring to get anything done. Terrible! The internet is great, so much information to help if you're stuck. The thing is that with the internet it should have been so much easier for him to do his homework than back when I had to do mine! I don't remember my parents having anything to do with my homework ever, I just got on with it!

cluckyhen · 21/09/2014 17:11

My DS is ASD so luckily school have removed him from language lessons to give him one to one time for his homework. Before this happened it would take a 10 min piece of homework over 4 hours of temper tantrums at home.

My DD on the other hand loves school and her homework is done with no fuss, no questions - she just cracks on and does it!

farhanac · 21/09/2014 18:13

Teaches myself about having patience

embabes7 · 21/09/2014 18:55

Do it before anything else and have treats/tv/games after - that way at least it definitely done!

annanh · 21/09/2014 19:47

I think my experience can be summarised as: try to have as little to do with it as possible. The less said the better. shudder.