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This Is What Happens When You Become a Parent

parents homework guide

Becoming a parent enters you into a completely new and sometimes overwhelming world. Everything you don’t want to happen will happen, and you might find yourself begging for privacy and alone time.

Are you ready to spend all your money on diapers and all your waking hours with annoying children’s television shows? Just wait — there’s so much more that happens when you become a parent.

Unsolicited Advice

Once you become a parent, everyone starts having an opinion on your parenting style. You’ll receive unsolicited advice as often from people with kids as those without. What can you do about it? You’re completely allowed to ignore them.

parents homework guide

As a parent, you’ll soon learn that there’s no advice that’s 100 percent right. While some people may have experiences similar to yours, many will not, and even those that do don’t necessarily know the best way forward for you and your kid. Sure, some advice will be useful, at the end of the day, your decisions are what matter.

Welcome to No Sleep

Parenting is the college years all over again when it comes to sleep deprivation, but with the added bonus of being older and not managing it as well. Sure, it gets better once the kids start growing up, but for the first few years, you’ll need a mind of steel to get through sleepless nights.

parents homework guide

Of course, it’s all worth it — people still have multiple children, even though they’re fully aware their sleep schedules will never be the same again. But if you value sleep, you seriously have to consider that it’ll go down on your list of priorities once you become a parent.

Raising Kids Is Expensive

The idea of having children seems wonderful until you realize just how expensive it is. Kids eat — a lot. Especially as they get older. And it’ll be your job to feed them. On top of that, there are plenty of other expenses, like school fees, clothes and more. Basically, everything you buy for yourself, you’ll probably need to buy for your kids too.

parents homework guide

A solid income and meticulous budgeting can help, obviously, but the sticker shock can still surprise even the most wealthy and frugal potential parents. And if you’re in the US, just giving birth will cost you thousands of dollars.

You Need to Plan Daycare Enrollment in Advance

If you’re struggling with parenting, having a job and whatever else is on your plate, you probably don’t have a lot of time and could use daycare services. Ironically, however, setting up daycare itself often takes a lot of time, especially at places that are in high demand.

parents homework guide

It’s a real crux, but unfortunately, there’s no getting around it. As children get older, this juggling act only gets more complicated as summer camps and after-school activities enter the picture.

You’ll Get Sick More Often

Kids carry germs — that’s a fact. They get them from school, their friends and basically anyone around them. Their immune system is still developing, which means they get sick. A lot. And as a result, so will you. It’s a fact that parents get sick more often than adults without children..

parents homework guide

No matter how robust your immune system is, you can expect it to take a beating once you have children. For your own sake, make sure you stock up on cough drops, ginger ale, chicken soup and other sick essentials — you’ll need them.

A Clean House Will Never Be a Priority Again

Messy will become your middle name. It’s impossible to dedicate any time to cleaning once you have children, at least while they’re young. Sure, there are parents who try to teach their kids about having a clean house, but most of them give up because it just gets messy again one day later.

parents homework guide

While you should make sure your family doesn’t live in unacceptably dirty conditions, having a messy house is inevitable. Unless, of course, you can afford to hire someone to help you clean it.

The Meltdowns Are Almost Always Unexpected

If you think you know exactly when your kid’s going to have a meltdown, you’re in for a huge surprise. More often than not, the meltdowns come from the most trivial things — your child might just be hungry or need a nap.

parents homework guide

Seriously — from giving them food from a differently-colored packet to insisting on wearing the most ridiculous clothes, tantrums can come at the most unexpected times and often inconvenient times, especially when you’re out with them in public.

They’re Extremely Impressionable

It’s no secret that kids are impressionable. From their toddler years to adulthood, your children will intentionally and subconsciously take things to heart. As a parent, you need to always be mindful of what you’re saying to them.

parents homework guide

Everything from the way you enforce discipline to the way you interact with your significant other to the way you treat service people can potentially inform your child’s view of the world — and not always in the ways you want. It pays to be mindful and compassionate.

They Pick Up on Your Traits and Mannerisms

Speaking of being impressionable, your habits and personal foibles will rub off of kids quickly. That can be adorable under the right circumstances, but it can also have negative consequences when the behavior in question is less healthy than you’d care to admit.

parents homework guide

Being mindful of your own behavior is just as important as watching the kid’s. And even when your own actions are fine, they can still backfire when kids take what you do out of context. Monkey see, monkey do.

How You Treat Other People Is How They’ll Treat Them, Too

Bullies often are bullies because of issues at home — that’s no secret. It’s all they know, so that’s what they act out. Having frequent fights with your significant other? Don’t be surprised if your child uses the same language when they get angry.

parents homework guide

Bigger problems like racism and sexism are also modeled this way. Being a good parent means thinking critically about your own behavior and working to show your kids the behavior you want them to have rather than just telling them to do it.

They Won’t Get It Until They’re Older

Raising kids is frustrating. They basically think the whole world revolves around them, and their problems seem huge. The truth is, those problems really do feel enormous — but only to them. That’s why kids often get frustrated with their parents for not understanding how big of a deal something is to them.

parents homework guide

The truth is, they won’t understand until they’re older, and sometimes it won’t even happen until they have their own kids. You have to be patient with them and not get frustrated in turn as they experience the good and bad of this world.

Your ‘Me Time’ Is Practically Non-Existent

When children come into the picture, time for personal relaxation often lasts as long as house cleanliness as a priority. With diapers to change, food to make and crying bouts to quiet, getting anything done becomes much, much harder. Try having a second child for bonus difficulty.

parents homework guide

That doesn’t mean you stop needing time to yourself, however. While you’ll have to tough it out to a degree, you should still take what time you can for keeping your sanity together. Your time may be much more fragmented now that a baby’s in the picture, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t salvage what you can for yourself.

You Realize You Don’t Know Everything

One of the most humbling things about being a parent is that you realize you despite being an adult, you still don’t know everything — or even as much as you’d like to know. It’s something a lot of parents struggle with as kids get older and ask more questions about the world.

parents homework guide

The truth is, it’s okay to say, “I don’t know.” While parents often lie to their children when they don’t know an answer to something, admitting your own ignorance teaches your kid that just because they don’t know something doesn’t mean that they should be afraid — instead, they have an opportunity to learn.

You Can’t Protect Them From Everything

Here’s a big truth — as your child grows up and explores the world on their own, they’ll get themselves into trouble, and you won’t always be there to protect them. It’s something that’s hard to embrace no matter how old your kids are.

parents homework guide

The goal of parenting isn’t to prevent disaster from ever striking, because that just isn’t possible. Instead, your job is to teach your kid how to overcome those terrible moments and be a stronger person for it.

You Live in Perpetual Fear for Their Well-being

Once your kids are able to go to school, you’re in for a whole new era of worrying. Although getting more personal time is fantastic, you might find yourself experiencing crippling fear over what your child is doing while they’re away. Don’t worry — this is totally normal.

parents homework guide

There comes a point where you have to realize that your fears might exceed reality. You shouldn’t disrupt your child’s life just because you’re worried. Be confident that whatever lessons you taught them as a parent are good enough for them to face the real world.

Kids Will Keep Secrets From You

Once your kids become teenagers, and often even before that, they’ll keep secrets from you. While they’re sometimes trivial or even adorable, like a first crush, there are other times when those secrets will be about dark, serious things that could break your heart if you knew about them.

parents homework guide

It’s okay for them to have secrets and privacy. However, you should always make sure they know you are there for them at all times. Don’t force them to tell you things — just make sure they know they can trust you and that you’ll always be there to support them.

Sometimes You’ll Have to Make Difficult Decisions

Being a parent is tough. It’s not always about being your child’s best friend. You have to come to terms that they won’t always like you, especially when you make decisions for the family as a whole, not just for them.

parents homework guide

The truth is, it’s okay for them to get angry with you as long as you explain why you made the choices that you did and demonstrate that you’re trying to act in their best interests, even if you’re not in agreement on what those are.

You Might Find Yourself Missing Your Independence

Being constantly surrounded by kids that depend on you at all times makes it difficult to focus on anything else, at least for the first couple of years of their lives. If you’ve been an independent person most of your life, you might find yourself struggling in the parenting world.

parents homework guide

It’s a challenge adapting to the role of parenthood, but over time, the benefits of this arrangement also make themselves known. You get an intimate look at the formation of another human being, and you get a source of companionship later in life. Plus, they’re not that needy forever. Thank goodness.

Letting Them Grow Up Is Harder Than You Think

After having your child depend on you for years or decades, every step they take toward independence — whether it’s kindergarten or college — can go against every instinct a parent has. Nonetheless, you have to let them go, and no matter how torn up you are, you can’t bog them down with your feelings.

parents homework guide

That doesn’t mean you need to do it alone, of course. Spouses, friends or a counselor can all help you explore your emotions in a way that allows you to better understand your own thoughts and needs while still giving your child the support they need.

Your Eating Habits Will Become Their Eating Habits

Eating healthy is something many families struggle with. Even so, It’s important to understand the basics of nutrition and set up some healthy eating habits for yourself before you decide to have children. Whatever you feed them will shape them as human beings.

parents homework guide

If you’re used to drinking a lot of soda or eating candy, don’t be surprised if your child does the same. Proper nutrition is a never-ending battle, but it’s your responsibility to incorporate it as much as possible into your kid’s life. After all, you’re in charge of their well-being and health now.

Life Goes By Fast — Really Fast

It’s true what they say — children grow up in the blink of an eye. One day, you’re celebrating their one-year birthday, and the next, they’re turning fifteen. Cherish those moments and make the most out of being a parent.

parents homework guide

While some stages of life may be more difficult than others, remember that you only get to experience the good parts of each part with each child once. Enjoy that fresh baby smell, the adoration of your toddler and your child’s first game or performance, and don’t linger on the bad times.

There’s a Never-Ending Amount of Laundry

You might notice that you’ll constantly have piles of clothes that need to be washed. Kids get messy, and if you don’t want to constantly buy new clothes, you have to learn how to do laundry in the most effective way possible.

parents homework guide

Even if you did just fine washing clothes on an as-needed basis before you had kids, you’ll probably need a schedule to keep up with the sheer amount of dirty laundry coming your way. Bonus tip: Buy extra pairs of socks — they absolutely will start disappearing.

Seeing Them Hurt Will Break Your Heart

There’s nothing sadder than seeing your child in pain. Whether they’re young or old, it never gets easier. Witnessing them cry will be absolutely heartbreaking, but you have to understand that it will happen.

parents homework guide

Prepare yourself for the fact that your kids will get hurt. All you can do for them is to be there and help them in every possible way you can. Some things might be out of your control, but they have to know that you’ll always be there for them.

Their Mental Health Issues Won’t Be Visible

Mental health is an important subject every parent should talk about with their child. But it’s just as important to know that mental health issues aren’t always visible — you might not even know your child is depressed or experiencing other issues.

parents homework guide

It’s important to let them know they can tell you everything, especially when their mental health might not be at the best place. If things get bad, don’t shrug it off — listen to them fully, demonstrate your support, and consider therapy as an option.

You’re in Trouble When They Learn They Can Say No

At one point, your child will realize they can say no to you, and they absolutely will. The truth is, they’re totally allowed to — just because they’re your child, it doesn’t mean they have to always agree with you. You shouldn’t punish them for saying no. In fact, you should acknowledge their own preferences.

parents homework guide

However, if you feel like they’re saying no to something that would be beneficial for them, make sure you explain and communicate why they should listen to you. Remain calm and talk to them with respect at all times.

They Have Opinions, and They Use Them

Once children become older, they develop their own opinions that might be different from what you believe. Don’t freak out when that happens, and remember that you’re raising another human, an individual, not a clone of yourself. It’s one of the hardest things for some parents to realize.

parents homework guide

That said, while having opinions is fine, harming or disrespecting others is not. Kids sometimes forget that words can have an impact on others, so it’s up to you to model respectful, mature behavior.

They Will Be Influenced by the Internet

Whether the internet was in its early stages when you were growing up or you didn’t have it at all, it’s a different animal today. From TikTok to YouTube, children watch all sorts of things to pass the time, and some of that content isn’t a good influence.

parents homework guide

Parental controls can help to a degree, but the most important thing is to establish a relationship with your child where they feel comfortable sharing their experiences with you. It’s also best to talk with them from an early age about how to navigate the web and the potential dangers out there.

Some Things Will Be Out of Your Control

With so many barriers to success in today’s world, it can be tempting to think that the only way for your kid to get ahead in life is to make sure they have every advantage possible. However, this kind of thinking can backfire.

parents homework guide

You’ve probably heard of helicopter parenting — it’s when a parent tries to control every single thing in their child’s life.While it might have benefits in the short term, it comes with the risk of denying your child valuable experience and a sense of self-competence. Not only can your child probably survive a few failures, but they might even learn from them.

You’ll Have to Respect Their Feelings

Parents are often dismissive of their kids’ feelings because they believe they know what’s best for them. They feel like it doesn’t matter what their child thinks if it contradicts what they believe. It’s a recipe for a toxic relationship between yourself, your child and — should they imitate you —the rest of the world.

parents homework guide

Whatever your child is feeling is completely valid. They may make bad decisions as a result of those feelings, but by ensuring your child recognizes that you recognize their emotions, you make them more likely to trust you and help them feel secure as they explore their own feelings.

You Might Be Annoyed by Them, But You’ll Love Them Unconditionally

As difficult as raising a child can be, both for all the emotional struggles and the unrelenting horror of what lies in wait inside baby diapers, the bond between parent and child is unique and worth cultivating.

parents homework guide

It’s natural not just for children to be annoyed by their parents, but also parents by their children. They sometimes ignore valuable advice, forget to call and even say things they may regret, but if you’re always there for your child, odds are, they’ll always be there for you.

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parents homework guide

Top 10 Homework Tips

Kids are more successful in school when parents take an active interest in their homework — it shows kids that what they do is important.

Of course, helping with homework shouldn't mean spending hours hunched over a desk. Parents can be supportive by demonstrating study and organization skills, explaining a tricky problem, or just encouraging kids to take a break. And who knows? Parents might even learn a thing or two!

Here are some tips to guide the way:

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parents homework guide

Homework Tips for Parents

Homework Tips for Parents

Homework is important, but helping children with homework isn't always easy. Here are some ways you can make homework easier for everyone!

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Study the same things in different ways and places.

Help your child learn about new words or content in a variety of ways. Talk about new vocabulary words several times over the course of the week, in different settings. This will help enrich your child's understanding of the word.

Mix up the study time

If your child prefers to do a little math, a little reading, a little word study and then back to math, that's okay! Mixing up the practice time may leave a greater impression on your learner.

Space out the learning

If your child has a big test coming up next week, help her study a little bit each day rather than cramming it in the night before. An hour or so every other day, spacing out the learning, is a better way to really learn the material.

Help your child get organized

Help your child pick out a special homework notebook or folder, and make sure your child has homework supplies, such as:

Show your child that you think homework is important

Ask your child about her homework each day, and check to see that it is completed. Tell your child that you are proud of the work she is doing.

Help your child without doing the homework

It's important to answer questions if you can — but remember that homework is supposed to help children learn and that doing your child's homework does not help in the long run.

Talk with your child's teacher

Find out what the teacher's homework rules are. If your child has a problem completing or understanding homework, call or e-mail the teacher to talk about the issue.

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Motivating Children to Do Their Homework: Parent’s Guide (English and Spanish)

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Your child gets home after a long day at school and you ask, “Do you have any homework?” Does your child complain and say something like, “Yes, but I don’t want to do it!” or “Yes, but it’s too hard”? What happens next? If you’re like many parents, you soon find yourself in an argument that may end in your child doing the homework, but you’re both mad. 

Do you often wonder whether there’s a better way? The purpose of this guide is to show you how to motivate your child to do their homework in a peaceful, positive way. It is provided in English and in Spanish.

Homework 101: The Ultimate Guide for Students & Parents

Why do good people have to do unpleasant things? You surely have asked yourself this question a million times while slouching over a school assignment.

The picture shows facts about homework stress and its consequences.

Did you know that 56% of students find homework the most stressful aspect of education ? It comes as no surprise: lack of motivation, spending too much or too little time on assignments, and making mistakes take the fun out of studying.

If you want to know how to do homework quickly, efficiently, and without suffering, keep reading this article by Custom-Writing.org . We’ll tell you how to stay on top!

🔍 References

✍️ why should you do homework.

There must be a reason why such a pesky thing as homework exists, right? Right! Here’s what doing homework allows you to accomplish:

These are all excellent reasons why students should do their assignments. But that’s not all of it: keep reading to learn more.

Benefits of Homework

If you genuinely believe that it’s all about pointless suffering, check out this list and see how homework can actually benefit you :

Now you know that home assignments are not as bad as people think.

⌛ What’s the Right Amount of Time to Spend on Homework?

You probably think that nobody knows the answer to that, don’t you? Actually, here are some guidelines put together by professionals in the field of education. Check them out:

Many students find it hard to complete assignments within the mentioned timeframes. Some have personal problems to deal with; others simply get too much homework. Keep reading to learn how to cope with challenges and find some much-needed inspiration.

🔝 Ultimate List of Homework Tips

How to find motivation.

For many of us, the mere satisfaction of completing a task is not enough to get us through our homework routine. If you see yourself in this predicament, you may benefit from having an incentive . Let’s learn how to motivate yourself to do your tasks:

Overcoming Difficulties

For some people, a lack of motivation is the only problem they face regarding homework. For others, there are many additional issues. Below, we’ve compiled a list of common difficulties and, most importantly, ways to overcome them:

Dealing with Homework Anxiety

Having poor memory and pretending to be The Flash while doing your homework is no big deal when dealing with a more serious problem: homework anxiety . This condition forces you to put off doing your homework for as long as possible, leading to more stress and anxiety. It’s a vicious cycle.

How do you recognize whether you have homework anxiety? Ask yourself:

If your answer to most or all of these questions is “yes”, you might be experiencing homework anxiety.

Reasons for this condition vary. For example, you may be an overly anxious person or a perfectionist, and the thought of failing scares you. There are many possibilities. But thankfully, there are also quite a few solutions that you can try:

Homework Planning & Scheduling

To overcome all the possible obstacles on your way to good grades and a stress-free life, you must manage your time efficiently . You will see that many things in life can become much more pleasant with the help of proper planning. Try following these simple steps to get started:

The picture shows 4 steps to homework planning.

How to Understand Your Assignments

Understanding your assignment is a big deal. If you take the wrong turn at the beginning of the path, you probably won’t get to your destination. The same goes for your homework—if you misinterpret the assignment, you are not likely to get a good grade.

But here’s the trick. Pay attention to these words when reading the task; they will indicate exactly what you must do:

How to Break Assignments Down

Another critical element to avoiding homework stress is knowing how to approach daunting assignments . It is easy to get discouraged by the size of a task and to keep postponing it until it shrinks. But here’s the catch: it won’t.

Instead of hoping for a magical solution, here’s what you can do:

How to Do Homework Quickly

We’ve already explained how to plan your homework, prioritize assignments, and reward yourself for completing tasks. While all of these are great strategies, it’s also essential that your homework doesn’t take forever and, more importantly, is done on time.

Here are a few little hacks to save you time and help you be more efficient:

Finally, the best way to do assignments quickly is to learn how to focus on homework . The less you get distracted, the more work gets done in a short amount of time.

How to Take Productive Breaks

Taking breaks here and there can be more efficient and comfortable than working on your assignment for 5 hours straight. Some ways to rest are better than others ; let’s have a closer look.

Getting Homework Assistance

Homer Simpson once said: “You tried your best and failed miserably. The lesson is: never try.” We’re here to tell you not to trust Homer! The real lesson is: if you have tried everything and nothing works, try again. And if sometimes you just can’t do it on your own—get help.

Aside from asking your parents to help you, here are a few more ways to get assistance:

6 Best Homework Apps to Use

Last but not least, let’s take a look at various study apps designed to help struggling students. These are not considered cheating since they don’t do the homework for you. Instead, they help you organize your time, set your priorities, memorize the material, and stay on track. Here are the best ones:

👪 Bonus Homework Tips for Parents

If you’re a parent of a kid struggling with homework and don’t know how to help—these tips are for you:

And here’s how you can set your child up for homework success depending on their age group:

We hope that everyone can find something useful in this ultimate homework guide. Let us know what your favorite homework tip is in the comment section. We wish you good luck, and remember that it’s okay to ask for help if you’re experiencing problems!

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A Parent’s Guide To Homework

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The completion of homework is an issue in many families with parents having difficulty getting their children to initiate and complete homework. However, before we endeavour to provide you with a parents guide to homework, there are some important issues to be aware of.

Homework ought to be a purposeful learning experience directly related to the work done in the classroom. It should be interesting and stimulating. Parents can act as a guide in the homework so kids can get the most out of it.

A guide for homework time

How much homework your little one is doing depends on their age. This time frame is just a guide and can change depending on class assignments and other curriculum based assessments.

Kindergarten: no structured homework Years 1–2: up to 15 minutes, 3-4 nights per week Years 3-4: up to 30 minutes, 3-4 nights per week Years 5-6: up to 40 minutes, 3-4 nights per week Years 7-9:  up to 2 hours, 3-4 nights per week Years 10-12:  up to 3 hours, 4-5 nights per week and on weekends.

It is essential to remember that children work a long day at school and it is absolutely essential that they have time for free play.

An important goal of education is to instil in children a love of learning. Homework can negate this if children come to see it as a necessary evil.

A Helping with Homework

This is what you’ve come here for – the parent’s guide to homework – but remember that each child is different and you might need to make some changes to how you guide your child’s homework journey.

Getting Organised

Study Time (for older students)

Procrastination and Time Wasters

Learning Links is here to help

If our parent’s guide to home has still left you with questions, Learning Links runs a number of specialised tutoring services that will work in partnership with your child’s homework journey. Send us a message and we can start a conversation with your about our specialised tutoring.

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