It's no secret that most of our kids despise doing homework and studying on their own.

Right? Most of you, I'm sure, can relate to your everyday struggles.

Every home has the same tale.

In fact, many children would not want to do their home assignments at all without their parents' interference.

But, on the flip side, as a parent you want them to ENJOY their study and schooling to the fullest.  

Maybe that's just a parent’s day dreaming. But wouldn't that be fantastic?

Think! What you can do to help your child complete her everyday tasks on their own eager?

As parents, you have many options for making schoolwork and study less stressful for your children, and at the same time, implanting good study habits in them.

It takes a good set of principles to develop good study habit among children. It also necessitates perseverance and drive. These talents could even help kids deal with all of life's duties and obstacles.  

Considering the following 10 ideas into life is an excellent approach to start if you want them to be self-motivated for study.  ‍

Common Obstacles for Kids When It Comes to Homework and Study

For some students, school and study is a challenging time. Three key challenges:  

• Delaying/ Procrastinating
• Feeling overwhelmed, and  
• Trying to remember information without understanding.  

Relatable?  

There isn't a single parent on the planet who hasn't faced at least one of these difficulties. In addition, many children suffer from test anxiety. Anxiety over taking a test might be considerably more severe. 

Fortunately, there are strategies we can use to assist our children in overcoming these obstacles and boosting their study enthusiasms.  

What Makes Studying Tough for Some Children?

All kids are different.  

Some children find it more difficult to open a book for homework and study than others. This could be due to a variety of reasons.

The following are some of the reasons why your child may find studying difficult.  

• Lack of Interest – You probably didn't enjoy every subject as a kid. Some of them were just plain dull. The same is true for your child. It's easy to put something on the back burner when it doesn't interest you or feel enjoyable.

• Distraction – In the evenings, there's a lot going on at home. Dinner is being prepared, younger siblings are running around, and friends are calling. At that time your child would prefer do something other than study.

• Anxiety – Whether in elementary, middle, or high school, school can be stressful time for students. They may be stressed out by difficult social settings, requirement for high grades or they may be concerned about schoolwork.  

The pandemic added to the regular stress of online school. Every day, they have a lot going on in their heads, making it difficult to focus and settle down.

• If your child is having trouble with schoolwork make them feel they are not alone.  
• Identify why they might be having difficulties.  
• Then take a seat and have a one-on-one conversation with your child.  
• Give them a safe place to communicate what's going on in their lives without fear of being judged.

Phillippa Lally works at University College London as a health psychology researcher. Lally and her research team set out to determine how long it takes to create a habit in a study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology.

Over the course of a 12-week period, the study looked at the habits of 96 persons. For the next 12 weeks, each person adopted a new habit and reported on whether or not they carried it out and how automatic it felt.

Some chose simple habits like "drinking a bottle of water with lunch". Others chose more challenging tasks, such as "running for 15 minutes before supper." The researchers reviewed the data at the conclusion of the 12 weeks to see how long it took each person to shift from initiating a new behavior to doing it automatically.

What is the end result?

A new behavior takes an average of more than 2 months to become automatic – 66 days to be exact. And the length of time it takes to create a new habit varies greatly depending on the activity, the individual, and the surroundings. People took anything from 18 to 254 days to acquire a new habit in Lally's study.

So, NOW you'll have a better notion of how to establish a study habit for your child. Developing a good and timely study habit would be an ongoing process.

Ideas to Ready your Child for Study

1. Make a PERFECT Study Space ‍

Remove all potential sources of distraction

I'm sure you've heard something like this before.

"Alif, just concentrate on your homework for ten minutes!"

We understand that one of the most common study problems isn't our kids' inability to do it. It's either because they're ignorant or easily get distracted. Luckily, you can easily eliminate distractions to improve your kid’s study outcomes. 

The first step should be to count all potential sources of distraction. It could be any sound originating from another family member, a gadget, or even items in the study environment.

In today's technology saturated households, removing distractions like cell phones, iPads, and television is becoming increasingly difficult.  

However, the more you remove the distraction during study hours, the more your kids will be able to focus on the study at hand.  

• Choose a location away from the television or any other screens. Remove all possible distractions, beginning with the TV and/or screens or sound, even movements.  
• Make it a habit to turn off the televisions and computers when study time begins. It's loud and colorful, and your child won't be able to learn effectively in front of it.
• Assist your child in finding a quiet space to work away from the television.  

Do your own work in the space with your child

If you're watching TV or scrolling Facebook while your child studies, it'll simply make them envious and distracted. Set a good example for them. Sit next to them and do something productive while they study.  

While they're studying, finish your work, make a grocery list, or pay bills in their study room. They will not feel alone as a result of this.

Seeing you concentrate on your tasks is a terrific approach to show your child how to concentrate.  

Accept the computer as an unavoidable source of distraction

You won't be able to resist being distracted by the computer because so much schoolwork is now done online.  

Sit with your child or check in on them periodically to ensure they aren't on social media or surfing the web when they should be studying.

You can also use software to limit the amount of time you spend on the Internet.  

Please see our blog to learn more about internet safety.

Make sure there is plenty of light

A well-lit environment will keep your child awake and keep attentive while also preventing eye strain. Make sure your study area has enough of bright overhead lights or many lamps.  

A window is also an excellent option, but keep an eye on your child to ensure that it does not become a distraction.

2. Establish a FIXED study routine based on a realistic study plan.

Set a study schedule to create a routine

Routines are effective because they inform children about what to expect.  

We understand how difficult it can be to establish a regular routine for your child. But let me tell you that childhood is the perfect time for your child to readily fit into any routine.

Choose a few hours each day to devote to studying and performing homework. As far as possible stick to this schedule, which will eventually build a routine, can help your child learn to set aside time for study on their own as they get older.  

It can be challenging for some children. Have patience!

If required, divide study time into a few chunks of 1-2 hours. After school, one block may occur, followed by before dinner. You can also take suggestion from your little one when s/he would prefer to study.

To set routine you can say something like, "After you finish your schoolwork, you can play” or "You can go outside after you've practiced your spelling words."

Allow your child to participate in the daily "then" action, and reinforce the habit by following it every day.

Collect your child's lesson plans for the week or month

When your child is younger, they will require your assistance. List your child's daily, weekly and monthly assignments as well as updates on larger, months-long projects from their teachers.  

List them carefully and place them somewhere you and your child will see them on a daily basis.

Prepare your child before without the stress of a deadline.

3. Schedule REGULAR but QUICK breaks

Sitting and studying for an hour without taking a break will almost certainly result bad outcomes. Instead, encourage your child to take 5 to 10 mins breaks throughout study time to allow his or her brain to rest.

To boost productivity, many professionals employ the Pomodoro Technique , which involves working for 25 minutes and then taking a five-minute break. When it comes to study breaks, this is a wonderful place to start. It isn't, however, the sole option.

Try a couple different approaches and discover what works best for your child. But don't put too much pressure on it; one trick might not work indefinitely.  

Be flexible and make necessary adjustments if your strategy fails.

Are you looking for some brain break ideas for your child?  

Here it comes. They can do the following during recess:

• Stretch  
• Go for a walk  
• Have a snack  
• Catch up with friends  

4. Avoid REWARDS

Offering rewards is a common and appealing way to encourage homework-resistant children to complete their assignments.

The issue with this strategy is that it focuses on short-term motivation.

Promising our third-grader a handful of Oreo cookies if he completes his book report isn't motivating him to care about the subject he's reading. His mind is only on the sugary end-result.  

Similarly, if we pay our high-school students for good grades, they will be motivated solely by monetary incentives. Whatever they must learn or complete in order to earn that money is not valued.

If you want self-motivated learners, your child must accept and respect the work process itself. They must feel empowered as a result of their efforts. Children who are rewarded for their achievements, on the other hand, may develop a sense of entitlement. They may be less likely to put in the required amount of sweat, blood, and tears.

When we feel compelled to offer a reward in exchange for studying, we can use the When-Then Routine instead. They can do something else once they have completed a task.

A When-Then Routine isn't a reward because the "Then" isn't anything special or unusual. It isn't a bribe.  

5. Encourage INDEPENDENT, self-directed learning

You've been driving your son to school and extracurricular activities all day when you get home and realize his Solar System project is due tomorrow!

Many of us are in the habit of assisting our children with their schoolwork, sometimes to the point of exhaustion. We do, after all, as we care.

The simple truth is that children must do their own homework. They must see how devoting time to complete a task can pay off. They must feel empowered by the fact that they earned a good grade on their Solar System project through their own efforts, rather than through the assistance (or nagging of) their parents.  

Sure, we can guide, inspire, review work, and teach our children about overall homework management, but they must put in the most effort. That concludes the story.

Even kindergarten students can be encouraged to complete their homework as independently as possible. They have all the information they need to complete the task as soon as they can read their own instructions.  

Habit develops gradually so it’s better the younger they learn, the easier it will be to manage their increasing workload.

What ways can you suggest them in this regard?

Simply, tell your child to take notes or highlight the material while they're doing class and reading. This will enable them to fully interact with the content in a easy way.  

You can sit with them the first couple of times they take notes or highlight anything. Make sure kids understand that they are not allowed to take notes or highlight everything they read. Emphasize important phrases, dates, and definitions.

Demonstrate to your child various methods for keeping track of their notes. They could, for example, keep one sheet for words and definitions, another for dates, and yet another for big-picture questions like "what is the main theme of this story?"  

6. Make learning FUN

There are many bright children who are simply overwhelmed by schoolwork. It's too simple, boring, and uninteresting. They may perform well on tests without having to study, but they despise doing homework.

Again, don't be afraid to talk to your child's teacher about her workload—or the difficulty of her work. Children enjoy challenges because they get a good feeling from figuring something out.

We want children to be inspired by learning, not bored. Don't be afraid, as an equal partner in your child's education, to ask the teacher for more challenging activities for your student to work on at home.  

We know study is not always enjoyable, there are some things you can do to make it more enjoyable for your children. Rather than focusing on flashcards, why not try incorporating their subjects into games and activities? Children (and adults!) learn best when they employ a variety of learning strategies.

7. Encourage Children to ACCEPT Failure and Be Constructive

When children do their own homework and study independently, they are more likely to make mistakes, fail tests, and receive poor grades: all of which can be difficult for us to accept and see.

Allowing our children to make mistakes and turn incorrect answers into learning opportunities, on the other hand, is a valuable, life-long skill.

Reviewing our children's homework with them is a great way to recognize their efforts while keeping an eye out for any problems they may be experiencing.  

It's perfectly fine if your child does not want you to go over her homework with her. The teacher's feedback on the assignment will be extremely beneficial to her. In fact, most children will remember the incorrect answers better than the correct answers.

Even simple tasks, such as failing to put their names on their homework or forgetting to bring their homework to school, provide excellent learning opportunities. If they don't get rebuke for the work they forgot to do, they're unlikely to repeat the error. And the less we are involved, the more they will notice all of these necessary steps (plus, they can't blame us)!

8. Plan the priority in ADVANCE

Planning ahead of time is a successful strategy in everyday life. A day is only 24 hours long. Make the most of your time and don't cram at the last minute.

If your child has a test on Friday, encourage him or her to begin studying on Monday. Divide the material into manageable chunks and attack it one day at a time.

Include these details in your weekly study schedule. If they can think beyond tomorrow, they will save themselves a lot of stress — both now and later in life.

Avoid allowing your child to become anxious about school

Make certain that your child maintains a positive attitude toward their schoolwork. Even if they're having trouble in class, remind them that all they can do is try their hardest, and that you're here to help.

Don't get angry if your child is panicking or miss important essentials of study. Both of you should take deep breaths and approach the situation calmly.

Instead of grades, concentrate on your child's efforts

While you want your child to strive for the highest possible grades, you also don't want them to become anxious or achievement-obsessed. Explain to your child that you want them to do their best and that grades are secondary. This will teach them to study for knowledge rather than grades.

Developing a Good Mindset

Encourage your child to ask probing questions and to think critically. Make certain that your child is not simply memorizing information. Work with them instead to make them think deeply about their assignments, as this will allow them to truly understand what they're learning.

• You can pose questions such as, "Why do you think your teacher assigned this type of project?" "What do you expect to learn from it?"
• When your child gives you a correct answer, ask them to explain how they arrived at it.

Set specific study objectives. Sit down with your child at the start of the school year and write down three to five goals related to their schoolwork and study habits. Examine your list halfway through and again at the end of the year to see how far you've come.

9. Stay INVOLVED & Follow Through

A large portion of this list entails you, the parent, assisting your child in learning the dos and don'ts of studying. These abilities require practice. You may be afflicted with procrastination and poor time management.

Developing good study habits can be difficult, and your child will require your assistance if he or she is to succeed.  

Another thing you can do is study during this time. Take the time to learn about things you've always wanted to know about.  

Studying with your child can help to instill good habits and improve their attitude toward learning. Learning is truly a lifelong pursuit. You just have to put in the effort!

Concentrate on your child's reading and memorization abilities.

The basic rule of thumb is to have your child study the difficult subject first. This is because, once a difficult subject has been thoroughly studied, it will be easier to move on to the easier ones later on.

It is easier to study difficult subjects when your child is fresh and not exhausted. Also, encourage your child to memorize by reading and writing. Speaking aloud will help them learn faster.

Assist your child in retaining Information.

Some children have trouble remembering things. If this is a problem for your child, try to figure out what learning style he or she has. Some students, for example, learn best visually. If this describes your child, look for ways to incorporate visual learning into his or her studies. Teach your child how to identify keywords, summarize data, and create study materials (such as flashcards)

10. Remember To Sleep TIGHT!

So, the exam is tomorrow, and you've followed your study plan — but now your child can't remember anything, not even 2+2!  

Don't freak out. Their brain requires time to process all of the information they've provided it. Try to get a good night's sleep, you'll be surprised at what they remember in the morning. A better routine sleep is also helpful for brain development. So, be careful.  

How good study habits impact real-world development

School success is the priority right now, but developing strong study habits will benefit your child for the rest of their lives. Doesn’t it sound profitable?  

Time management, goal setting, and balancing self-care are all important life skills. Helping your child thrive in school prepares them for all of life's challenges (and you might even improve some of your own).

Good study habits are critical for preparing children to be lifelong learners. Are you looking for additional ways to help your child succeed in school and beyond? Our mission at Prodigy is to help every student in the world enjoy learning.  

Finally, make study enjoyable!

When children enjoy the process of learning, their study habits will develop AUTO for the rest of their lives.