I remember the panic I felt when my neighbor told me she was spending two hours a night teaching her children math. Two hours. Every night. I wondered, am I expected to be doing that? Turns out, no. And you are not likely to be either.
The point is, you do not have to become a kind of second teacher to your kid to support them in learning. Teachers cover the lesson plans. Things are different at home and, frankly speaking, they are supposed to be.
To begin with, do not make a big deal of the setup. Sure, your child has to do his or her homework, but it does not have to be a Pinterest perfect study area. My daughter does hers in the dining table and throws everything around her in math. My boy likes his room floor. Whatever works. All you need to do is to make sure that they have basic things at hand so that you do not hear them say, mom where is a pencil? seventeen times a night.
The routine aspect is not actually irrelevant. Not military-time-wise but children are in a better way when they are aware of what is expected of them. Homework right after snack or just before dinner or what you think is best in your family. This is automatic and hence less argument.
And this is where I went wrong, you see, because when they wanted me to give them an answer I would simply tell them. Faster, right? Wrong. They would re-inquire the following night, and the following. I was eventually informed by a colleague teacher to turn it upside down. What is your opinion of what you should do? or "Prove what you already have already made attempts. They work it out half the time, in explaining it to me. The other half, at least I know where they really are mired.
And when they get pegged on something I really do not understand? I must say, a part of this new curriculum could also be coded. That's fine. Assist them in making the answer themselves. Check the textbook together. Pull up a YouTube video. Email the teacher. Teaching them how to find answers is likely to be more productive than whatever formula they are working on anyway.
This is where the most important part comes in learning is when you are not even trying to school. You are making a dinner and counting things? That's math. Discussing the reasons of increase in gas prices? Economics. Debating whether this documentary was factual? Critical thinking. You do not even have to use flashcards to any of this. Just live and they can be a part of your life.
I also got to know how not to be annoying when in contact with the teachers. Sending a fast message now and then inquiring what to concentrate on is much more effective than attempting to figure it out. Teachers will prefer you to speak to them early than to keep struggling and struggling weeks to weeks.
And last, you are not the principal, you are the parent. There are even going to be disaster nights on homework. Not all the assignments are going to be completed perfectly. That's okay. When all evenings become a fight, something must be different, and it may not be your child. Perhaps, the work load is excessive. Perhaps they should be provided with other support. Perhaps you simply must release some of them.
It is your task to care, be around, and to demonstrate to them that learning is important. Not to have all the answers.