Parenting Teens

This week’s Homework Helper is not a website, but a tip-something it’s sometimes easy to forget with teenagers. Despite being older, crankier, ignoring you, and driving you crazy-they do still need help with homework sometimes!

It isn’t always easy to help them at this age. Believe me, I know. My teenage daughter is a math whiz. Just the sight of the problems in her textbooks makes me cringe. My helping her with math is out of the question. If she needs help with her math (which, being a proud parent, I can say she rarely does), she turns to her stepdad or my brother. My brother majored in physics and his entire job involves sitting at a computer and working calculations all day-but that’s another story!

However, I do help my daughter with writing essays, studying for tests, etc. We have a lot of fun with history, which we both enjoy, and with literature. We compare notes on stories and the meanings we both got out of them.

Sometimes, one of the most difficult parts of helping a teen with homework is, simply, getting them to talk with you about it! During the teen years, they don’t want to share a lot about their lives with you at times-plus they think their own parents have GOT to be some of the dumbest people on earth, and what could they possibly know about this stuff!

One of the most fundamental things to remember is to show an interest in your teen’s homework. This means not just asking them if they’ve started it or finished it yet! Talk with them about their assignments and what’s going on in their classes. If they have projects, ask if you can help them shop for the supplies they need. If you share a common interest in a particular subject, discuss it often, outside of the context of homework. It can be a great way for you and your teen to get to know each other better.

If they have a test coming up, help them study. Sit down and help them make a study outline. Or help them make flashcards. Then you can ask questions and they can answer. Or, take a page from “Jeopardy” and give them the answer, then have them come up with the question.

Just remember that the need for homework help doesn’t stop with teenagers. They often need it more, especially if they’re looking to get into a particular college or career and need to keep their grades up. Helping teens with homework can be a good learning experience for both of you.

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