Question:
Hi,How do I make my son responsible toward studies. I have to make him do his home work or even remind him to do so. Doesn't do any studies by himself unless pushed to.
He is 12 years old and in 6th grade.
Answer:
ParentingTeensOnline expert, Donna Secor Pennington, LMSW, has been a school social worker at the high school level for twenty years and has been an advocate for programs and services for teens and parents. She answers:
Although some students are mature enough to take responsibility for their homework by the age of 12, others will not be ready to handle this on their own until much later. Boys in particular are less inclined to want to spend time sitting doing “paper and pencil” tasks in the afternoon or evening after they have been sitting in school all day. You will probably need to be involved in supervising him and structuring his time.
Ask your son’s teacher about how much time he should spend doing homework on an average night. Then, set aside the time to and place for you son to work and try to remain nearby to encourage him to complete his work. Don’t accept the excuse that he has no homework! You may need to have him use a planner to record his assignments or have him spend some time reading over his notes or textbook. When his work is done, he can have free time to watch TV or go outside, etc.
Although it will take some time, effort and patience on your part to establish this routine, it is a great investment in your son’s future school success. Students who have not learned to do homework by the time they get to high school will have a lot of difficulty passing their classes. Hang in there! There will come a time when he will not need so much support from you.