How Rockford Families Can Make Homework Less Painful

School is back in full swing. And I think we can all feel it. I dread asking my daughter about her homework after school. 7th grade is no joke.

There are often sighs, sad looks, grumpy responses, and every so often even tears. My girlfriend is having the same experience with her 5th grade son who told her today that he wishes homework was never invented.

I found this article at redtri.com and it was very helpful to my daughter and I in regards to making homework time less stressful (for both of us).

I found these the most helpful for us

Work together: while she is doing homework I will respond to emails from work, or write blogposts (like this one). Then she doesn't feel like she's missing out on something fun going on.

Make it a group effort: I have let my daughter invite a friend over so they can work on homework together, with the understanding that this is what they will be doing. They have an incentive to get it done sooner so then they can spend some time just hanging out.

Design an awesome workspace: I made a really fun little desk area for Maycee to do her homework. It consists of a cute and comfy chair, cute pens and pencils just for her, a stylish globe, colorful organizational bins, fidget spinners (because duh), some fake flowers in her favorite fizzy bottle, and inspirational pictures.

There are several other ideas, some great for younger kids too. Be sure to read the whole article. It's definitely worth your time. On a side note, who wants to start a parent support group for middle schoolers with homework? We can take turns hosting. Vodka is the only requirement.