The Habit of Homework
By Karen Perry, Quad Mom
Originally printed in April 2003

As parents of six-year-old, first-grader quadruplets (and our first and only children), my 
husband and I find ourselves overwhelmed, at times, by the amount of time and energy 
school work, papers, projects, etc. can be!

We thought, perhaps, that by arranging to have two kids in one classroom and two in the 
other, we'd have a manageable load, keeping up with two teachers.  WRONG!

First of all, I truly believe first-graders these days have more homework than they did 
when we were that age (in fact, did we have homework at all??).  So here is what we do 
to keep on top of things... and believe me, suggestions and other success stories are more 
than welcome!

Homework is very important, we've learned, even at this age.  It teaches the child the 
"habit" of doing homework - setting the precedent for good study habits later in life.  
Homework teaches kids time management, initiative, self-reliance and resourcefulness.  
It also bolsters what they've learned in the classroom.

Support, encouragement and guidance are keys to helping a child achieve completion of 
homework assignments.

?	Decide on a quiet place to do homework.  My husband and I have different styles.  
I like to work with one child at a time, even if it takes longer.  He prefers to work 
with two and two.  The main thing is the other kids are relegated to a different 
part of the house, so that work may progress in quiet concentration.  (One of our 
boys has ADHD - a whole story unto itself... but in researching the disorder I've 
found that some studies recommend playing classical or easy-listening music in 
the background, while doing homework, and it helps the child focus more.  I think 
it's trial and error, really!)

?	Talk about a reasonable homework schedule.  Should homework be done before 
school or after dinner?  Keep to a routine so the children know what to expect and 
what is expected of them.

?	Decide and agree upon what the consequences will be if a child procrastinates.  
Should privileges be withheld?  Extra chores?

?	Give the children reasonable breaks (some can sit for hours on end while others 
can only work in short snippets of time).

Other tips we've found useful: 

?	Keep a sense of humor and be patient!  Homework responsibilities, on top of 
other extra-curricular obligations can be frustrating for families with singletons - 
it is compounded in HOM families.  You must forgive yourselves and your kids if 
the tension level ratchets up!  Diffuse it with a joke, or activity.  The other night, I 
literally had my daughter "run laps" around the first floor to burn off her sillies 
because we'd hit a roadblock in homework!

?	Don't get angry.  Walk away.  Give yourself a time-out if your frustration level is 
that high.  You don't want your kids associating schoolwork and studying with 
anger and tension.

?	Speak to the teacher(s) if you find yourself overwhelmed.  We did and agreed that 
if we just could not get it done, we'd write a note to the teacher, and try to spread 
things out (do some over the weekend, perhaps).  It's worked out pretty well.

?	Show enthusiasm when the children put forth a good effort.

?	Do NOT do homework for the kids - no matter how tempting and time-saving it 
might be.

We're most of the way through First Grade and so far we're all still alive and 
READING!!  If I had to sum it up, I'd say that routines and schedules have always 
worked best for us ever since they came home from the NICU.  We try to be creative and 
supportive of our kids and when things get tough - communicate - with each other, the 
school and the kids.  So far, so good!  Good Luck!