Homework problems often flare up in middle school, when the assignment load increases dramatically, counselors say. It's that general sense of feeling overwhelmed, Shiener says, that helps explain one of the most puzzling homework dynamics of all, children who complete homework assignments but fail to turn them in. And each year as a child advances, the demands become greater. I tried to remember everything I had to do just in my head, and I wound up forgetting stuff. Now I just bring it with me for every class.
Some families keep the TV off on weeknights and tape favorite shows to be watched on weekends.
Background music, which helps some students concentrate but hinders others, is an individual preference. If you have a kid who works best lying on the floor instead of sitting at a table but the fact is, his grades are great, then leave him alone. Let the grades decide. Any time you can give kids choices, they feel they have some say in the matter. And I get the hard stuff done last because sometimes if you get frustrated on the hard stuff, you don't have enough energy left to finish the easier stuff.