Most teens like school.
They go without a complaint.
The social life. The friends. The activities.
It all works together to create an environment they enjoy.
But when you ask teens the one thing they’d change about school, it’s always the same.
HOMEWORK.
The dreaded H word.
Say it and most kids cringe. Theyhave a physical reaction to the word.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Homework wasn’t invented to be a torture. A nightly yelling match between parent and student. Some days I wonder, but I’m petty sure I’m right about this. 😉
So what can you do to make homework less of a battle? You need to view it differently and you need to teach your teen how to do the same. Homework is not an inherently bad thing. It doesn’t “suck” and it doesn’t ruin their lives. (Contrary to popular belief)
If your teen views homework this way, they’ve already created a negative attitude that is difficult to overcome with simple positivity. It’s going to take a little effort to change. BUT it CAN be changed and it is SO worth it.
Here’s how:
STEP ONE: Stop saying, “I Have to do homework.”
Teach your teen to stop thinking that homework is something they “have to do”. No one really HAS to do anything. When our brain thinks it is required to do something, there is no possibility of enjoying it. Instead, teens should remind themselves that they intentionally CHOOSE to do their homework. This simple word swap changes everything in the brain.
STEP TWO: Stop wasting time complaining.
Teens spend more time complaining about their homework than they do actually doing their homework, but they are oblivious to this. Show them how eliminating the argument about homework in their mind (and with you) saves them precious time.
STEP THREE: Write down each assignment and how long it will take.
Teens create a state of overwhelm when thinking about homework. This can be eliminated by writing down every assignment and exactly how much time it will take to complete. They begin working on each assignment in the allotted amount of time. If it’s not complete at the end of the time limit, they have to find another time to complete it. This helps them focus on the task and avoid distractions. When they first start this process, they will not estimate the time accurately. But as they continue this process, their accuracy will improve dramatically. Soon, they’ll be completing homework with ease in short periods of time.
These three simple steps will get your teen on their way to completing homework with ease. Count on it.
