Children will always do what they enjoy doing (much the same as everyone else), unfortunately most children cannot see the benefit of homework, to them it’s just a rude intrusion into their personal time. So where does that leave parents and teachers?
 
It’s not just the kids being tested:
As a parent I tell my kids that exams and tests are one of the ways that we can determine if the teaching methods being employed in schools is actually working or not. When my kids learnt that it was also the teachers being tested, they understood why they were important.
 
Everyone is tested every day:
As children we think we are being unfairly treated. However, as we pass through teenager through into adult hood we come to realize that learning, growth and development doesn’t stop. Therefore as parents we need to show our children that we all have to learn and we all have to be tested to see how much we have taken in.
 
But how can you utilize this to get kids to do their homework?
 
Discuss it (the homework that is):
When you get home after your respective days it is important to spend some time talking about what has happened, and what is expected of you/them on the next day/week.
 
One way to do this is to ask about the courses they have taken during the day. What was good, what could have been better. This tells you their level of comprehension on a subject as well as their enthusiasm for it. Today my son explained his homework in this way:
 
I had five words to write.
Five words? Cool which ones did you choose?
No mum you don't understand
So did you choose - Aardvark, Copernicus, beetle juice….
No mum, I had five questions I had to answer and each one was just a single word.
Oh – well that would be easy, Q – Do you like sweets? A – Yes; Q – Do you like brussel sprouts? A – No
No mum
 
The kids know it’s a game, but it makes life a little more interesting this way.
 
However, in discussing course work in a sensible manner (and yes we do that occasionally) I quite often admit “I didn’t know that” or “I don’t understand what you mean, let me find a book, or let’s find a website that can tell me more.”
 
The kids appreciate the fact that not all grown ups know everything there is to know. And they can spend time explaining to me that they know more than I do.
 
Revision:
My daughter failed a science test, not once but twice. When I explained to her than MSN time would be cut if she didn’t take it seriously, she finally got serious about revision time. She decided that she would re-write the notes into flash cards, words on one side, and meanings on the other. But rather than testing her, I tested myself – out loud. Occassionally I’d drop a stupid answer into the conversation, which she was quick to point out to me. She passed the test the next time.
 
Assignments:
AS you talk to your kids about school and whether they have homework, when you get together in the afternoon/evening. Ask them to break down their assignments for you. When is it due? How many words? What format? What research do they need to do? What are they going to do today?
 
Whilst this could be deemed to be intrusion – I’m fine mum…. I explain then what I have to do with my own projects. Together we break them down, I show them how I manage the various projects that I have been given and when the work is expected. And then we sit down together (in various spots around the kitchen/family room) and we do some work on our various projects. The old adage “show don’t tell” is extremely important when dealing with children no matter what their age. If you don’t have a work related project you can do, then get out your goal list for home and work on that. Do anything to show that you are a serious student and that you are still serious about improving yourself and your situation.
 
It doesn’t matter what age your kids are, this is an immense time of growth and change for them. Teachers can only do so much, the rest is up to us.
(MMO1)
 

2. Do not deal in double standards (see point 1) - kids have a nasty habit of seeing right through you and them. If you want your children to be  fit, healthy, read books, eat healthy, nutritious foods, not smoke,  swear or drink to excess then you need to lead by example.

If you still don't believe me, then you may also be interested in a recent research report that stated that 80% of children accepted into a study on obesity had an overweight parent...usually the mother. Parents lead by example - http://www.motivateme.info/news-and-views/2006/12/7/parents-lead-by-example.html