Listen to Your Child's Homework Complaints and Excuses: Part 3

What is your child telling you through his/her words and actions during homework time? .

“I can’t remember the word.”
“I forgot.”
“I don’t know.”

Memory
It’s difficult to differentiate weak memory issues from lack of attention. Some children cannot remember because they were not paying attention. Others can’t remember even when they do pay attention. A child can have an excellent long-term memory but weakness with short-term and/or working memory. Word retrieval and/or trying to find the right word can be frustrating and can affect homework completion.

“I don’t like to be by myself.”
“Watch me _________.”

Social Learner
Some children are able to concentrate better in a room with a closed door. Others are more productive if they are around people, the sound of a parent working in the kitchen, and/or background music.
That’s not how we did it last year.”
“No!” “I won’t.” “I can’t.”

Inflexible
Some children are less tolerant of new situations,than others, and are easily frustrated. Transitions from school to home,from one task to another, and/or sudden transitions or unplanned changes in their routine may be an extra challenge that interferes with homework completion.

“My teacher doesn’t even look at our work.”
“Can I talk to you while I work?”

Need for Confirmation
Some children are more motivated by feedback from their parents and teachers than others. All children can benefit from specific feedback on their finished work and effort. Giving feedback does not need to take a large amount of time or effort.

“I don’t want to ride the bus.”
“What if my teacher is not there again.”
“ Can I stay home?”

Anxiety
It is not uncommon for children to experience “back to school jitters” and/or anxiety about any number of situations relating to school. Some children experience more intense internal and/or external anxiety than others. Working with your child to discover causes of anxiety is an important first step.

This article is part 3 in a series about complaints of chidren about homework. Future blog posts will offer strategies and solutions to homework issues.