Springtime - the end of the school year

Springtime brings lots of things: warmer weather, the urge to clean everything, allergies and the beginning of the end of the school year.

What does this mean for a lot of families? You've gotten the phone calls, emails, written notices and warnings that your child is slipping behind. Homework isn't getting done, or maybe it's getting done, but it isn't getting turned in. Assignments are missing and grades are slipping.

Finding out that your child's progress isn't what you expected it to be can lead to crazy amounts of stress for everyone involved. Conversations that start out calmly can easily turn into battles where there is no winner. This can lead to your child giving up entirely.

If you are like most families, you try everything you can think of. You take away electronics and screen time...but this usually doesn't work long-term.

Maybe you try grounding your child - no fun stuff, no sleep-overs, no movie nights...but once again, this usually only works short term.

What do I recommend? Find a community - a place where you can chat with other parents, where you can surround your child with positive energy. Maybe you've heard about a "third space" but if you haven't, let me take a minute to explain.

There's home - that's your number one space. There's work/school - your number two space. You need a third space; somewhere that increases your happiness and your determination to do better. A place where you belong and where you have friends and positive influences.

Find a third space - find a place that supports your family. It could be a karate school, a dance school, a soccer team, a theater troupe, an art class... Find a place where your family belongs and breathe a little easier.

Deb Cupples, Sensei
www.nicedojo.com

Homework: 5 Helpful Homework Tips

Homework - it's not something most of us look forward to. It's a constant struggle for most families to keep up with homework demands and deadlines.

I've been a mom for 28 years and a karate instructor for 15 years; homework is a popular topic among families that I interact with. Here's a list of 5 things you can do to help avoid the homework meltdown with your kids.

1. Sit with them. I know it's hard to pass up an opportunity to get one more load of laundry done or get a jump start on dinner, but sometimes having mom or dad at the table helps out a lot. You don't have to help them, just be there.

2. Get some upgraded supplies. Having a nice pen, pencil, eraser, paper, etc., can make the difference. It can boost your child's enthusiasm to have a "wicked nice pen" to write with. Yep, I'm from the East Coast (:

3. Snacks.

4. Stop the punishment - add rewards. Most kids react positively to a reward system and will shut down when the punishment comes. Instead of telling your child that you will be taking away dance classes, soccer or karate classes, let them know that if they get their homework done they can stay up late for 10 minutes and have one on one time with mom and dad. Believe it or not, this is a huge motivator for both boys and girls. Try it!

5. End it on a good note. From a parent's perspective it can be a daily frustration that sets an unpleasant tone for the evening. Student's can feel defeated and wil go to bed feeling unsuccessful when a homework meltdown occurs. That feeling can creep into morning time and stay with your child throughout the day. Whatever progress your child makes, let them know that you know it is difficult to keep up and you are proud of what they have accomplished. Your sincere praise will make a difference.

I hope that these 5 tips help to keep your family "homework happy!" Let's see if we can help our kiddos become more successful by using these 5 helpful homework tips.