How to Get Your Homework Done

Facing another night of homework crazies? Sure, time management, organization, and acquired skills are all important parts of the equation, but even these elements aren't enough without these important steps!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. First, eat some protein and vitamin B rich foods (or supplements)! Forget the after school cookies (please), they'll only perk your body up for some active energy burn, which will have you squirming in your seat instead of putting your thinking cap on. They won't put your brain in homework mode. The tradition of a sweet snack after school started because kids used to have to come home from school and go to work on the farm, and because our culture is riddled with "feeding" our rewards to our kids. Don't feed your pleasure-principle; feed your brain instead! Where can you find the food you need? Fruits, vegetables (yeah -with dip is great!), dairy products, eggs and meat. Fish is especially a good protein source at this time of day, so don't say no to that tuna salad sandwich after school!

2. Get homework done at the right time of day! How do you know what the right time of day is? Generally speaking, the best time is right after school and about 20 minutes after a protein and vitamin rich snack. There are other factors, like what you did right before, and what you intend to do right after. You'll have small patience if you are chomping at the bit to go somewhere or to do something that you want to do more than homework or if you just finished exercising.

3. Work other activities into the homework cycle! No matter how much society may reward sitting still at school, you need a break after school. First, get all your homework materials together, and read through the assignments you have to do. STOP. Go do something else for about 10 or 15 minutes, like walk the dog, do an after school chore, or help out Mom and Dad by getting things ready for dinner (why not set the table???). Think about your homework and about what you know about your homework subjects while you are doing these things. After about a 15 or 20 minute break, take a seat and start your first homework assignment. It may be a good idea to take similar short breaks between different subjects if you have more than one to tackle before you're done.

4. Do your subjects in the right order. As much as you may hate the hardest subjects for you, tackle them first. You'll reward yourself by moving into easier topics as your energy and attention wander with the passing of homework time.

5. Stay away from video games and interactive entertainment until after your homework is done. Try to work out a deal with your parents that includes ½ hour of "free time" after homework, where YOU get to define the reward for finishing your homework job. Parents - allow your kids the time to "wallow" in their approved entertainment choices, and don't interrupt them with other tasks and jobs until they've had some time to decompress from their day. But everyone has to agree on the time parameters here, so no one ends up feeling unrewarded, unappreciated, or forever disgusted with getting your homework done.

6. A lot of kids like to have music playing while they're studying, but music can distract your brain from taking in new info, and using it to solve typical homework problems. Instead, try listening to your music of choice while you're eating your snack. Then turn the music off until after your homework is done. A lot of people think that music is a "right brain" activity, but in truth, music is "listened to" by your left (logical) brain, and enjoyed by your right brain. When you use up the resources on the logical side with the music, the learning process of homework is slowed down dramatically. So is your ability to make yourself complete the work. Music creates emotion in that "listening", and your emotions will have you off subject and looking for more pleasing things to continue the good feelings.

7. Reward yourself and your body by doing something active again, once the homework is done. You'll need to get out of your chair and moving to get the best results. Your brain will be connecting all those learning dots while your body is releasing the physical energy. This is a great time to get in your community service hours too - and try using something you learned in your homework to make a difference in your home or in your community.

8. If you get stuck, write yourself a note about what the problem is, why you're having trouble with it, and then ask your parents for help when they get home. If you're one of the lucky kids who have a parent around after school, don't try to solve the things you're stuck on until everything else is done. Come back to it when you've accomplished some great work, and you'll be surprised how you can dig into the difficult problems anew. A great way to ask for help is to tell your parents what you DO understand, what you have accomplished, and then, add, "I'm just stuck on...."

9. During dinner, or while your helping prepare and serve dinner with your family, talk about your homework, and find things that you love to do or want to know more about that can be related to what you learned today. It will help transfer your new learning into that place called "long-term memory". You'll get more out of the materials you just learned, and be able to start using it every day, instead of feeling like you just completed another meaningless assignment.

[roseofgod]

on 10/19/2009 Wonderful, God bless you.