My Son Won't Do His Homework!
My son is in the 5th grade and he is smart but won't do his homework unless I stand there and scream at him all night. I have taken everything away from him- tv, video games, computer- but he still won't do his homework! Please give me some advice.
Angela's Answer
I understand that what I am about to tell you is NOT easy, but it is effective. Do not make your son do his homework. Tell him that he is getting older, you are no longer going to push him to do his work, and whether or not he does his homework is his choice. After he picks his jaw off the floor, he will probably want to know "what will happen." Explain that he will have to suffer the consequences at school. (You might want to look into what will happen.) So, if he doesn't do his homework, he might miss free time, he might not do as well on the test, he might get a lower math grade, etc. The amazing thing is that most homework is not even graded! So, if your son understands a concept, doing or not doing his homework might make little difference. Of course, you can have personal consequences for grades. For example, if your son gets anything below a 'C', he can't have... whatever it is. I understand that this is not easy, but you really don't want to spend the next 7 years fighting with your son; and the fact is, you can't make anyone care. Either he does or he doesn't. Good luck! And, don't give up.
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