13 tricks to entice children to do their holiday homework

curated by Manuela Cervetti

I do not want to go into the merits of "They are useful / they are not useful", deep down I also believe that they are really useful, but it is undeniable that for a child the concept of "Now stop playing and come to do your homework" is not so easy to get accepted!

And if our child does not find within himself the desire to be autonomous to do his holiday homework, for us parents the real nightmare will begin and the much desired holidays will be put to the test.

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Here, then, is that some small stratagem to help them find the desire to study even on vacation can prove to be very useful!

1. Total break

On the last day of school, my daughter's teacher gave us a leaflet with tips for doing the homework for the holidays, the first suggested not to start homework before the end of June! Even if we are now at the end of July, why not offer your children a break now to give them some respite from the fatigue of homework?

2. Programming

The best way to help our children with their holiday homework is to schedule a "homework calendar" by choosing the days on which they will have to find time to study and by dividing up to-dos for those days.

3. Start with your favorite subjects

Trivial but effective, it is better to give priority to your favorite subjects in our homework calendar, the impact with your holiday homework will be less traumatic.

4. "No homework" moments

In the calendar you are going to do, also insert days that are completely no homework, weekends or days of visiting grandparents or the week of August 15th, etc.

5. Where makes the difference

It is very important to define where the tasks will be done, in which place. Let's avoid making him do them for example on the beach under an umbrella with a thousand distractions to confuse him. You always need the right concentration.

6. A pleasant environment

Ok to avoid distractions but instead of the classic desk we could offer him something more tempting: table and chair on the terrace or in the garden or a book to read in the hammock!

7. Alone or in company?

It depends from child to child and on the habits already acquired but on vacation you can also dare to break the rule. Sit next to him / her or organize some homework sessions with a friend, so as to break the boredom!

8. Achievable goals

5 math operations or 2 comprehension worksheets in 30 minutes, reading plus chapter summary in 45 minutes. Let's help him by telling him exactly what to do and in what time frame, it will help him stay focused. And if he goes out of his way, patience, do not panic and even less anxiety!

9. No panic!

I mentioned it in the previous point, let's not fall into the mistake of making our children anxious with phrases such as "Less than a month to go to school", "You have wasted time so far and now you will have to do everything in a few days" etc ... There is no need to do psychological terrorism, it is better to always keep an optimistic and positive approach.

10. We avoid comparisons

Another mistake not to make, especially if you have more children, is to make comparisons with siblings or friends. every child is different and we should have learned it by now, we follow his times without comparison and controversy.

11. Stimuli and fun things to do

Homework should not be the only goal of the day, propose other fun and interesting activities to do, games or outings, meetings with friends or a trip to the beach. In short, balance duty with pleasure!

12. Tablets and apps can help us

During the holidays we can find the ideal time to let our child experience some other ways to study and learn. For example, my daughter has easily learned the English alphabet thanks to a song on Youtube or goes over the times tables with an app on the tablet. Why not try?

13. Vacation diary

This may not be a task assigned by the teachers but it is a useful and fun exercise to propose to our children. Every day, in a dedicated diary or notebook, tell in a few lines the most beautiful or important things that have happened. It will be great, at the end of the holiday, to reread it together, preparing for the start of a new school year.

school holiday homework

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