The System Check
Homework He!! and Help- Gear Up
Mom: “Do you have any homework?” Kiddo: “Nope, I did it in class.”
Back to school often means back to homework battles. Some parents know all-to-well what I mean when I say “battle” and what we really mean is “war.” A war between you and your kiddo that is not productive, doesn’t feel good and sometimes leaves everyone in tears including the siblings that aren’t even involved. If you’re reading this post, you know I’m not exaggerating. Homework is often the “last straw” after an exhausting day for students. So, let’s simplify. We’ll start with the gear. Remember, it’s never too late to switch things up. It’s never too late to implement new strategies that help us all work smarter, not harder. These tips are for students Middle to High School but are easily adaptable for the Elementary Student.
- The backpack.
2. Put together a simple notebook/binder. Everything should be in 1 place and color coded. We buy simple, inexpensive backpacks but upgrade on the school supplies.
3. This is what one of ours looks like. Blue is for History/Geography or Social Studies type of course for us.
4. Other things that keep us in business during the school year. Essentials for us are Flash Drives with Monkey Tails, Post-it Flags, Ticonderoga Pencils and 2 lined paper (Handwriting Without Tears(tm). More about the 2-lined paper- I like the notebook paper because it’s a strategy that works and my son will use without feeling like he’s needing an accommodation. They make other notebooks and journals but, they don’t “look” the same as “regular” notebooks. I also like everything in one place, and a separate notebook is well, separate and highly likely to be left in the locker. The paper is pricey and only available on the website as far as I can tell. I paid $30 for 1,000 sheets of the narrow version. But, in the scheme of things, if I invest $30 and his writing is better, then, it works. IMHO The paper is available in narrow, regular (college rule) and wide.
