consequences for not doing homework school

Consequences for Students Who Don’t Do Homework

Many parents wonder what are some consequences for students who don’t do homework.

It can be a challenge to get your students to do their homework especially if they don’t like the topic. When the situation occurs that they don’t want to start or complete their homework, it is time to implement consequences.

Before doing so, you need to first identify why they don’t want to complete it in the first place.

Find the Problem

Before handing down any consequences, you should first find out why they do not want to do their homework. There can be different reasons why and finding out the right one is important for fixing the situation.

1. Distraction

The first reason why they are not doing their homework would be because they are distracted.

Distraction is the worst thing you can experience when you are trying to get important things done. Whether it is a student in school or a worker at a job, it will take your attention away from what is important and make your mind wander around.

It is even worse if the person is dealing with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a condition that both children and adults have that limits their focus when attempting to finish a task.

If you are noticing that your student is not able to focus while doing their homework, the best way to solve this problem would be to limit their distraction. This would be by either placing them in a room with the least distractions or by taking away anything they use that distraction like electronics.

2. They are Struggling

Another reason why they might not want to do or start their homework would be because they are struggling and might not know the material they are doing the homework on. This is a very common problem for students who don’t do their homework because not knowing how to do it will discourage them and they will be stuck.

This will lead them to not want to do it and will use any excuse not to finish.

What you need to do in this situation is bring in a tutor to help your child understand the material and be encouraged to finish it.

We at Beingagoodparent realize the struggle that many students face when it comes to understanding a topic in school so we partnered with Redemption Tutoring to help parents find affordable qualified tutors to help their children. By mentioning Beingagoodparen t, they will give you a 20% discount on all tutoring when you sign up.

Click here to sign up for tutoring.

Limit Their Freedom

The first consequence you can implement for students who don’t do their homework would be to limit their freedom.

What I mean by that is limit what they want to do when trying to have fun. Whether it’s an 8-year-old from watching cartoons or a highschooler from going out with his friends, you need to find out what they love to do the most and limit their time of that.

When someone is restricted from doing what they love, they will do anything to try and regain their freedom of doing it and in this case, they will have to finish their homework before regaining the freedom to do what they love.

This works well for any age level and they will regret not finishing earlier because their time of fun will be cut out until they finish.

Take Away Electronics

A great consequence you can implement when your children don’t want to do their homework is to take away their electronics. Children nowadays are addicted to their electronics because it is their form of entertainment.

It is what they love to spend time on once they come back from school and it is most likely the reason they are distracted enough not to do their homework. If you take away their form of entertainment, they will have nothing else to do but to finish the assignments they have due.

Take a Different Approach in Fixing the Problem

Many parents want to punish their children for not doing their homework but a better strategy to have them finish their homework rather than punishing them would be to set rewards if they do finish.

This puts a positive approach for them to finish the homework rather than making it a negative situation if they don’t finish.

The reason why setting rewards is a better solution than threatening consequences would be because they will approach the homework assignment with a positive mindset rather than a negative one.

If they go in knowing that there is a prize at the end, they will be excited to finish and get it done. If they go in knowing that if they don’t finish, they will have a consequence, they will go in with fear and that will put a negative connotation on homework assignments.

Setting rewards also motivates them to finish.

Think of it like how people get paid at work. They know that if they go to work and do their job, they will get a paycheck so even though many people don’t like their job, they still go in every day and finish because they know that they will be getting a paycheck. They are motivated to work hard by knowing that they will receive a check after.

This is the same concept you should apply for any student that does not want to do their homework. They should have a motivating factor to work towards so it drives them to do it.

Many parents think that they should not be rewarded for doing homework but that is farther from the truth. If adults have to be motivated to work for a paycheck, the child should also have a motivating factor to do their homework.

Let’s start making homework a positive thing instead of pressuring them to finish so they don’t have a consequence.

If they are motivated and are going in with a good mindset to finish, they will most likely aim to finish and do it quickly to receive the prize. You can decide what that prize is or even set up a rewards program where if they get a certain amount of homework done in a week, they will get a bigger prize.

This of course does not mean that you take away the consequences if they don’t finish. This trick of setting up rewards won’t work for all students and they still might slack off and not finish so when explaining to them the reward system, let them know that they are not saved from the consequences and will receive them if they are not trying to finish.

Final Thoughts

There are consequences for students who don’t do homework when they are supposed to and it can be easy to choose one these days. Anything that the student loves to do in their free time should be limited or taken away and that will cause them to finish the homework they have due.

The first thing you have to do is find the reason why they are not finishing their homework and once you find that out, it is time to help them get started. Your child acting out in school can also play a role with they don’t want to finish their homework.

When dealing with this, a way you can take a different approach would be to motivate them by having rewards set up once they are able to complete their homework. This will cause a bigger effect than threatening consequences if they don’t finish.

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What to Do When Your Teen is Failing School and Doesn’t Care

Elisa Cinelli

A report card full of D’s and F’s can be upsetting for a parent to see. It’s especially frustrating if it seems like your teen just doesn’t care.

 But what do you do? 

You can’t force your kid to put their best effort into their schoolwork, and trying to do so may damage your relationship.

On the other hand, teens can’t always grasp how important their high school grades are and what effect they may have on their futures. Parents should do their best to set their kids up for success and rule out any barriers that may be the root cause of their child’s poor school performance.

Related: A+ Parenting: 9 Tips to Boost Bad Grades

Ahead, we outline the actions that you can take if your teenager is failing school because of a seeming lack of motivation .

Ask an Expert: What Do I Do if My Kid Doesn't Care About School or Grades?

Connie Collins , a professional school counselor with over 35 years working in education as both a teacher and school counselor, weighs in on how concerned parents should respond to kids or teens who don’t put any effort into school or try to get good grades

  Q: My son is in seventh grade and is failing most classes. He has the ability to get As and Bs without much effort, but he doesn't care and either hurries through his homework or just doesn't do it at all.   I've tried punishing him, taking things away, talking with him, and meeting with teachers and counselors , but nothing seems to work. Any ideas on how to get him to care about school and his grades?   A: You say you have talked with his teachers and counselors. Did those meetings result in a plan? Was your son involved in that plan? If the answers are no, I would suggest going back to the school and doing just that. Is there a set time and place free of TV, computer, stereo, etc. for him to do this homework? Does he have to use that time reading if he says he doesn't have homework?  Do you or your partner spend some study time with him talking about his work and checking it over?  Where does the homework go when finished – in his folder, in his backpack, near the door?  Many bright seventh-graders have no idea how to organize or how to study. Does he need some help in this area? You speak of punishment and rewards , but not of consequences. Are they logical and immediate?  What happens if he fails seventh grade? Have you decided as a family and made clear to him that he will be spending summer going to summer school – not on vacation or being with his friends?  That might help put things into perspective and show him that doing well in school impacts other parts of his life. 

Set Your Teen up For Success in School

Teenagers aren’t full-fledged adults yet, and they are still developing their executive function skills. Setting up a schedule and a quiet environment for them to study in can go a long way in helping them succeed. 

Often a bit of external structure can help your child get a good grade. The resulting feeling may help them develop intrinsic motivation.

• Choose a table in a room free from distractions. If possible, the table should be completely clear of anything but your kid’s work.
• Make a schedule. When is your teen going to work? Should they come home and study first thing after school before they have free time, or will it work better for them to have a snack and some downtime to socialize first? The answer to this will depend on your child. Involve them in this decision.
• Buy a planner. If your teenager doesn’t already have a planner, have them pick one out. Show them how to list out homework and study tasks with a box next to each that they can check off once complete.

Identify the Obstacles

Often what looks like laziness is truly overwhelming. Don’t assume that your child just doesn’t care. When missing assignments snowball, kids can start to feel like they’ll never catch up. Try to figure out what is stopping them from completing their work.

Sit down and have a conversation with your teen, without judgment. Make it very clear that you are not upset and that they are not in trouble.

 The goal is to get them to open up to you so that the two of you can get to the bottom of what’s causing their bad grades.

Common obstacles include:

• Volume of reading is too high or the material is too complex
• Foundational math or science skills weren’t mastered so now the more advanced classes aren’t accessible to your child
• Difficulty balancing academics and sports or other activities
• Not enough time to do all the work (might need to prioritize)
• A condition such as ADHD or a learning disability that makes school more challenging 
• Mental health needs to be addressed — maybe bullying or another issue is impacting your teen’s self-esteem and needs to be taken care of with professional help before your child can focus properly on academics

Consider Accommodations

“Not caring” can be a coping mechanism for kids who have given up because they have lost their confidence. It’s possible for learning disabilities to show up at an older age, even if they didn’t seem obvious during the elementary years.

Talk to your school counselor about your concerns and they will help you decide whether you want to assess your child. If you do, make sure that your child understands that you don’t think there is anything wrong with them, but you want to learn more about how you and the school can help them. 

You might also let them decide whether they want to be assessed.

Possible learning disabilities include:

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder : affects the ability to focus and executive functioning
• Dyscalculia : difficulty with math and logical thinking
• Dysgraphia : problems with handwriting and spelling
• Dyslexia : affects reading and language processing

Emotional trauma or mental health issues may also be a barrier to your teen’s motivation and academic success. 

You should also consider whether they might need therapy or antidepressants to help get them through a difficult time and to support their school achievement.

Use Natural Consequences

Experience is often the best teacher. Try to let your child suffer the natural consequences of failing whenever possible. It can be tempting to swoop in and save our kids at the last minute, but it’s better for them to learn the consequences of their actions while they are young.

 It’s better to be stuck in summer school because you didn’t do your work than to be fired from a job at an older age in “real life.”

That being said, natural consequences are not always the safe choice. You don’t want to let your child fail without giving them the support they need. Use your judgment when using natural consequences with teens, and regardless, make sure they know that you are always there for them and that you love them unconditionally.

These strategies are less effective with teens, who are becoming more independent (a good thing!). If it becomes a power struggle, it’s not likely to help motivate your teen to care.

If you say, “You can’t play video games until you have done your homework,” you’re likely to end up with a teen who doesn’t do either and doesn’t care. But if your kid wants to avoid having to repeat a school year of high school, they may decide to do their work on their own.

Set Goals Together

Try sitting down with your teen and coming up with some goals together. Remember, these are your kid’s goals, not yours. 

You’ll never be able to force them to get on board with your goals. And you shouldn’t have to. A 14-year-old or 15-year-old kid should be coming up with their own plans for their future.

Start by looking at the long term. What do they want to achieve when they grow up? What options do they want available to them? That’s completely up to them. The next step is to set short-term goals that work towards their long-term goal. his is where you come in. 

 Your job is to help them see what stepping stones there are along the road to their aspirations. And that might not mean that they need to be a straight-A student or that they need to attend a university instead of a community college . There are many ways for teens to succeed that don’t revolve around their grades. 

Remember though — the short-term goals need to align with what your kids want to achieve. Pushing your own narrative won’t get them to care. But supporting their dreams likely will.

Steps for Setting Academic Goals: 

• Have your teen come up with one to three long-term goals for their future — where do they want to be in 5 or 10 years? 
• Help them come up with short-term goals that lead directly to their long-term goal. For example: focusing on studying for biology class now will help them if they want to become a veterinarian after college 
• Figure out what support they need to meet their short-term goals and help them get that support.
• Write out a plan with actionable steps that your teen can check off. We recommend our High School Homework Checklist for Parents . 

Check Your Relationship with Your Teen

It’s normal if your relationship with your teen seems to be a bit strained. Teenagers are gaining independence and trying to fit in with their peer’s values . This is all healthy and expected.

That being said, the teenage years are also one of the most important times to nurture your relationship. You want your teen to be able to trust that they can come to you for anything.

Falling grades or apathy about school may be a sign that your teen needs you more than ever. Consider how much quality family time you are spending. 

With parents’ and teens’ jam-packed schedules, it’s easy to lose track of that family dinner or find time just to sit and talk. 

Even if it’s just in the car on the way to practice, try to carve out some time for you and your teen to be together and enjoy each other’s company.

If your child’s grades are slipping or they seem to have lowered motivation, building a better relationship with you – their parent – can help. 

Parental support builds trust so that they feel comfortable telling you about what might be wrong or what they might be struggling with. It also helps to elevate your child’s mood and self-esteem which may have a positive effect on motivation.

Most important of all, ensure that your child knows that you will always love them, no matter their grades.

About Elisa

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Logical Consequences for Not Doing Homework?

I hate homework. Probably more than my kids do. Homework is a frustrating, time consuming, and questionable activity that children have been doing for ages.

While the science and the teachers and the parents all differ on whether homework is really necessary…RIGHT NOW homework is a fact of life.

Teachers assign it to the kids, and then it needs to get done to get through school.

But what should we do as parents when kids don’t do their homework?

Is it our jobs to make sure that homework gets done? If so….how do we do it?

After all, we’ve all been there. Nagging. Yelling. Hair pulling. Consequences.

We try encouragement, rewards, positive language.

And they still don’t want to do it.

What’s frustrating about all this is that some teachers say that the purpose of homework is not the extra learning….it is more about personal responsibility. Learning to take the work home, and then making sure it gets done on time, and returning it.

The purpose of the work should govern the consequences.

You are here because you want your child to do his homework. For whatever reason, the homework is not happening.

To figure out the best way to handle the homework issue, we need to circle back to the purpose of the work. In this instance, I might take a few moments to shoot a message to one of your child’s teachers, or get them in person for a few minutes. Ask them directly….what do you want them to learn from this homework?

If the teacher says that the child needs more work on math, or that their reading is behind, you’ll have a better idea of what sort of consequence (or action) you need to take.

Once you know why the teacher is sending homework home, you can reinforce that message as you are working on getting homework done.

As for “logical” consequences, there are two kinds. There are limits that you set (and consequences that follow naturally when the child pushes that limit), and then there are the consequences that flow directly from the action (or lack thereof).

Logically, when a child doesn’t do her homework, it doesn’t flow that she’ll lose her allowance. The outcome of failing to complete homework and turn it in at school is something that occurs at school, and not at home.

Logically, when a child doesn’t follow the home rules by leaving the television off until homework is done, it flows that perhaps the television is no longer an option after school at all.

To figure out your reaction, what is bothering you most? That your child isn’t doing what you tell her to at home, or that she isn’t actually turning her homework in? Once you have identified what’s really eating at you, the consequences (and how you deal with them) will make more sense.

Understanding the offense will also help you explain it to your child

I think we often combine the failed homework offense in with the failed to follow directions offense. If you are able to separate those out, you’ll be more likely to help your child understand what it is you are asking her to do.

Honestly, I would leave the homework discipline/consequences to the teacher.

I support my kids’ teachers 100%. This also means that I trust them to handle and work with the kids about homework and the stated importance of it.

Does this mean that I can wipe my hands of homework and forget about it? Nope. I still need to set aside time every night for homework, and help create time and space for it to be done.

If my child is sitting where she is supposed to be sitting and doing work (or at least doing something on task), I’m not going to be disciplining them. If the work doesn’t get turned in, the teacher has tools to “encourage” the child to turn it in (rewards or lack thereof, etc).

If my child is disobeying me and playing with their phone or toys during homework time, then it is my job to step in with the limits that I have set and enforce.

Sometimes getting homework done is less about consequences…

Remember…what we are hoping to encourage with homework (I think) is that personal responsibility. Initiative. Take action on your own to get stuff done. If we micromanage the child every night to make sure the homework gets done and is done perfectly, and the child has to do nothing to make it happen (aside from picking up the pencil), have they learned the skills they need to be learning?

I think overall, parents need to step back and let children find out for themselves what the natural consequences are for failing to complete their homework. The natural consequence of failing to do your school work are primarily seen at school, with low marks, maybe lost opportunities, and unrealized rewards.

Yes, the teachers talk to the parents about it. And parents feel like it is their responsibility to make homework happen so kid can achieve all of said things (grades, opportunities, rewards), so parent can feel confident and successful.

But if what we want is for kids to learn to do things on their own, it has been pretty well documented that external motivation (rewards, punishments) do very little to light the fire of internal motivation. In the short term, the child might do what you want, but in the long term, bribes to finish up really fail to help kids learn.

Kids don’t know how to do things for themselves

I think one of the reasons why kids don’t want to take charge or get things done is that it is something they do very little in their lives. Most kids are carefully watched, their activities scheduled and restricted. There’s no chance for a child to choose to do just about anything in their day.

Homework (doing it or not) might be the only chance the child has ALL DAY to make a choice. Yes, or no. And can you blame them for jumping on the opportunity?

Further, initiative is a muscle that needs to be constantly flexed and stretched. If we never let kids control what they do and how they do it (and experience the outcomes of their choices), they won’t learn to flex the initiative muscle.

And they’ll be pretty darn surprised when they get to the real world and find out there mom isn’t there to make sure the bills get paid on time.

Consequences might not work either

Let’s say that you are prepared to let your kid just find out what happens when he doesn’t do his homework. And what if he gets bad grades, loses recess, misses out on school activities, and still doesn’t care?

At that point, I think you have a deeper problem to consider.

Your child doesn’t want to do homework, and isn’t motivated at all by the loss of pleasurable activities at school.

It could be that your child is really struggling somewhere at school that you haven’t identified, which makes the whole homework thing seem less important. This could be a sign of depression/anxiety. But it could also be a sign of learning issues (dyslexia, for example) where the student is really struggling and frustrated, but can’t actually put into words what is going wrong and why.

I was working with a child at school the other day (as a volunteer) and she refused to do some work that was provided to her. Like just flat out refused. No consequence threatened changed anything. She wouldn’t do it. Turns out….she needed to see more of the information in the assignment to be able to do it.

Her immaturity and youth made it so that she couldn’t actually even understand or express to us why she wouldn’t do the assignment. If we hadn’t looked deeper at the situation, we would have just assumed she was having an attitude problem, when the problem was actually more about how the assignment was set up and presented to her.

If you are obsessed with the idea of logical consequences….

Why not just see what happens? Set up homework time, but don’t yell, nag, fuss or fight, and then see what happens. Maybe the natural outcomes of your child’s actions will be the catalyst of change for her behavior.

Emily Anderson is a mother of three children, all under the age of 10. Located in the Pacific Northwest of the US, Emily is a mom and part-time blogger, jumping in front of the computer when the kids are sleeping. She started this blog in April of 2019 and is proud that the blog is now paying for itself. If you want to know about her journey as a blogger, check out out her personal digital journal or her post about failing her way to blogging success .

Homework Struggles May Not Be a Behavior Problem

Exploring some options to understand and help..

Posted August 2, 2022 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

• Mental health challenges and neurodevelopmental differences directly affect children's ability to do homework.
• Understanding what difficulties are getting in the way—beyond the usual explanation of a behavior problem—is key.
• Sleep and mental health needs can take priority over homework completion.

Chelsea was in 10th grade the first time I told her directly to stop doing her homework and get some sleep. I had been working with her since she was in middle school, treating her anxiety disorder. She deeply feared disappointing anyone—especially her teachers—and spent hours trying to finish homework perfectly. The more tired and anxious she got, the harder it got for her to finish the assignments.

One night Chelsea called me in despair, feeling hopeless. She was exhausted and couldn’t think straight. She felt like a failure and that she was a burden to everyone because she couldn’t finish her homework.

She was shocked when I told her that my prescription for her was to go to sleep now—not to figure out how to finish her work. I told her to leave her homework incomplete and go to sleep. We briefly discussed how we would figure it out the next day, with her mom and her teachers. At that moment, it clicked for her that it was futile to keep working—because nothing was getting done.

This was an inflection point for her awareness of when she was emotionally over-cooked and when she needed to stop and take a break or get some sleep. We repeated versions of this phone call several times over the course of her high school and college years, but she got much better at being able to do this for herself most of the time.

When Mental Health Symptoms Interfere with Homework

Kids with mental health or neurodevelopmental challenges often struggle mightily with homework. Challenges can come up in every step of the homework process, including, but not limited to:

• Remembering and tracking assignments and materials
• Getting the mental energy/organization to start homework
• Filtering distractions enough to persist with assignments
• Understanding unspoken or implied parts of the homework
• Remembering to bring finished homework to class
• Being in class long enough to know the material
• Tolerating the fear of not knowing or failing
• Not giving up the assignment because of a panic attack
• Tolerating frustration—such as not understanding—without emotional dysregulation
• Being able to ask for help—from a peer or a teacher and not being afraid to reach out

This list is hardly comprehensive. ADHD , autism spectrum disorder, social anxiety , generalized anxiety, panic disorder, depression , dysregulation, and a range of other neurodevelopmental and mental health challenges cause numerous learning differences and symptoms that can specifically and frequently interfere with getting homework done.

The Usual Diagnosis for Homework Problems is "Not Trying Hard Enough"

Unfortunately, when kids frequently struggle to meet homework demands, teachers and parents typically default to one explanation of the problem: The child is making a choice not to do their homework. That is the default “diagnosis” in classrooms and living rooms. And once this framework is drawn, the student is often seen as not trying hard enough, disrespectful, manipulative, or just plain lazy.

The fundamental disconnect here is that the diagnosis of homework struggles as a behavioral choice is, in fact, only one explanation, while there are so many other diagnoses and differences that impair children's ability to consistently do their homework. If we are trying to create solutions based on only one understanding of the problem, the solutions will not work. More devastatingly, the wrong solutions can worsen the child’s mental health and their long-term engagement with school and learning.

To be clear, we aren’t talking about children who sometimes struggle with or skip homework—kids who can change and adapt their behaviors and patterns in response to the outcomes of that struggle. For this discussion, we are talking about children with mental health and/or neurodevelopmental symptoms and challenges that create chronic difficulties with meeting homework demands.

How Can You Help a Child Who Struggles with Homework?

How can you help your child who is struggling to meet homework demands because of their ADHD, depression, anxiety, OCD , school avoidance, or any other neurodevelopmental or mental health differences? Let’s break this down into two broad areas—things you can do at home, and things you can do in communication with the school.

Helping at Home

The following suggestions for managing school demands at home can feel counterintuitive to parents—because we usually focus on helping our kids to complete their tasks. But mental health needs jump the line ahead of task completion. And starting at home will be key to developing an idea of what needs to change at school.

• Set an end time in the evening after which no more homework will be attempted. Kids need time to decompress and they need sleep—and pushing homework too close to or past bedtime doesn’t serve their educational needs. Even if your child hasn’t been able to approach the homework at all, even if they have avoided and argued the whole evening, it is still important for everyone to have a predictable time to shut down the whole process.
• If there are arguments almost every night about homework, if your child isn’t starting homework or finishing it, reframe it from failure into information. It’s data to put into problem-solving. We need to consider other possible explanations besides “behavioral choice” when trying to understand the problem and create effective solutions. What problems are getting in the way of our child’s meeting homework demands that their peers are meeting most of the time?
• Try not to argue about homework. If you can check your own anxiety and frustration, it can be more productive to ally with your child and be curious with them. Kids usually can’t tell you a clear “why” but maybe they can tell you how they are feeling and what they are thinking. And if your child can’t talk about it or just keeps saying “I don't know,” try not to push. Come back another time. Rushing, forcing, yelling, and threatening will predictably not help kids do homework.

Helping at School

The second area to explore when your neurodiverse child struggles frequently with homework is building communication and connections with school and teachers. Some places to focus on include the following.

• Label your child’s diagnoses and break down specific symptoms for the teachers and school team. Nonjudgmental, but specific language is essential for teachers to understand your child’s struggles. Breaking their challenges down into the problems specific to homework can help with building solutions. As your child gets older, help them identify their difficulties and communicate them to teachers.
• Let teachers and the school team know that your child’s mental health needs—including sleep—take priority over finishing homework. If your child is always struggling to complete homework and get enough sleep, or if completing homework is leading to emotional meltdowns every night, adjusting their homework demands will be more successful than continuing to push them into sleep deprivation or meltdowns.
• Request a child study team evaluation to determine if your child qualifies for services under special education law such as an IEP, or accommodations through section 504—and be sure that homework adjustments are included in any plan. Or if such a plan is already in place, be clear that modification of homework expectations needs to be part of it.

The Long-Term Story

I still work with Chelsea and she recently mentioned how those conversations so many years ago are still part of how she approaches work tasks or other demands that are spiking her anxiety when she finds herself in a vortex of distress. She stops what she is doing and prioritizes reducing her anxiety—whether it’s a break during her day or an ending to the task for the evening. She sees that this is crucial to managing her anxiety in her life and still succeeding at what she is doing.

Task completion at all costs is not a solution for kids with emotional needs. Her story (and the story of many of my patients) make this crystal clear.

Candida Fink, M.D. , is board certified in child/adolescent and general psychiatry. She practices in New York and has co-authored two books— The Ups and Downs of Raising a Bipolar Child and Bipolar Disorder for Dummies.

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What to Do If Your Teen Has Failing Grades in High School

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Finding out your teen has failing grades can be frustrating and scary. After all, failed classes could mean a lower GPA, difficulty getting into college, and perhaps even trouble graduating from high school on time. When high school students fall behind in their classes, catching up can be quite difficult. When grades begin to plummet, many teens give up.

If your teen is failing a class—or they're already failed the entire semester—take action. There are several things you can do to address the issue.

Identify the Problem

If your teen has a failing grade or is in danger of not passing, sit down and discuss the problem. Ask your teen for help uncovering the reasons they are not passing. Sometimes students who start out strong get sidetracked, while other students just aren’t motivated to stay on track.

Talk to your teen and examine whether or not any of these issues have contributed to a failing grade.

• Are the classes too hard? Sometimes teens sign up for classes that are just too difficult and they become overwhelmed.
• Is your child not doing the homework? If your teen isn’t doing homework, it will be extremely difficult to pass a class. Find out if homework isn’t completed, not turned in on time, or if your child doesn’t understand how to do it.
• Are low test scores a problem? Some students struggle with test anxiety or aren’t sure how to study for tests.
• Has your child had a lot of absences? If your child has missed school due to illness or other issues, it can severely interfere with grades.
• Is your child under a lot of stress? If your teen is stressed out, they may have difficulty concentrating and completing his work.
• Could a mental health issue be part of the problem? Mental health problems , such as depression or anxiety often contribute to failing grades. Substance abuse issues can also be a factor in declining grades. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities can impact concentration, motivation, comprehension, and memory.

Talk to the Teachers

Although your teen may not want you to talk to their teachers, it’s important to speak with them to help determine the problem. Your teen may not be aware that they're not paying attention in class or that they're missing a lot of work. Ask for teachers’ opinions about what your child needs to do differently to pass the class.

Consider whether your child may have a learning disability as well. Sometimes learning disabilities or ADHD go undiagnosed until the high school years. Inquire about whether or not educational or psychological testing could be helpful.  

Problem-Solve With Your Teen

Once you have a better idea of why they're failing, sit down and problem-solve with your teen . Discuss they're ideas about how they can improve their grade. Sometimes, simple yet creative solutions can make a big difference.

• Do they need more structure with homework? Some teens just can’t handle having too much freedom about when and where to do their work. Establishing a scheduled homework time can help.
• Do they have difficulty remembering what they have for homework? Teens who are disorganized often misplace their papers or forget to bring their work home. Identify strategies to help your teen get more organized.
• Do they forget to write down their assignments? Some teens try to remember all of their assignments without an assignment book. Other teens forget to write their assignments down. Having your teen write down their work and asking the teacher to initial it after each class can ensure that their assignments are written down.
• Do they need extra help? Many teens are afraid to ask for help because they are embarrassed or they just don’t understand, even when the teacher tries to explain the concepts again. Staying after school for extra help, meeting with a tutor, or joining a homework club can be helpful strategies for many students.
• Are they just not motivated to do their work? Sometimes teens just aren’t all that motivated to complete their work. They may have lost interest or are just bored with a particular subject. Discuss strategies that will help motivate your teen to get their work done.

A Word From Verywell

Work together to develop a plan to address failing grades. Discuss possible strategies to help them improve their grade, such as arranging for tutoring. If they're not able to pass the class, talk to the school about alternative options such as summer school or adult education classes.

Steinmayr R, Crede J, McElvany N, Wirthwein L. Subjective well-being, test anxiety, academic achievement: Testing for reciprocal effects .  Front Psychol . 2016;6:1994. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01994

Pascoe MC, Hetrick SE, Parker AG. The impact of stress on students in secondary school and higher education .  Int J Adolesc Youth . 2020;25(1):104-112. doi:10.1080/02673843.2019.1596823

Schulte-Körne G. Mental health problems in a school setting in children and adolescents .  Dtsch Arztebl Int . 2016;113(11):183-190. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2016.0183

Patte KA, Qian W, Leatherdale ST. Binge drinking and academic performance, engagement, aspirations, and expectations: A longitudinal analysis among secondary school students in the COMPASS study .  Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can . 2017;37(11):376–385. doi:10.24095/hpcdp.37.11.02

Kent KM, Pelham WE Jr, Molina BS, et al. The academic experience of male high school students with ADHD .  J Abnorm Child Psychol . 2011;39(3):451–462. doi:10.1007/s10802-010-9472-4

American Academy of Pediatrics. What to do if your child is falling behind in school .

By Amy Morin, LCSW Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a psychotherapist, an international bestselling author of books on mental strength and host of The Verywell Mind Podcast. She delivered one of the most popular TEDx talks of all time.

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14 fascinating teacher interview questions for principals, tips for success if you have a master’s degree and can’t find a job, 14 ways young teachers can get that professional look, which teacher supplies are worth the splurge, 8 business books every teacher should read, conditional admission: everything you need to know, college majors: everything you need to know, 7 things principals can do to make a teacher observation valuable, 3 easy teacher outfits to tackle parent-teacher conferences, 21 strategies to help students who have trouble finishing homework tasks.

Are you looking for strategies to help students who have trouble finishing homework tasks? If so, keep reading.

1. Chart homework tasks finished.

2. Converse with the learner to explain (a) what the learner is doing wrong (e.g., not turning in homework tasks ) and (b) what the learner should be doing (i.e., finishing homework tasks and returning them to school).

3. Urge the learner to lessen distractions to finish homework (e.g., turn off the radio and/or TV, have people whisper, etc.).

4. Take proactive steps to deal with a learner’s refusal to perform a homework task to prevent contagion in the classroom (e.g., refrain from arguing with the learner, place the learner at a carrel or other quiet space to work, remove the learner from the group or classroom, etc.).

5. Select a peer to model finishing homework tasks and returning them to school for the learner.

6. Urge the learner to realize that all behavior has negative or positive consequences. Urge the learner to practice behaviors that will lead to positive outcomes.

7. Urge the learner to set up an “office” where homework can be finished.

8. Get the learner to assess the visual and auditory stimuli in their designated workspace at home to ascertain the number of stimuli they can tolerate.

9. Create an agreement with the learner and their parents requiring that homework be done before more desirable learning activities at home (e.g., playing, watching television, going out for the evening, etc.).

10. Make sure that homework gives drill and practice rather than introducing new ideas or information.

11. Designate small amounts of homework initially . As the learner shows success, slowly increase the amount of homework (e.g., one or two problems to perform may be sufficient to begin the homework process).

12. Provide consistency in assigning homework (i.e., designate the same amount of homework each day).

13. Make sure the amount of homework designated is not excessive and can be finished within a sensible amount of time. Remember, secondary students may have six or seven teachers assigning homework each day.

14. Assess the appropriateness of the homework task to determine (a) if the task is too easy, (b) if the task is too complicated, and (c) if the duration of time scheduled to finish the task is sufficient.

15. Praise the learner for finishing homework tasks and returning them to school: (a) give the learner a concrete reward (e.g., classroom privileges, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) provide the learner an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).

16. Praise the learner for finishing homework tasks based on the number of tasks the learner can successfully finish. As the learner shows success, slowly increase the number of tasks required for reinforcement.

17. Praise those students who finish their tasks at school during the time given.

18. Send home only one homework task at a time. As the learner shows success finishing tasks at home, slowly increase the number of homework tasks sent home.

19. Show the tasks in the most attractive and exciting manner possible.

20. Find the learning materials the learner continuously fails to take home. Give a set of those learning materials for the learner to keep at home.

21. Consider using an education app to help the student sharpen their organizational skills. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend .

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Home / Expert Articles / Parenting Strategies & Techniques / Consequences & Rewards

When to Let Your Child Face Natural Consequences

By sara bean, m.ed..

You hear that you should let your child face natural consequences, but what exactly does this mean? Many parents struggle with this concept because they don’t fully understand what constitutes a “natural” consequence. And sometimes parents have difficulty relinquishing control because they feel they always have to get their child to obey.

I’ve talked to many parents who have structure and consequences in place for their child to motivate them to do their homework. Many refuse to accept that there is little else you can do to make your child do his homework if he simply refuses.

There comes a point, though, where you have to let go and let your child feel the natural consequences of poor grades, such as failing, getting spoken to by the teacher, or even summer school. Believe me, I’m not advocating an uninvolved approach here—far from it. I’ll explain more about this later on.

Natural consequences can best be described as the logical outcome of a decision your child makes. These consequences can come from outside forces such as teachers or the police, but may also come from you setting limits on how much you will do for your child.

A benefit of natural consequences is that you don’t have to come up with them yourself. Instead, you’re allowing the “chips to fall where they may.” This can help your child to learn about what happens when he makes various choices on his own. It shows him that rules are here for a reason and going against them is unpleasant.

Natural consequences allow you to take this stance:

“This isn’t my problem. You’re the one who made the choice. What are you going to do differently next time?”

Related content: When You Should Let Your Child Fail: The Benefits of Natural Consequences

Here are 5 areas where you should let your child face natural consequences:

1. Getting in Trouble at School

I’ve worked with many parents whose kids get into trouble at school. But instead of letting their child be accountable, they try to bail their kid out. Remember that your child’s version of the story is not always the true version of what has happened. Your child will sometimes rearrange the facts to justify his poor choices—and omit information about his own behavior.

When your child makes a poor choice at school, such as a lewd comment in the cafeteria or pushing a peer in the hallway, the information you get about the situation is often incomplete. There is often much more going on that teachers see and hear that you don’t know about. Most of the time it’s harmless and there is no need to tell you and teachers know that all kids make mistakes.

When your child is given a consequence at school, there’s usually a very good reason for it. Let your child face these natural consequences such as missing recess, going to detention, or attending school on Saturday. If you try to bail your child out of trouble at school, you undermine the school’s authority. Your child gets the message that he doesn’t have to listen to his teachers and his behavior will likely worsen.

Finally, don’t punish your child further for actions that he is already facing consequences for at school. Let the school handle the school issues if they are doing so adequately.

2. Responsibility for Personal Space and Belongings

In most cases, it’s effective to let your child be in control of her own space and her own belongings.

The natural consequence of a dirty room is that your child won’t be able to find things. Not wearing a coat to school in the winter? He will get cold. If your child brings his favorite toy to school (when you told him not to) and it gets lost or stolen, then his toy is gone. Lose or carelessly break your phone and you will be without a phone for a while. The options are plentiful here.

If you tell your child to put her dirty clothes in the laundry and she doesn’t, then they don’t get washed. You aren’t doing anything extra here or going out of your way to do something your child can do herself. You are simply washing what there is to wash. If she doesn’t do it, she doesn’t have clean clothes. The natural consequence is that she has no clean clothes.

3. Not Completing Household Chores

The most common way for families to handle chores is to provide a small allowance. It works best to break the allowance down into a payment for each chore. When children don’t do the chores, they don’t get paid. It’s just like in the real world. If you don’t work, you don’t get paid and you can’t buy the things you want.

Related content: Free Downloadable Chore Charts

With younger kids, you could do a token system or create a single behavior chart that will allow them to earn a reward every day or two, such as playing a game with Mom or watching a movie with Dad.

Another system I love that works well with kids who leaves their things all over the place is the “Saturday Box.” Every night after bed, you pick up whatever your child left lying around the house and put it in the Saturday Box. And, as the name implies, she won’t get it back until Saturday. If one of those items happens to be her handheld game device for example, then you have a bonus natural consequence: she won’t get to play until Saturday. And that’s on her, not you, as long as you told her about the Saturday Box ahead of time.

4. Bad Grades

Your child needs to learn to take responsibility for homework and grades. The natural consequences are plentiful here. He may get lectured by the teacher or he may have to stay in from recess to finish the homework. In some instances, he may not get to participate in school-sponsored activities. And, if it’s very serious, he might even have to repeat the grade or go to summer school.

This consequence may sound harsh. But, you aren’t going to follow your child around to his job when he grows up to make sure he does everything his boss wants him to do, right? That’s why it’s best for your child to learn now what happens when you don’t meet your responsibilities.

This is not to say that you ignore homework and school altogether. It is appropriate to set up consequences to help ensure that your child does his homework, and I discuss this further below. But, natural consequences play an important role here as well.

5. Bad Behavior Outside the Home

We say this all the time here at Empowering Parents : no matter how much you would like to, you can’t control your child’s behavior outside your home. If your child does something rude or obnoxious at a friend’s house, the natural consequence might be that he isn’t allowed over there for a while. If he speeds, he might get a ticket. Each of these actions has their own natural consequences.

When misbehavior outside your home poses a safety risk, you certainly do want to impose some consequences of your own at home, of course.

When Should You Give Your Child Consequences?

Natural consequences are important and you should not shield your child from them. But you still need to develop your own consequences for many behaviors. Does my child’s behavior present a serious safety concern? Is my child’s poor decision in this situation likely to have long-term negative or unhealthy consequences? Is my child being rude or verbally abusive towards me? In these cases, you do not want to wait for natural consequences to occur. Instead, you need to come up with effective consequences yourself to improve their behavior.

For example, if your child’s grades are failing, you can establish a daily structure where he has no access to electronics or favorite toys from after school until the work is done. You could also try to add additional incentives for your child to follow this structure at least 3 or 4 days in a row.

After you’ve set up effective consequences and rewards, the rest is up to your child. She will choose whether to risk the natural consequences again or not.

Additionally, you must step in if there is a safety is a concern. If your child has been smoking pot or experimenting with alcohol, the car can be off limits for a while. When your child refuses to wear a helmet, the bike is locked up. If your child has shoplifted, he might lose the privilege of walking to the store on his own for a while. These are just a few of many possible examples.

Coach Your Child

With every child, it’s helpful for you to talk with him or her about their decisions and the outcomes of those decisions. Younger children will need you to offer them choices, while mid-elementary aged kids and up can make choices more independently.

When you talk, you can discuss your child’s reason for making a decision, what the outcome was, and what he could do differently next time. This will help him maximize the learning that comes from mistakes and give him the skills to avoid unpleasant consequences in the future—natural or otherwise.

The Real World Experience Kids Gain by Facing Consequences

While it’s your responsibility to coach your child and point out the consequences of his choices, it’s up to your child to make the choices. And it’s up to your child to experience the outcome of those choices.

Even the best-behaved kids will make poor choices now and again. The hard truth is that decision-making is a skill your child needs to learn so he can function as an adult. Natural consequences are one of the best teachers a child can have.

Empowering Parents Podcast: Apple, Spotify

About Sara Bean, M.Ed.

Sara Bean, M.Ed. is a certified school counselor and former Empowering Parents Parent Coach with over 10 years of experience working with children and families. She is also a proud mom.

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The Pathway 2 Success

Solutions for Social Emotional Learning & Executive Functioning

40+ Strategies and Supports for Students Who Are Failing Class

October 17, 2023 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

Sometimes, kids and teens struggle in keeping their grades up. With enough struggle, students can end up failing a class (or just be in danger of failing). This can be for a multitude of reasons from being absent too many times to not understanding the concepts to not turning in assignments. Regardless of the reasons, when kids and teens are failing a class, it’s a big problem. The good news is that there are strategies and interventions to help kid and teens get back on track.

We all play a role. An important note to mention about this article is that I have divided it up into three sections of strategies. These are strategies for the student, the educators, and the parents. There are so many strategies that they could be split up into three separate articles, but I purposefully kept them together. That’s because while it is ultimately up to a student to do the work required to pass a class, we all play a role in setting the stage, providing supports, and helping them get back on track. We’re in this together.

One more idea to keep in mind is that kids who are failing might feel like they are too far down the road to make their way back to a passing grade. Sometimes, it can feel hopeless for them. They need to know that adults are there to help them and that they can use strategies to help themselves too.

EDUCATOR STRATEGIES

Consider the underlying reason why a student might be failing. There are many reasons why a student might be failing a class. Finding the underlying reason can help get to the root of the problem. Is the student refusing to do work because they are struggling with some personal challenges? Is the student having trouble keeping ahead because they are juggling too many after school activities? Is the student not preparing enough for tests and quizzes? Sometimes, this isn’t always easy to find out, but it’s worth investigating.

Collaborate with other educators. Talk with other educators and compare how the student is doing in other classes. Is the student failing in just one class or across the board? Understanding this can set the stage for next steps.

Provide encouragement. Remind the student that they can improve their situation with hard work and strategies. It’s important to keep a supportive mindset with the student, since the goal is to empower them to make better choices.

Meet privately with the student. Talking 1:1 with the student in a private setting can have an impact. If possible, meet privately with the student by calling them out of study hall or homeroom for a short session. Use this time to identify the problem, discuss, and come up with potential strategies together. It’s important be open to listening to the student’s perspective. Sometimes, the problems and solutions they list can be extremely helpful information.

Provide a list of missing work. After talking with the student, provide a concrete list of assignments they can make up for full or partial credit. Creating a missing work list serves for a few different purposes. For one, it lets the student know exactly what they can do to get started improving their grade. Also, the list can be mailed home and sent to administration for record-keeping at the same time.

Teach executive functioning skills. So often, students are expected to plan, stay organized, manage their time and work through challenges. When students struggle with these skills, it greatly impacts their ability to perform well in classes. The good news is that young adults can learn and apply meaningful strategies to help them. Use lessons and activities to teach executive functioning skills to give students the foundational skills they need.

Involve school administrators. When a student is in danger of failing, it’s important to be open and share this early on with school administrators. This is for a few reasons. First, the administrator can step in and contact families to provide an extra layer of support and reminders. Also, it’s important for the administrator to know early on that you are implementing strategies and supports. There should be no surprises about a student failing a class, which is why it helps to involve admin early on.

Give a study hall check-in. Stop into the student’s study hall or resource room to give an extra check-in. Sometimes, a study hall time for kids can be overwhelming; they have so much work and they’re not sure exactly where to start. When you give a check in, be specific about what work they can do in that moment to help get back on the right track. The goal is to help them get started and then allow them to complete it independently. This also helps model healthy work habits.

Teach SEL skills directly. Many social-emotional skills are actually a prerequisite to success in the classroom. These include skills like working with others, managing emotions, problem-solving, and persevering through challenges. Consider teaching social-emotional skills to your student (or whole class) to provide a foundation of support.

Consider learning challenges and needs. It’s important to consider if a student may have learning challenges that may have gone previously unnoticed. How are the students’ reading, math, and writing skills? Do they need interventions and tutoring in school? Do you suspect the student has a learning disability? If so, these are important questions to bring up and discuss with your school team.

Provide a daily check-in. A quick check-in with a student can help them feel connected while also building accountability. Every student check-in might be a little different depending on what that student needs; some students might need an emotion check in while others might need a check of their homework log. Some students might need both to help them do and feel their best. This check-in can be implemented by many different educators depending on what works in schedules, from a school counselor, classroom teacher, or paraeducator.

Consider social-emotional challenges and needs. Consider if the student has unmet social-emotional needs. It goes without saying that sometimes social-emotional challenges can impact academic challenges in a huge way. Touch base with your school counselor or school social worker to discuss supports that can be given, such as a group or individual counseling time.

Continue building a relationship. Many times, kids and teens need to feel connected to fully open up about their challenges. Continue focusing on relationship-building strategies . This isn’t a quick-fix but it’s a necessary support along the way.

Build motivation together. When conferencing or meeting with your student, discuss what it means to be motivated. Brainstorm strategies to build motivation together. You can even use motivation workbook activities to help build strategies for getting started, staying focused, and meeting goals.

Contact families. Work with families early on to let them know their child is struggling. Sometimes, these conversations can be uncomfortable, so it’s important to be open, honest, and supportive.

Build organization skills. Being disorganized can severely impact a student’s success in the classroom. If this is an area of need for your student, consider giving extra support specifically with organization skills. This includes teaching how to use a planner, keeping binders in order, and having the right materials each day. If this isn’t something that can be directly taught during class time, it might be worth reaching out to the school counselor or school tutor to see if they can work on some of these skills with your student.

Encourage healthy homework habits to families. From setting up a homework spot to keeping electronics away, encourage some homework habits for success that can help your student.

Schedule a family conference. A face-to-face conference with families and the student themselves is important. This sets the tone that extra supports are needed. It may help to ask an administrator to be present at the meeting too. One important note here is that the student should join the meeting too.

Develop a guided study hall. A study hall is often unstructured independent time to work. While this is great for self-starting students, it can be a struggle for those who need more direction. Consider implementing a guided study hall. This time is a more structured small group of students who need extra support. It should be run by a teacher or paraeducator who can give extra reminders and strategies along the way. For example, a 7th grade guided study hall might have a list of today’s homework up on the board. That teacher can get kids started on an assignment and provide academic support, as needed.

Develop a contract with the student. A contract very clearly spells out all the expectations for the student. Outline what the student is responsible for. For example, you might write in that the student will complete daily homework each night and will review grades with their homeroom teacher on Friday. Add in other interventions from the school. Then, have all parties sign the contract.

Teach study skills. Some students do not know how to study for tests, write down homework, or prioritize their work. These are skills that are essential for success in the classroom. Use strategies to teach study skills to help students do their best.

Try peer tutoring. Peer tutoring is a research-based practice that can teach both the tutor and the student they are teaching. If your school doesn’t currently support peer tutoring, it is something to be creative with and consider. For example, your peer tutor could earn extra credit for helping during study hall.

Consider extra credit opportunities. Sometimes, extra credit can be a helpful option. Such assignments can serve to help a student improve their grade, boost confidence, and teach meaningful skills. Ultimately, this is a decision up to every individual teacher to decide what works best for them and their learners.

STUDENT STRATEGIES

Start with a growth mindset. A growth mindset means knowing that you can improve your skills with hard work and dedication. At first, failing a class might feel like an impossible-to-fix situation, but it’s often not. You can learn and implement strategies to help yourself make better choices and improve your grades.

Check your grades. Being aware is one of the first steps to helping you get back on track. Review your grades to figure out where you currently stand. You can write these down to chart them over time.

Talk to your teacher. Show responsibility by asking to meet with your teacher to work on your grade. Use this time to talk about your current grade and ask for suggestions on how to improve it. It also helps to come prepared with your own suggestions to show you truly want to improve.

Plan a dedicated daily homework time. Habits make it all happen. Start with a dedication daily time to work on homework assignments and study for assessments. Some students might do best working right away after school is over. Others might work best an hour after they get home to help them unwind from the day. Choose what works for you and stick with it.

Make a goal for yourself. Setting goals helps us accomplish tasks. Consider a measurable goal that you want to meet, such as getting a 70% or higher in math by the end of the quarter. Then, list out steps to get there. Check back in with your goal each week to make sure you’re on track. Consider meeting with an adult at home or at school to help you with writing this goal, if needed.

Keep up with current work. From this point forward, make sure you are staying on track with current assignments. Missing more work will set you further behind, so it’s important to stay up-to-date.

Make a missing assignment list. First, check to make sure your teacher will accept late work. Then, make a list of all the assignments you can turn in for credit. Try to not get overwhelmed with the amount of work if you have many missing assignments. Just get started on a few and turn those in to get some momentum.

Get organized. Being organized can help you accomplish tasks. Spend time tidying up your binders, backpack, and workspace. Then, tackle them on a regular basis to stay organized.

Use a homework log. Use a daily homework journal to record assignments. Some students prefer a paper notebook while others do well with a digital app. Find what works for you! Whatever you choose, make it a habit and consistently write in your assignments.

Participate in class. Make an effort to stay engaged in classroom learning by participating. One way to do this is to take notes while the teacher is teaching. These notes can help you later on when you need to study or review. Another strategy is to raise your hand to answer questions and share ideas. These strategies will help show your teacher that you are invested in learning.

Study with a friend. For whatever class you are struggling in, find a friend who can study with you.

Talk with a school counselor. A school counselor can help you with many things, from personal challenges you’re going through to making a plan to talk to a teacher about your grade. Consider signing up for time with your school counselor to work through some of those needs.

Ask for extra help. Asking for help is a strength! Consider reaching out to the classroom teacher and seeing if there is any extra help available. Be willing to stay after, come during your study hall, or even visit during lunch if that is what is needed.

Know when to put distractions away. This is a tough subject, but an important one! Phones and other digital devices can be extremely distraction during work and learning sessions. Know when you need to put them away to help you focus and accomplish tasks.

Be open to learn new study strategies. If you struggle with tests and quizzes, be open-minded to try new study strategies. Consider quizzing a friend back-and-forth with questions. Make flash cards. Make a mock test and quiz yourself with it. There are many different study strategies and habits to try.

Find an accountability partner. Ask a friend or trusted adult to help hold you accountable for doing your work and studying for tests. Just talking to someone about your progress and goals can help you develop greater self-awareness.

Get enough sleep. Getting enough sleep at night is important to help you doing and feeling your best. Consider coming up with a plan to get enough uninterrupted rest at night.

PARENT STRATEGIES

Provide encouragement. Be a positive force to help your child turn their grade around. Remember that your child may feel it is impossible to recover from their failing grade, making them want to give up entirely. Remind them that they can turn it around with support, strategies, and hard work.

Help your child cope with stress. Failing a class is a stressful situation for young adults. Sometimes, before we solve problems, we have to cope with the emotions first. Help your child build healthy coping strategies to manage stress with activities like deep breathing, listening to music, and mindful coloring.

Check grades together on a regular, planned basis. Checking through grades together helps holds students accountable. Plan a weekly time to review and stick with the schedule.

Create a dedicated work space. Set up an area where your child can complete their homework and studying each night. Set up some rules and expectations for the work space, such as no TV or cell phones while working at the space.

Check over the homework together. Before your child starts their homework , sit with them and review the homework for the night together. This provides an extra layer of accountability and structure.

Chat with the teacher directly. If a teacher hasn’t reached out to you personally, send an email or phone call to get in touch and discuss. Work together to come up with some actionable steps. If your child is continuing to fail, ask for an in-person meeting to discuss strategies.

Schedule consistent work session time. Habits make all the difference! Agree on a daily work session time each day for homework, studying, and organization. Then, put your plan in action.

Complete work together. Try sitting down with your child as they complete their work. Help them get organized and set up. Work through problems with them if needed.

Set a regular bed time. Sleep is incredibly important to helping kids and teens do their best. So often, young adults are chronically overtired. Set a nightly bed time and stick with it. This requires a lot of practice but is worth it!

Leave electronics away from bedrooms at night. Cell phones are distracting at all hours of the day, but especially during sleep hours. Your child needs uninterrupted sleep to perform their best during the day. Make it a nightly habit for everyone to leave their phones in a designated spot to charge before going to sleep for the night.

Learn about executive functioning skills. Read about executive functioning skills and how they play a critical role in learning.

Discuss consequences. Young adults need to be held accountable for their choices. Be up front with your child about consequences for not doing homework, getting to class on time, or finishing assignments in class. Then, make sure to follow through.

Plan incentives together. When needed, consider adding incentives for reaching goals. Try to gear incentives towards activities versus material items. For example, once your child meets a certain goal (all homework for a full week), you might allow them to go to the movies with a friend or choose the end of the week restaurant for dinner.

Create a contract. A written contract is a great way to keep all of the supports, strategies, consequences, and rewards all in one place. Write it out. Then, sign it together.

Celebrate successes. When your child shows improvement, celebrate together. This even means celebrating small wins, such as a better grade on a quiz or finishing homework for the week. Big progress starts with small steps and encouragement can go a long way.

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How To Handle A Student Who Doesn’t Do Homework?

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If you’ve been teaching for any length of time, you know that there are students who don’t do their homework.

This is not always a sign of laziness, apathy, or lack of interest in the subject matter. It may just be that they didn’t understand the assignment and/or were too busy to complete it.

Regardless of the reason, these students will need some extra attention and guidance if you want them to succeed academically.

A personal touch is usually the best approach. In other words, don’t hesitate to talk to your students face-to-face about their homework problems. They will appreciate your interest and show a willingness to improve because you care enough about them as an individual to find a solution.

If these students want to improve their grades, your guidance will simplify the learning process and help them experience the satisfaction of doing well in school.

I hope this article helps you manage your students who don’t do homework!

Why Some Students Don’t Do Their Homework?

This is a question often asked by young and veteran teachers alike. The following list contains common reasons why students don’t complete their homework, as well as ideas on how to make sure that such situations never occur in your classroom.

1) What’s the Point?  

Sometimes, students simply don’t see a point in doing their homework. This may be because the subject is boring, or monotonous – or it could be because it’s impossible to comprehend. Ensuring that students have a solid understanding of the material before moving on to the next topic will help eliminate this issue. In addition, if you find yourself instructing something that lacks value, it may be time to rethink your approach.

2) Too Many Homework Assignments  

This is often the most common issue students face. Teachers who fail to recognize that their students are carrying too much of a workload can create unbearable conditions that lead to laziness and failure.  If you’re finding yourself sending home a large amount of work every night, you should strongly consider revising your approach. It’s much better to focus on a small number of assignments and ensure they’re completed correctly, rather than overwhelming students with too many tasks.

3) Lack of Self-Motivation  

Many students don’t do their homework because they lack motivation and self-discipline. In situations such as these, it’s important to remember that you can’t force a student to complete their work – but there are ways for you to motivate them. The key is making the endeavor rewarding and worth their time – this could be through rewards or points systems.

4) Intellectual Disability  

Sometimes students don’t do their homework because they’re struggling to keep up. This can be due to a variety of reasons (e.g., medical conditions, learning disabilities, etc.) If you suspect that your students are facing issues like these, you must take immediate action at the appropriate time.

5) Lack of Parental Involvement  

Sometimes, parents fail to support their child’s education. This lack of involvement can significantly affect the student, who may then find it difficult to complete homework tasks without parental guidance. You should give students enough space to do their work, but you should also be supportive in helping them when they need help.

6) Poor Planning   

Students can underestimate the amount of time it will take to complete their homework. When this happens, they might put off starting work until the last minute – or simply give up altogether. You should always keep an eye on how much time has passed since your students were given their task, so you can notify them if it’s becoming overdue. In addition, you should encourage your students to start work early, so they have sufficient time to complete it.

7) Illness   

When students become ill, they may struggle to control their behavior and focus on homework. If your class falls victim to a bug, you should allow individuals to take the necessary time off without anxiety or pressure. The same goes for injuries – any situations where students are bedridden should be handled with appropriate care.

8) Bad Timing  

Sometimes, students don’t do their homework due to bad timing. This could be because they’ve only just returned home from school and haven’t had enough time to rest. It’s important that you give your students ample time to unwind before starting any work, so they can retain their focus.

9) Distractions at Home   

Modern homes contain a multitude of distractions that can affect the way students work. In addition to these, students may also have distracted siblings or relatives – making it hard for them to concentrate on tasks given by the teacher. You should always provide plenty of space and seclusion when working on academic tasks.

10) The Task is Too Challenging   

It’s possible that students are attempting to complete assignments that are just too difficult for them. If this happens, you should consider revising the difficulty of your work until all of your students feel comfortable completing it.

11) Poorly Organized  

Similar to planning issues, poorly organized students can struggle when it comes to completing their homework. You should work closely with your students to ensure they have the best tools for completing assignments.

12) Disinterest  

There are some students who just aren’t interested in what you’re teaching them. This could mean that they refuse to complete their work or it may prevent them from retaining information. You should try and engage all of your students in your lessons so they remain interested and invested.

In conclusion, there are several reasons why some students don’t do their homework. The main causes include a lack of planning, ill health, and excessive or poorly organized tasks. You should always monitor your classes to make sure they’re completing work effectively and without difficulty.

How Should Handle Students Who Don’t Do Their Homework?

For a new teacher, handling a student who doesn’t do their homework can be a difficult task. It could throw off the rest of your lesson plans that you have been working on all day or week. You have to find a way to deal with it without showing favoritism and giving out punishments for those who don’t complete their work.

This can be a very delicate situation especially if several children don’t complete their homework.

1. Let them know the importance of doing their work

One of the first steps to take when a student does not complete their work is letting them know the importance of doing so. You can tell students that it is important to do their work, so they will be prepared for the next school day.

2. Give them a warning

Giving out a simple warning would be an ideal approach when handling students who have not completed their work. This means letting them know of any consequences or possible punishments that can be given if they do not complete their homework.

3. Let them know what your role is as a teacher

Another very effective way to deal with students who don’t do their work is by informing them of what the teacher’s role is in the classroom. By explaining this, you are letting them know that you are not responsible for their education. You are there to help them when needed and direct them in the right direction.

4. Give students who don’t do their work another opportunity

After letting students know what consequences they will face if they don’t complete their work, you can give them an opportunity to turn it in the next day or the following class period. This is a very effective way of dealing with students who did not complete their homework because it lets them have another chance to do so.

5. Give consequences for students who don’t complete their work

The most common consequence that you can give out when a student does not do their schoolwork is giving them detention or some other form of punishment. This can be a difficult thing to do because you have to find a way of disciplining students without jeopardizing your relationship with students or other teachers.

6. Have the parent call the student’s teacher

If a student does not turn in homework more than two times and they continue to not complete their work for several weeks, you can give the student’s parent a call. This can be an effective way of notifying parents about their child’s lack of schoolwork and lack of studying at home.

7. Talk to the student after class or during lunch

If you feel as if it is appropriate, you can talk to the student outside of the classroom setting, during lunch, or after school. This is an approach you can take when dealing with students who continuously do not complete their homework. By talking to them outside of the classroom, it makes it easier to handle situations that may arise during class periods.

8. Give student work to another classmate

Another successful way of handling students who don’t do their work is to give them school work that is given to other students. For example, you can give out extra credit questions or assignments that are completed by other students if they do not complete their work.

9. Make an announcement about the homework policy

Announcing what your classroom’s policy for homework is can be helpful because it lets everyone know what to expect for the upcoming weeks or months. You can also use this chance to remind students of your classroom rules and procedures.

10. Make sure homework is not repeatedly an issue

Make sure that you are aware of how often homework becomes an issue in your classroom. If it happens all the time, then there may be something wrong with how you are handing out homework. It may be a good idea to have students complete homework during the first week of school so you can see if there becomes an issue or not.

Final Thought

It can be frustrating when students don’t do their homework. There are a variety of approaches for handling this issue, but the most important thing is to identify what will work best with your personality and teaching style. In this blog post, we’ve provided ten different ways you can address students who consistently turn in incomplete schoolwork or neglect it altogether. Don’t forget that it may take some time before you find out which approach works best for both you and your students! Check out more articles here.

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Appropriate Consequences for Student Misbehavior

Logical Responses for Student Behavior Problems

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Students will misbehave in class. Teachers may not be able to stop all forms of misbehavior before they start. However, educators do have control over their reactions to student behavioral issues. Therefore, teachers should choose their responses wisely, making sure that they are appropriate and logical. The old adage, "the punishment must fit the crime," is especially true in a classroom setting. If a teacher enforces an illogical response, students will learn less than if the response directly relates to the situation, or they might miss out on important information being taught in class that day.

Following are a series of situations that illustrate appropriate classroom responses to help establish behavior management . These are not the only appropriate responses, but they do show the difference between appropriate and inappropriate consequences.

A Student Uses a Cellphone During Class

• Appropriate: Tell the student to put the phone away.
• Inappropriate: Ignore the phone use or continue to ask the student to put the phone away during the class period or throughout the day.

A cellphone policy should be clearly stated in the student handbook and reviewed with students whenever there is an infraction. Teachers should report to the office and/or parents that the student is a repeat offender.

Some districts have specific rules regarding cellphone use, such as a warning on the first occurrence of cellphone use during class time, confiscation of the phone until the end of class or day on the second offense (at which point the student can retrieve the phone), and confiscation with a call to parents to pick up the phone after a third offense. Some districts even forbid the student from bringing the phone to school after a third offense. In other districts, teachers are allowed to choose how to deal with cellphone misuse. For example, some teachers have a hanging pocket chart to hold cellphones or even a cellphone "jail" (bucket or container), where students who misuse their cellphones deposit the distracting objects until the end of class or school day.

Rosalind Wiseman, writing on the website of Common Sense Education, an education advocacy group, says that teachers and schools need to plan for device use that considers digital citizenship and student safety. Regardless, digital devices like cellphones should only be used in class when there are specific goals in mind, such as critical thinking exercises or collaboration.

A Student Comes Late to Class

• Appropriate: A warning for the first offense, with increasing consequences for further tardies
• Inappropriate: The teacher ignores the situation, and the student has no consequences for the tardiness.

Tardiness is a big deal, especially if left unchecked. Students who come late to class "can disrupt the flow of a lecture or discussion, distract other students, impede learning, and generally erode class morale," says the Eberly Center at Carnegie Melon University. Indeed, left unchecked, tardiness can become a classwide problem, says the center, which focuses on improving teaching practices.

Teachers should have a tardy policy in place to deal with problem tardies. Hero, a firm that helps schools and districts manage tardies and attendance digitally, says a good tardy policy should include a structured series of consequences, such as the following:

• First tardy: warning
• Second tardy: more urgent warning
• Third tardy: detention, such as a half-hour to an hour after school
• Fourth tardy: a longer detention or two detention sessions
• Fifth tardy: Saturday school

Having a daily warmup exercise is one way to give students an immediate benefit for coming to class on time. One note of caution: A student who is frequently tardy could build up a large number of zeros for not completing the warmup activity. In this case, the activity could be used for extra credit points. There is a difference between grading for ability and grading for behavior.

A Student Does Not Bring Their Homework

• Appropriate: Depending on the school policy, the student could lose points off their homework assignment . The student could also receive a lower rating in academic behavior.
• Inappropriate: A lack of homework results in the student failing the class.

By definition, students do homework outside of the control of the classroom. For this reason, many schools do not penalize missing homework. If teachers grade only in-class or summative assessments (an assessment that measures what the student has learned), then the grade accurately reflects what students know. However, keeping track of homework for completion can be valuable information to share with parents. The National Education Association suggests that all stakeholders—teachers, parents, and students—work together to set homework policies, stating:

"Policies should address the purposes of homework; amount and frequency; school and teacher responsibilities; student responsibilities; and, the role of parents or others who assist students with homework."

A Student Does Not Have Materials Needed for Class

• Appropriate: The teacher provides the student with a pen or pencil in exchange for collateral. For example, the teacher might hold on to one of the student's shoes to ensure that the pen or pencil is returned at the end of the class.
• Inappropriate: The student does not have materials and cannot participate.

Students cannot finish any classwork without materials. Extra equipment (such as paper, a pencil, or a calculator) or other basic supplies should be available in class.

A Student Does Not have Their Book in Class

• Appropriate: The student does not have a textbook during the lesson for the day.
• Inappropriate: The teacher gives the student a textbook to use without comment.

If textbooks are required in the day-to-day classroom, it is important for students to remember to bring them. Textbooks present a different issue than basic supplies like pencils, paper, or calculators, which are generally inexpensive, often provided as part of classroom budget, and easy to lend or give to students who may have forgotten them. By contrast, it is a rare situation where a teacher will have more than a couple of extra textbooks in the class. If students accidentally take an extra text with them, the teacher will most likely have lost that text forever.

A Student Blurts Out Answers

• Appropriate: The teacher does not respond to students who call out without raising their hands and does not call on them.
• Inappropriate: The teacher allows individuals to answer without having to raise their hands.

Requiring students to raise their hands is an important part of wait time and effective questioning techniques. Having students wait three to five seconds before calling on one of them to answer can actually help increase thinking time—the time a student spends actually thinking about an answer instead of just giving an offhand response. If a teacher does not continuously uphold this rule—making students raise their hands and wait to be called on—then they will no longer raise their hands in class. Chaos will result.

A Student Uses a Curse Word in Class

• Appropriate: The teacher reprimands the student saying, "Do not use that language."
• Inappropriate: The teacher ignores the curse word.

Profanity should have no place in the classroom. If a teacher ignores its use, students will take note and continue to use curse words in class. Realize that if the profanity was used against someone else in the class, a form of bullying or harassment, the consequences should be greater than if a curse word just slips out. Record the event.

• " Hero Whitepaper Series: Best Practices for Tardy Management " herok12.com.
• Mulvahill, Elizabeth. “ Cell Phones in Class Driving You Nuts? Try One of These Clever Ideas .”  WeAreTeachers , 9 Sept. 2019.
• " Policies: Examples of Middle School 'Away For The Day' Cell Phone Policies ." awayfortheday.org.
• “ Research Spotlight on Homework .”  NEA , www.nea.org.
• " Students Come to Class Late ." Eberly Center - Carnegie Mellon University.
• Wiseman, Rosalind. “ Creating a Cellphone Policy That Works for Everyone .”  Common Sense Education , Common Sense Education, 25 Oct. 2019.
• Discipline in Schools
• Dealing With Tardiness
• Tardy Policies for Students
• What to Do If Your Students Come to Class Unprepared
• What Teachers Can Do About Misbehavior in the Classroom
• The Importance of Organization for Teachers
• Schools Have Lots of Options When Selecting a Cell Phone Policy
• Creating a Comprehensive Classroom Management Plan
• 10 Essential Policies for Your Student Handbook
• Tips for Teachers to Make Classroom Discipline Decisions
• Teacher Housekeeping Tasks
• Are Cell Phones Allowed in Schools?
• Homework Guidelines for Elementary and Middle School Teachers
• Free Online Public Schools for Tennessee Students
• How to Deal With Late Work and Makeup Work
• Wait Time in Education

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My bright teen is skipping homework and failing classes, and I don’t know what to do

Q: My 15-year-old son, a high school sophomore, has stopped doing his homework when he doesn't like the subject or the teacher, or when he thinks it's stupid, and he's now failing two classes. He has also lied to me about it; he got away with the lies until the school sent notices, so he has all but destroyed my trust in him. This has been going on since grammar school, but it's getting worse as he gets older. I've tried everything I can think of: therapy, taking away the Xbox, using the Xbox or other things as rewards he can earn, letting him handle it on his own, partial involvement, hovering, crying and screaming — and I feel awful about those last two. I'm trying to take your advice to be careful not to damage our relationship over things, but I don't know what else to do. Failing major subjects in high school seems like a problem. Am I wrong to be so concerned? He won't work with a tutor anymore, either. He's a smart kid, so it's not a lack of ability. Please help.

A: I am going to be honest with you: I relate to your son. I started to check out of school around sixth grade and stayed checked out well through high school. I was bright but had stopped caring about most of my classes, and nothing changed my mind. Paid for good grades? Nope. Punishments? Nah. Rewards? Didn’t care. Threats? Didn’t matter. I was only affected by a handful of people, and otherwise, I couldn’t be reached. And this wasn’t even in a pandemic; this was just the ’90s.

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As I see it, your son is a puzzle (as we all are), and we have a couple of the puzzle pieces in front of us. He is bright (a word that doesn’t carry much meaning), he doesn’t do his homework when he is disinterested in the subject and/or teacher, he lies about it, this behavior has been happening since grammar school, every manner of behavior modification has been attempted (and failed), you have tried therapy, and he refuses a tutor. There are many other things I don’t know about your son, including his health, any transitions or traumas for him or the family, possible learning disabilities or differences (yes, you can be bright and have a whole host of learning issues that prohibit learning in a “typical” way) and family structure. I could go on and on!

The big question is why. Why did your son begin to disconnect from school?

Although I can do little to help you in this note, I do want to keep guiding you to the “why” instead of the “what.” Of course we don’t want your son failing courses — no one wants that for their children — but our parenting goal is not getting him to pass classes. It is to understand him, so he can understand and help himself. At 15, he is well on his way to becoming a young man, and whatever is causing his disconnect from school is what needs your attention.

As you discover the “why,” you need to understand why rewards and punishments don’t seem to work with some children, especially when it comes to schoolwork. There is a time and place for typical behavioral techniques. Take something away that children love, they stop the unwanted behavior. Give them something they love, they repeat wanted behavior. Fine. But this only really works when children already care about school, their teachers and, yes, maybe the work. Caring about your integrity, what you produce and how your teacher feels about you is the primary driver of working hard, not rewards or punishments. If you have a teen who is accustomed to not caring about what his teachers or you think, then he is immune to your punishments and rewards. “Not caring” runs both ways; you don’t feel the “bad stuff,” and you also don’t feel the “good stuff.” As a person who didn’t care about a lot of things for a long time, I can say that it is a horrible way to live. I was wretched to parent and educate.

Let’s pause all the behavior-modification shenanigans. Let’s pause the fear of all this failing and what it means for his future. Let’s pause shoving him into therapy or tutoring. Let’s. Just. Stop. Repeat after me: “My son is not a project. He is a fully human young man, and he needs my support and love.” Repeat this over and over and over, then start getting curious. Invite him to eat with you, go on a hike with you, learn a video game with you, anything, and try to get to know him without an agenda. Every single class he is failing can be made up. Every single thing he hasn’t learned can eventually be learned, and I want you to tell him that. I also want you to highlight and discuss what he does well. He is passing classes! He is (maybe) doing chores! These failed classes are not the sum of his person, so stop treating them as if they are.

10 ways to take the struggle out of homework

I also want you to tell him that it’s typical to not want to do well for people to whom we don’t feel connected. My spidey sense is that something (or things) happened in grammar school that caused him to armor up, and the armor has grown thicker. And of course he’s lying to you. When people feel ashamed of their actions (not doing homework and failing), they lie, then they get in trouble for the lie (adding on more shame), which adds to more lying. Let’s just assume he isn’t going to do the homework for some of these classes. We can take out the extra shame layer.

I can hear you having a panic attack, and I know I have not told you what to do to fix this situation, but it is not going to get fixed. Your son is not broken; he just needs support. Please call your pediatrician for a good work-up, and peek around at possible learning issues. (Giftedness is on the table, too.) Please personally reach out to a teacher whom your son loves and respects, and ask for support. What got me through high school? A choir teacher, an AP English teacher, my Mom Mom, my aunt, and the fact that my parents didn’t give up and send me out of the house. That’s it. Find someone your son cares about, and have them start talking, hanging out, checking in, etc. As a former teacher, I did this and was never burdened by it; it is called community, and we all need it.

The most encouraging part about your note is that you know this is a relationship-first issue. Keep that as your North Star, and as your son begins to thaw, you can add other strategies, such as rewards and punishments. Check out Cara Natterson’s “ Decoding Boys ” and think about seeing your own parent coach or therapist. You are doing hard parenting work, and you need a safe place for your fears and big emotions.

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For Parents

Effective Consequences for Teens That Really Work

May 12, 2021

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The joys of parenting include disciplining your child when they do something wrong. But what do you do when your teen is no longer a small child who you can give a time out to? Take a look at these effective consequences for teens, and why they work so well.

An effective consequence is one that should encourage your child to change their behaviour. Perhaps they are not abiding by your house rules, or they aren’t being respectful to people, or they are lying. Then you need to find a consequence that will help change that behaviour.

Really effective consequences, for teens or any age, are ones that are connected to the original behaviour, and are both task- and time-specific.

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY: Expert Tips to Help You Communicate with Your Teen

Setting the Rules

Set clear rules.

Tweens and teens push boundaries to see how their parents will respond. It’s important to establish clear rules, and to have consequences for breaking those rules. For example, the punishment for breaking the curfew might be that your teen has to stay home the next weekend.

Tip: You’ll get less resistance if you involve your kids in designing their own consequences. Just don’t forget that you still have the final say.

Ignore Mild Misbehaviour

There’s that old saying “pick your battles wisely” and you don’t want to be heavy handed by trying to give a consequence for something that’s actually a minor misbehaviour when you think about it, as irritating as it might be.

It’s obviously important to choose which behaviours you are going to ignore. Unsafe or serious or unsafe behaviours should never be ignored.

Mild misbehaviours are usually irritating or annoying, but don’t generally harm humans (including one’s self), animals, or property.

And minor unwanted behaviours tend to correct over time, especially if you don’t give them attention or overreact to them.

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY: 10 Important Pieces of Advice to Give Your Teenage Son and 10 Important Things You Should Tell Your Teenage Daughter

Put It in Writing

In order that there are no misunderstandings, some parents create a formal list of house rules, or write a behaviour contract that both they and their teen sign. The good thing about this is you can put up the list or contract on the fridge or somewhere obvious where everyone can see it.

Your house rules might include times for curfew, and specific responsibilities that you expect your teen to do like put out the bins or walk the dog after homework is out the way.

The contract or house rules should also include consequences, for example, “Anyone who breaks one of these rules loses their wifi access for a day.”

Then if your teen does fall out of line, you have the list or contract to point to.

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Examples of Effective Consequences for Teens

Loss of privileges.

You must take something away from your teen that he or she really enjoys to make this consequence effective. It should cause your teen some discomfort to lose the privilege, but not be out of proportion to the misbehaviour.

As an example, don’t just take away their phone just because they were rude. Instead ask your teen what acceptable behaviour they could show instead of being rude if they are feeling frustrated, and ask how you can help remind them to do that acceptable behaviour. Asking your teen, instead of reacting, can also help deflect anger and frustration.

In order to choose the right privilege to use as an effective consequence, you have to know your teen. What are they interested in? What would really impact them if they lost it for a short period of time? The privilege should be an activity that your child will actually miss. Withhold that privilege until your child completes the task you’ve set for them.

Sit down with your teen and come up with a list of privileges and consequences together. There are a few advantages of this approach.

• You are working as a team to solve the problem.
• It can help parents identify things or activities your teen loves.
• It sets out clearly what the consequences will be for certain infractions, so not only will your teen know what happens if they break a house rule, but also parents don’t have to come up with something in the heat of a difficult moment.

Privileges could include:

• WIFI access
• Devices and screen time (tablet, laptop, phone, gaming, etc)
• Getting to go out with their friends
• Use of the car

You can also have your teen earn their privilege back. Just like outlining consequences, outline the steps they need to take to restore their privilege.

Instead of saying, “You can have your phone back when I can trust you again,” say, “You can have your phone back after you have your homework completed.”

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY: 8 Ways to Have a Better Relationship with Your Teen

Restitution

Restitution gives your teen the chance to try and repair damage that was the result of their action. It can be a valuable way to learn a lesson and learn some empathy for others too.

So for example, if your daughter borrows her sister’s clothing and rips a hole in it, she should pay to have it repaired or replace it. Or if your son damages the neighbour’s fence by crashing his bike or his skateboard into it, he should pay to repair the fence and do a few extra chores for the neighbour.

Natural Consequences

A natural consequence is something that automatically results from a person’s action. Natural consequences show teens the reasons for your rules, and provide a correction without the parent having to do anything, which can prevent teens from developing resentment at a parent for “punishing” them.

If your house rule is that clothes only get washed that are placed in the dirty clothes hamper, then if your teen doesn’t comply and leaves them on the bedroom floor, the clothes don’t get washed. The consequence here is that they will have to either wash the clothes themselves, not get to wear the clothes they wanted, or wear them dirty.

Alternatively, if in your house they get an allowance but spend the entire allowance at once, then the consequence is that they won’t have any money until it’s next allowance day.

If your teen doesn’t do their homework, school may teach him a lesson by giving them extra homework, detention, or a zero mark or getting them to stay after school to complete the missed homework.

Rather than you nagging them, give them the chance to either behave responsibly or face the consequences. Think carefully about whether your teen will learn from his mistakes if you don’t intervene because they’ll realise from the natural consequences that happen.

Are you looking for advice on how to deal with your tween or teen? Download our  FREE e-Book which is full of essential tips to help you survive the teen years!

Logical Consequences

Logical consequences are ones that are a good fit to the “crime”. So for example, if they get caught speeding in the car, they lose access to the car.

Or if they are having difficulty getting up in the morning for school, a logical consequence would mean an earlier lights out time at night.

I love this story I came across: A son’s morning chore was to get the pooper-scooper and clean up the dog poo in the garden. When the boy wasn’t doing this, the parents came up with this creative solution, after he had done poop patrol, he would need to run through the back garden barefoot. From then on, their garden was perfectly clean!

Extra Chores

You could create a Job Jar filled with annoying or unpleasant (but necessary!) chores like:

• Cleaning the toilet
• Moving and vacuuming under the living room furniture
• Weeding the garden
• Doing poop patrol in the backyard
• Defrosting the freezer
• Reorganizing the pots and pans cupboard

If your teen breaks a house rule they have to take a chore from the Job Jar as a consequence.

Finally, some advice about grounding. We used to be the generation that was automatically grounded when we had done something wrong, because our parents knew that we met our friends that way. Now, while grounding might work for some teens, it is not always one of the most effective consequences for teens as they network and connect with their friends in a different way than we did.

If you do decide on grounding, here are some tips:

• Define what grounding means for your house rules and when it will be applied.
• Don’t ground your teen for too long; a month would be ineffective, for example.
• Do allow your teen to reduce some of the grounding time by doing extra chores or volunteering or even sitting down and writing a plan for how they can improve their behaviour.

If you do opt for grounding, don’t cut off all social contact for your teen. So if she isn’t allowed to meet her friends, don’t ban her from texting or messaging her friends, remember that FOMO is powerful and as she will be in touch with what is going on, she will hopefully feel that pain and determine not to miss out next time.

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY: The Challenge of Parenting Teens: 9 Hurdles Every Parent Faces

About the Author: Jill Holtz

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How to Work With the No-Homework Kid

Educator and humorist Holden Clemens notes that asking the right questions can make all the difference.

Editor's Note: Holden Clemens (a pseudonym) is an educator who has dedicated his life to providing hope to students in his classroom. He is also a humorist, and he hopes to bring smiles to the faces of hard working educators around the globe. This is the first in his series on how to teach to a variety of different student archetypes.

I wanted to talk briefly today about a series of posts I have entitled: The Other Student. The Other Student is about those kids in your class that seem to fall between the cracks of our great educational system. (It's hard to believe that a student can slip by in a class of 32 with varied special needs, but I heard a story once where a child was left behind, and it made me sad.) Today's post will be on the Missing Homework kid.

Back in the day, I taught at JFK Middle School in the great state of Ohio. I was a vibrant young history teacher ready to take on the world. The year started off smoothly as 36 of my students came to class and were ready to learn. However, student 37 did not come to class prepared to learn. We will call him Kevin McAllister. Kevin was a bright kid that knew the material and was always engaged in class. He would take notes and he would even help other students with their work. I even saw him help his older brother Buzz with his Math work once! Despite those good things, Kevin was failing my class. Kevin failed to turn in much of his homework and this was hurting his grade in my class.

These Ideas Didn't Work

My first instinct as a teacher was to worry about the other 36 students who were doing the homework. They wanted to learn, so I focused on them. Surprisingly, this approach did not help Kevin. Next, I started to punish Kevin for not turning in his homework. I figured the failing grades were not influencing him, so missed recess time and calling him out in class would do the trick. You would have to imagine my shock when these tactics actually made matters worse. Kevin stopped participating in class and started to show up late. I was vexed. I was forced to approach the manner in a very "outside the box" way.

But This One Did...

One day, I decided to talk to Kevin. I know many of you think that is crazy, but talking to a student turned out to be one of the best things I've ever done! I asked Kevin how he was doing and he looked up at me with surprise. It turns out nobody asks Kevin how he is doing. He wasn't sure what to say. He had that "deer in headlights" look that Sec. Duncan gets when someone asks him an education-related question. You know the one I'm talking about.

After striking up the conversation, I shifted to homework and found out the problem. Kevin was embarrassed of his handwriting. He didn't want other kids to see his handwriting when he passed in his work. I didn't think about it until he mentioned it, but the homework he failed to turn in was all hand-written material. Classwork was done in class and he would just keep it. All work done at home on a computer or in the computer lab at school was turned in without a problem. I told Kevin that he doesn't need to be embarrassed about his handwriting. He just needs more practice. Kevin and I set a time once a week to work on his handwriting as long as he promised to turn in his work after class when kids left the room. It was a great deal.

What Happened?

As time went on, Kevin's homework was always turned in after class. As he got better with his handwriting, he would start to pass work in with the rest of the class until it was decided that he didn't need to stop by and work on it with me.

There are "Kevins" in many classes around the country. The issue might not be handwriting. It could be the lack of paper at home or an ESL issue. Kids have many different ways to hide what is going on. Most of school for some kids is trying to get by and they will do whatever it takes to move on. That even means failing classes.

The Benefits of Asking

In our crazy days in the classroom, it is too easy to forget that these kids are people with real problems that might be to embarrassed to talk about to anyone. Also, it is sometimes hard to believe that your class is not the most important part of their day. Reaching out and talking to the student might be the start of a relationship that changes a student's life. Take a moment and connect with all of your students. You might be surprised to find the real reasons behind some of their actions in class.

Until next time, learn them kids gooder every day!

Feel free to leave a comment or contact me on Twitter @HoldenClemens !

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Consequences for not doing homework???

Discussion in ' Fifth Grade ' started by MsMaggs , Dec 8, 2007 .

MsMaggs Comrade

Dec 8, 2007

Does anyone use any kind of consequences for students who are not doing their homework? I don't give much homework but still only about 3/4 of my kids are doing it. Our class has an economy system and the students earn "money" for doing their homework all week, but that's not enough for some of them. It's so frustrating that ones who really don't need to do the extra practice do their homework consistently, but those who need the extra practice just ignore the homework completely. (And they do just ignore it, I check in with them to make sure it was't too difficult and that they understood it; they just don't want to do it. Agghhh...) :help:  

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Mamacita Aficionado

Dec 9, 2007

Consequences for not doing what the teacher said to do? Zero. Every single time. Zero.  

noreenk Cohort

i used to send a note home every time a child did not turn in or complete a homework assignment. then i got lazy around november. for my students who consistently fail to do homework now (and yup, it's the lowest ones who need the practice the most and who have the least parental involvement... and also the students who tend to work rather slowly), they have to do the assignments during lunch, sitting away from their friends. we rarely have a full recess time so having them work at that time isn't really an option. it's not something i LIKE having them do, but it's helped them catch up so they're not getting zeros every day anymore. they don't get full credit either, though.  

Upsadaisy Moderator

Our kids miss recess until an assignment is completed. We tell them that it is not a punishment, it is an additional opportunity to do the work they are required to do. When I taught 5th, they didn't get anything for doing homework. Now I have 3rd, and they get to give themselves a check on a homework chart. After about 50 checks, they get to pick something from a goodie box.  

sweidl Rookie

If a student misses even ONE homework assignment during the week, they don't get recess on Friday afternoon. I give them a written assignment (something fun like copying from the dictionary) that they must complete. I've recently started doing this and it has worked really well. They don't like being left out of recess. I too was having problems having students turn in their homework, and a co-worker suggested this to me.  

giraffe326 Virtuoso

Hmmm.... I didn't think of copying from a dictionary. My punishments are limited. We can not take away recess for any reason. I typically follow with my grade level and assign silent lunch. If it is several assignments, I might require them to walk for recess. However, I still have a large problem. On Wednesdays I have always had this 25 minute block of time in between lunch and music. They do not come back to me, so we have to get agendas ready and back packs packed, which takes about 10 minutes. That leaves me with 15 minutes. Last week, I had an epiphany! I bought the Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader? game. Those who have missing assignments or a grade lower than a C (which is 76% and below in my district) get extra work while the others play the game. Last week was the first week and the 16 (out of 22) kids that COULDN'T play were staring. I told them to turn around and if they wanted to play the game, they had to do their work and get their stuff in ON TIME. Hopefully, I will have more than 6 playing this week!  

Mr.S New Member

Dec 10, 2007

Positive Reinforcement I had that problem at the beginning of my student teaching. My mentor and I worked together to solve that issue. We have a race track. Each students has a flag. They move their car when they do ALL their homework. We have 7 teams. If one team does all their homework, then they move their car two spots up. If they finish the race track by Friday, then they get rewards. We have different rewards such as computer time, help the teacher. They love that. I've seen that they are more responsible now. I will try to take a picture of our race track and post it here so you will have a better idea.  

ms_teacher Companion

Dec 11, 2007

Mr.S said: ↑ I had that problem at the beginning of my student teaching. My mentor and I worked together to solve that issue. We have a race track. Each students has a flag. They move their car when they do ALL their homework. We have 7 teams. If one team does all their homework, then they move their car two spots up. If they finish the race track by Friday, then they get rewards. We have different rewards such as computer time, help the teacher. They love that. I've seen that they are more responsible now. I will try to take a picture of our race track and post it here so you will have a better idea. Click to expand...

knitter63 Groupie

Dec 13, 2007

My 5th grade team has assignment books. If a student doesn't complete a homework assignment, I circle it in pen. (students must write only in pencil in their AB) Three circles by Friday, and they serve a 30 minute detention. (at the end of the day) Those who earn a reward get to watch a movie, or have extra recess. The student is expected to do the circled assignment and put it in my late box. Until I receive it, it is a zero in my grade book.  

BabyMakes3 Rookie

Dec 30, 2007

My kids have responsibility logs. When they miss an assignment, they have to record it and record WHY it's missing. This goes home every Friday and is signed by parents. After the 3rd offence, they lose recess. 4th is a note home (and no recess) & after that it's a phone call home (and no recess that day) ever time they miss something. Works well for most of the kids. And no homework = no grade.  

teacher333 Devotee

Dec 31, 2007

We have a notebook which is carbon copied, for each missing HW assignment we keep the copy and the original gets stapled to their assignment pad to be signed by a parent. We also offer a Quiet Study room held during their 1/2 hour recess where they must go to finish whatever was not done the night before. Depending on how many times this has happened, they can either go out for recess when the work is completed, or sit in the library where Quiet Study is held for the remainder of the 1/2 hour. Our Media Specialist supervises this as part of his assigned "duties" instead of lunch duty or bus duty. Three missed HW assignments and a call gets made to home.  

Grammy Teacher Virtuoso

I don't understand MsMaggs said: ↑ Does anyone use any kind of consequences for students who are not doing their homework? I don't give much homework but still only about 3/4 of my kids are doing it. Our class has an economy system and the students earn "money" for doing their homework all week, but that's not enough for some of them. It's so frustrating that ones who really don't need to do the extra practice do their homework consistently, but those who need the extra practice just ignore the homework completely. (And they do just ignore it, I check in with them to make sure it was't too difficult and that they understood it; they just don't want to do it. Agghhh...) :help: Click to expand...

I agree with you 100%! But our parents are in denial - that's what next year, 6th grade is for! (Hey, Grammy Teacher, I was just reading in another thread you were "missing" - glad to see you back!!)  

Hi teacher 333! I didn't think anyone would notice! Anyway, I'm glad I don't have to deal with the homework issues in Pre-K.  

chicagoturtle Fanatic

Grammy Teacher said: ↑ Hi teacher 333! I didn't think anyone would notice! Anyway, I'm glad I don't have to deal with the homework issues in Pre-K. Click to expand...

In all my years of teaching Pre-K, only one time did a parent ask me to send homework. I almost laughed in her face. I said, "Are you KIDDING?" She WAS serious!  

We send home Virtual Pre-K kits sometimes (since CPS created them- we get them for free) but they are more like spend time with your child doing this activity and they are creative and all the kits come pre-assembled from downtown for us. I am not sure how it works for other districts, but I know CPS sells it to other schools to get the funds for the program. I've been happy with them, but really they only do 2 activities a year. We get a pretty good response from them (at least we did at my old school).  

shouldbeasleep Enthusiast

Jan 1, 2008

Every year I have to figure out what works for that class, and then of course there are the few that don't fit into that year's plan! I've got one this year who doesn't return notes about no homework being done, whose parents (when I do get their attention) say what I want to hear with no follow through, and who could care less about getting any kind of reward or getting a big fat zero. He stares at me blankly when I tell him to do it at lunch at the silent table or I break school rule by telling him to do it at recess. And, of course, he's behind in math and reading. Peer pressure worked for awhile--the group he was in earned points if everyone did they're homework. But now everyone in the group complains (and rightly so) if he's in their group because he doesn't care. By the way, peer pressure tactics, while seen as cruel by some teachers of younger grades, consistently work for me from year to year. They sure can glare at someone in their group who didn't get their work done. And the side benefit is that I don't have to say a word. The glowering is good enough, and the rewards of being a part of a "sucessful" peer group puts smiles on their faces. But this one kid..... His parents finally put him in the afterschool program (I guess they want babysitting at a reduced cost) and now I can track down the disciplinarian in charge of it and she stands over him while he does his homework. No real answer for his lack of concern, though. I hope the sixth grade teachers in the middle school have an answer. I also hope they squish his little....never mind. I'll stop.. Go get coffee...the thought of me struggling with him is ruining my vacation....and, you know what?, the bugger gave me a gift card for Christmas to a movie chain that I can't use unless I drive into Atlanta (an hour away). How did he do that? Where did he get it? Yeah, yeah, I'm grateful for the gift. But I'm also cynical. I think he did it on purpose.  

dianejw Companion

May 4, 2008

One of the best ideas I have heard for students not completing homework assignments is to assign them an after-school study detention. It works like a charm. Parents do not like having to pick their child up after school every night so they take a more active role in making sure their child is completing their work. Also, our school does not allow us to give zeroes for students not completing work as it is not a true reflection of what the child knows or doesn't know. Therefore that is not even an option for us and most of the time it would not even be a good consequence for those children because grades do not seem to matter to them. However most fifth graders do not want to give up their free time after school to make up homework. They realize quickly that they would much rather complete the homework on time.  

kermy Companion

May 7, 2008

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When Your Homeschooler Refuses to Do Any Work: Exactly What To Do!

Do you have a homeschooler who  refuses  to do their work?

Are your school days laced with frustration, pleading, anger, and tantrums – from both parent and child?

Is your kid slipping further and further beneath their potential because of their stubbornness?

Are you at your wit’s end?

Let me tell you, you are not alone!

I have had my own struggles with my 3 girls, and I have received emails from some pretty broken, frustrated homeschool moms too. 

I have written a couple of posts on how to motivate a homeschooler and whether bribing is every appropriate in homeschooling ….but I don’t think I’ve ever addressed the issue of what to do with a supremely stubborn child.

The homeschooler who won’t do school work no matter what “reward” is waiting for them. 

If you are in a daily battle of the wills with your homeschooler, you are in the right place. 

Get some coffee, and I’m going to show you how you can and will regain control of your homeschool and raise a child who loves learning! 

How to Deal With A Homeschool Kid Who Refuses To Do Any Work

1. Really Stop and Think. Dig Deep.

I don’t believe there is a “ one size fits all ” reason for why a kid continually and stubbornly refuses their homeschool work.

For that reason, you really need to sit down and think about what is truly causing the friction you are experiencing every day.

If you identify and correct these issues, it could make a world of difference in your homeschool!

To get your mind rolling, think through each of the below points and see if they apply to your homeschooler:

– Are you an angry homeschool mom?

No judgment over here. I have been there!

How would you feel if a teacher in a classroom treated your child the way that you do?

If you felt a pang of conviction there, please read my post on How to Stop Being an Angry Homeschool Mom . 

It gives practical tips that I have learned over the year to stop being impatient and angry with the 3 kids I love the most in the world. 

– Is the curriculum you’re using appropriate?

I am not one to say that you should run out and buy new curriculum every time your kid gets grumpy about school. But if your child is continually fighting you day after day, it may be worth it to try a different curriculum. 

I had one kid that went from slugging through math every day with a sour face to exclaiming, “Thank you, mommy! Thank you, mommy, for being this curriculum! I’m good at math!” 

All I did was switch out the curriculum and it made a shocking change in my child and our homeschool.

If you think this is the boat you’re in, read When to Switch Up the Curriculum .

– Is your child frustrated with new material?

Many kids fly through the early years of school and everything just clicks for them. People always remark about how smart they are.

Your kid may come to feel that they are just naturally gifted with all things school.

Inevitably though, these kids will hit material that is a challenge for them – it doesn’t come easily.

This may anger, frustrate, and scare your child. Instead of facing the challenge head-on, your homeschooler refuses to do it at all, so they won’t be seen as a failure. 

“Everyone says I’m smart. I don’t get this stuff though! Am I not smart anymore??”

I have had more than one kid like this. 

Here is how I handle it:

Pull the kid up into your lap, look them in the eye, and say with soft eyes, “We have a long stretch of years ahead of us where I will be teaching you. There will be lots of new material like this. You don’t know everything. If you did, you would be living in your own house, with your own job, and your own money. Did you know that school was hard for me too? I had to work really hard to learn {fill in the blank}. It was tough for me! I know this material is a challenge for you and you don’t like that, but let me tell you the truth about really smart people – they work hard . Smart people dig in and keep going even when it’s tough. Smart people don’t quit. You are a hard worker too, so I know you can do this if you set your mind to it.”

From this point on, praise your child for how hard they work, not for how smart they are.  

– Is your child under social stress? Dealing with depression?

Some homeschoolers may be refusing their schoolwork because they are rejecting the concept of homeschooling. 

They feel isolated. Yes, socialization does matter ! 

Is your kid able to get out and see their friends on a regular basis? Does your child have solid friends?

What can you do to meet those very real needs?

Check out my post – The Secret Strategy for Helping your Homeschooler Make Friends – to help your kid out.

More and more kids are also dealing with depression for many different reasons that have nothing to do with school.

If you think this could be an issue, there would be no harm in a doctor’s visit or seeing a counselor to help your child address the issue. 

– Are you pushing too hard?

This was 100% me in my first year of homeschooling. My type-A personality wanted my homeschool to be a huge success, so I pushed that onto my little 1st grader. 

I would tell her that she didn’t really need those manipulatives to do her math problem – couldn’t she just remember the answer?

The truth was, I was asking her to do things that were beyond her grade and development level – no wonder she wasn’t loving school!

I had to check myself, do some research, and make sure that my expectations matched what was appropriate for her. 

Are your expectations too high?

Are your school days way too long?

Do you push your kid because you want to validate yourself and your decision to homeschool?

– Are you having fun?

School, especially homeschool, should be fun. If you’re not having fun, why is that?

What can you change about your homeschool to make it more engaging and interesting for your kid?

Sometimes it is as simple as changing what you write on – check out that homeschool hack here .

Maybe you need a new read-aloud book. 

Make more time for art projects, science experiments, music, and P.E.

Find exciting Youtube videos that match up with your lesson. 

Be flexible, and incorporate the things your child is interested in into your lessons.

I once threw out a month of science lessons so we could dive into a study of Megalodon, which was something my kid was obsessed with at the time.

She was so excited for school to start every morning!

Take some time and go through these questions and really take an inventory of what is going on in your homeschool. If you still think your kid is just plain stubborn, then read on.

2. Lift Your Kid’s Eyes to the Future

Sometimes kids need a little extra motivation than your typical sticker chart rewards system.  Sit down with them and talk about their future (not in a scary way, but in an excited, adventure sort of way). 

What do they want to be? What are they passionate about? What do they want to do with their lives? Where do they want to go to college?

My oldest daughter (7 or 8 years old at the time) flat out refused to do math at one point. I took the time to gently show her that just about any job (and many basic life skills) requires an understanding of math. This is true of all core curriculum too!

We went online and looked up some good colleges that had programs she was interested in. We watched videos for prospective students and even looked at some of the college housing pages.

It all looked really cool and my daughter was very interested!

I told her that there is an end goal to school. There is a reason for what we do day in and day out – and that is to open every possible door for her. I want her to have her pick of colleges when the time comes. I want her to be prepared and to excel .

I want her to soar when she leaves my house and be anything she wants to be. 

But for that to happen, she has to apply herself in school. Kids that don’t do well in school, don’t have as many options and opportunities as kids who did apply themselves.

No matter the age your kid is, it doesn’t hurt to lovingly lift their child’s eyes to look at the long-term goal.

Make sure they know that all your efforts come from a desire to see them succeed in life!

3.  Introduce a Bookend Reward System

After discussing the future and the importance of school with your resistant homeschooler, introduce a Bookend Reward System.

That means that when they finish school in a reasonable amount of time, with a good attitude  – there will be a reward.

Now this reward must be something that you don’t mind giving out and they really want . It could be increased screentime, a sticker chart that helps them earn something bigger, a later bedtime, special treat, etc.

If your child fails to meet that standard (due to a bad attitude, not because they were actually struggling with the material) there will be a consequence.

The consequence should be something they really don’t want and you don’t mind doing. It could be a loss of screen time, taking away a favorite toy, putting their tablet in timeout for 24 hours, etc.

If you’re not sure what your consequence should be, think about the thing your kid would always rather do than schoolwork. Then take that thing away as the consequence. 

It’s important to communicate this “bookend” system with great love and concern . You are not angry – you love your homeschooler and you want to help motivate them to reach their true potential.

Every day they have a chance to either earn something positive…or experience an immediate negative consequence.

You are no longer in a daily power struggle over schoolwork.

They pick every day what they want to experience.

They are in the driver’s seat. 

4. Consistency is the Name of the Game

It is one thing to introduce the Bookend Reward system to your homeschooler who resues to do their work…and it is any entirely different thing to actually follow through with it. 

This system will absolutely fail  if you do not convince your child that you are serious. 

You must always follow through with what you said you would do.

Whenever you have to administer consequences, be firm, but kind .

Tell them you are so sorry they made this choice and you were really hoping they would choose differently.

Do not give second chances . That sounds harsh, but they need to learn what the standard is – and that is school completed on time with a good attitude.

There is no room for tantrums, ugly words, or refusing to be work. You will no longer beg them to do their work.  

When they choose the positive path – go nuts! Celebrate them to the point that they roll their eyes and say you’re embarrassing them!

Delight in the reward they receive and make a big deal about it at the dinner table. 

*****If you think your kid really struggles with connecting their actions to how the day plays out, I highly recommend getting the book “ What Should Danny Do? ” and “ What Should Darla Do? ”

These are fantastic “choose your own adventure” books that allow your kid to actually choose what decisions Danny and Darla make throughout the day. They get to see how the day changes based on the decisions they make!

My own kids have benefited so much from these books and now respect their own “Power to Choose.”

But What if This Doesn’t Work and My Homeschool Still Won’t Do Their Work?

If you find that your kid still doesn’t care about the reward you’re offering and the consequence for not meeting the standard…I would tell you revisit the questions in the first point of this post and rethink what the reward and consequence are.

Whatever you have picked is not getting the job done.

Do not be afraid to sit down and ask your child what would motivate them. You might be surprised what they will tell you their consequence should be! 

Find the right pressure points and stay consistent with a loving and firm hand. 

How to Prevent Raising a Homeschooler Who Won’t Do Schoolwork

Did you read this article out of fear, not because you are actually experiencing a homeschool kid who refuses schoolwork?

Do you want to be prepared for what the future might hold?

If this is you, then I want to give you some points to avoid getting in the situations this article talks about. 

Your homeschooler may love school right now. They may relish every read-aloud book, worksheet, and project…but that attitude will likely not last. 

Mountains and valleys are extremely normal in education.

You just need to be ready.

I would strongly recommend following these steps to prevent raising a homeschooler who won’t do school work:

1. Make “fun” a central value of your homeschool. Don’t skip the cool things because you think you don’t have time. Your kids should be excited to find out what they’ll be learning tomorrow!

2. use a reward system for schoolwork even if you don’t “need” one right now. it will help on days that your kid is a little sluggish – don’t we all have those days, 3. when and if your kid gives you an inappropriate attitude about school work, nip it in the bud quickly. make it clear that such behavior will not be tolerated. do not yell or get angry, just state that your job is to teach – not to beg them to do school. i have even sent my kids to their rooms and told them they have lost the privilege of doing school – which also means they lost their reward for the day., recap when your homeschooler refuses to do homeschool work.

You can absolutely change the path your homeschool is on – I have no doubt. 

Remember to address those initial questions about your homeschool with brutal honesty, talk to your kid about what their future holds, introduce the Bookend Rewards System , and follow through with it! 

You can do this!

And your children will be so blessed by your efforts, Homeschool Mama.

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