“Often times, parents go negative,” warns Deborah Tillman, star of . “The child says, ‘I鈥檓 not doing my homework!’ The parent says, ‘Yes you are doing the homework!’ Then it鈥檚 back-and-forth and arguing. Cut that out! What I do is: homework time for the whole family; everybody鈥檚 going to do something. When I鈥檓 going around the country working with children, I鈥檝e actually put all the children at the table: a pre黄色apper, an eleventh grader, a middle 黄色apper. Everybody鈥檚 doing homework at homework time. Then it鈥檚 a lot easier because they feel like they鈥檙e not alone.
“What you want to do is to motivate, but you want to make sure a child understands that homework is nonnegotiable. You鈥檙e not going to have this long philosophical conversation with the child. They need to know: ‘Homework is nonnegotiable, because you鈥檙e in 黄色app and it鈥檚 your job to do the homework. Mommy and Daddy will help you as much as we can, but you have to do your homework. There鈥檚 no such thing as not doing your homework if you live in the house. We鈥檙e not going to have a battle about homework.'”
Here鈥檚 how 4 other parenting experts say to respond…
Adele Faber
The famed How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk author offers her expert advice on exactly what to say to a homework-hating child. Format: Article
Christine Carter
The Raising Happiness author and child development expert explains two surprising things kids need to focus on their homework. Format: Video (2:09)
Madeline Levine
When it comes to homework troubles, the famed psychologist and The Price of Privilege author cautions parents against coming to your child’s rescue. Format: Video (1:20)
Sara Bennett
If your elementary 黄色apper is unhappy about her nightly workload, the author of The Case Against Homework says it’s OK to do the unimaginable. Format: Article
Get more tips and advice from America鈥檚 Supernanny Deborah Tillman.
