You hate it as much as your child does but you have to do it every night.

I have to start this by confessing something: I have a love/ hate relationship with homework.

I really believe it has great education benefits for my kids. I’ve watched how after school revision has helped my son leap ahead in his reading, and it is great to see how he is progressing.

But I hate the constant, everyday battle over getting it done. It is relentless.

This year my middle son starts school, so I am dreading having the battle raging on two fronts.

I have decided that if it’s to be a battle, I am going to be prepared. I have formulated a plan and it has four elements.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by HP’s new Stream family. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words.

1. Set aside a regular time.

We are early risers in my house and with two school-aged boys and a girl in pre-school we are chock-a-block with activities after school. So I find mornings are the best time to do homework.

‘I got an A for my kid’s homework assignment’

If they have a regular routine and they know what is expected of them, it just gets done.

I also find it helpful to set a time limit on the homework itself. No teacher wants your child caught up for hours on end writing out lists of words after a full day at school. Talk to your child’s teacher about an agreed time limit to set and when you hit the mark encourage them to stop, even if they haven’t finished.

2. Get them their own device.

If your little one is just starting school this year you might think this recommendation is way off in the future, and that they don’t need their own tablet. I was the same but I have come to realise that if you don’t buy them one, they will just use yours. There are some really good inexpensive options on the market. Check out the HP Stream family. You can get a laptop for yourself, or your older child and your younger primary school kid a tablet. The tablet is only $229, and in the long run it will pay itself back with the educational benefits it will bring.

My son’s math abilities increased beyond what I could have imagined by using the Mathletics program, while his little brother who is only starting school this year has started using Reading Eggs on his tablet.

Devices for kids don’t have to be out of this world expensive and they don’t have to be thought of as an indulgence. They will use them at school so why not give them a head start and get one for them at home too?

3. Encourage but don’t cajole.

Part of the benefits of homework is learning time management skills. It is easy to just do it yourself, especially if it is time consuming research, and you really, really need to get the kids to soccer training. But they need to learn the consequences of not doing it – and these consequences are set by the class teacher, not you.

Some projects are really time consuming but the idea is that your child learns to set aside pockets of time to complete the project over several days rather than staying up till midnight creating their home-made rocket or Australian bush diorama.

Her daughter wasn’t on Facebook until midnight. She was trying to do this.

It is all about helping them learn to be organised.

4. Don’t be too helpful.

If you are anything like me, you love the homework itself. Stationery! Neatly covered books! Sharpened pencils in a tin! A tidy desk with a glowing lamp in a quiet nook! (Well, the kitchen table in reality, but I do have Pinterest-inspired dreams).

But the reality is that homework isn’t about us. It’s about letting our kids revise what they have learnt at school, and hopefully working out how to learn independently. So as much as we want to hover and nail those perfectly ruled margins, I am afraid it is time to let it go.

Back off a bit, let them research it themselves on the computer – get them their own device which will allow them to do so, and then retreat, mums. It’s a perfect time to be near but not interfere.

 What are some of the struggles you have when trying to encourage your children to study at home?

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Hear from Mia Freedman as she discusses why you don’t need to share your laptop with the kids anymore at hp.com.au/stream

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