Homework

John's Most Recent Articles

A 3-Point Plan to Get Kids to Do Their Own Homework

Posted on 8/16/2022

Q: The school our 10-year-old daughter attends believes parents should micromanage homework sessions – they call it “being a homework buddy.” As a consequence, our daughter believes we...

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Should I Tell My Best Friend to Discipline Her Bratty, Bossy Daughter?

Posted on 5/17/2022

Q: My best friend’s 6-year-old daughter is an only child and a spoiled brat. She screams at her parents when she doesn’t get her way, always wants to be first at everything and is extremely bossy...

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Mom, Stop Checking Kid’s Homework

Posted on 4/6/2021

Many times have I warned parents of the pitfalls of micromanaging their children’s academic responsibilities lest said children deduce that the responsibilities in question are not theirs at all...

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Micromanaging Child Always Produces Conflicts

Posted on 2/23/2021

A therapist takes a 10-year-old boy into what she calls “therapy.” The young fellow is belligerently defiant toward his parents and throws titanic tantrums when things don’t go his way. At school...

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The Great Pre-K Debate

Posted on 8/28/2018

It has long been known, but only spoken of in hushed tones by university professors sitting in darkened rooms wearing Fat Elvis masks, that pre-Kindergarten “jump-start” (aka, “push-down”)...

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Apache Blackhawk Parenting

Posted on 9/23/2014

A second-grade teacher writes: “I teach in a very competitive school where parents have developed a ‘mob mentality’ for bullying administrators and teachers. They have gone beyond helicopter...

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Parents Helping with Homework

Posted on 9/9/2014

Q: I homeschooled my oldest, an 8-year-old boy, until this year. He started third grade in public school in August. As a homeschooling mom, I was not a micromanager and don’t want to...

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To Help or Not To Help?

Posted on 6/3/2014

I recently asked a group of 50 teachers: “Raise your hand if you agree that when a child comes to an adult asking for help with an academic problem, the adult should help.” ...

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The ABCs of Staying out of Homework

Posted on 9/3/1989

In last week's column, I said that for a child to benefit from homework, the child must have full "ownership" of the responsibility. Parents should help when help is truly needed, but must be...

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Recent Questions

Is Age 8 Too Young to Do Homework Independently?

Posted on 8/26/2024

Hello. We have a just-turned 8 year old son who gets easily distracted. We have met with his teachers to rule out ADHD. My simple question is this: is 8 years old too young to hold them to a...

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12 yr old boy acting up at school, then covering it up

Posted on 2/27/2024

Our 12 y/o son, who attends a small Christian school, was disciplined at school for crude jesters, at the lunch table in regards to a banana. In his meeting with principle, he was to write letter...

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Technology and the Preteen Boy

Posted on 4/26/2023

Aloha, I want to use the weekly ticket system, or throwing the child out of the garden, to discipline my 12 year old son (6th grade). The problem lies in that much of the homework now is given...

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Homeschooling Mom Seeks Advice

Posted on 10/19/2022

Thank you for your previous response on helping my son with learning and recommending ending the homework hassle book. I am reading it and looking at ways to apply what is said in to our...

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Turn Wasting Time into Making Time

Posted on 5/6/2021

Our 14 year old son has been home schooled this year with a combination of online classes with teachers and online self paced classes. He is struggling with time management. He is behind in most...

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Goal: Handle Homework Independently

Posted on 3/4/2021

I know I’ve read in one of your books or perhaps somewhere on your website a suggestion for how elementary school age kids can practice spelling words on their own. At the time, I didn’t have a...

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Put and End to Nagging Over Chores

Posted on 3/4/2021

Would love some feedback on chores for my 6 and 8 year olds. Every Saturday they are expected to each clean their own mirror and sink in the bathroom, clean either the play room or their bedroom...

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Difficult is Not Bad

Posted on 12/2/2020

I am homeschooling my Grandson, who is in first grade. He is a bright child, but not motivated for school. He has struggled with handwriting and anything which requires manual dexterity, or fine...

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School Performance Ultimately Belongs to the Student

Posted on 8/20/2020

My son is going in the 3rd grade and so far has had great performance at school both with academics and behavior. When school went virtual in the spring, it was a horrible few months for both of...

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Assist with Homework - or Not?

Posted on 7/23/2020

Based on the book The Well Behaved Child, what age/grade should a parent stop assisting with homework?

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Video

A Fail-Safe Formula for Helping Your Child Maximize His Success in School (Webinar Recording)

Posted on 9/18/2023

In this 90-minute seminar, distinguished family psychologist and parenting expert John Rosemond will share what teachers have told him when he asks them, "What characteristics do high-performing...

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Student Achievement Begins at Home (Webinar Recording)

Posted on 5/16/2023

Student achievement scores in the United States are dismal and disheartening. In this webinar, Leadership Parent Coach Sharon Lamberth, a 30-year veteran elementary school teacher, and principal,...

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