What should I do if my child refuses to do homework at school

Children who refuse to do homework in school can be improved by adjusting the learning environment, establishing incentive mechanisms, improving parent-child communication, identifying learning barriers, and seeking professional help. This behavior is usually caused by factors such as distraction, lack of interest, family pressure, learning difficulties, psychological factors, etc.

1. Adjusting the learning environment

Creating a quiet and tidy learning space can help improve concentration. Parents can remove toys and electronic devices from their desks and use eye protection lamps and height appropriate tables and chairs. Communicate with the teacher to understand the child's performance in class, and collaborate to develop a plan for completing homework in sections. Observe the child's sensitivity to light and noise, and try white noise or soundproof earplugs if necessary.

2. Establish an incentive mechanism

Adopt a token reward system to break down homework into small goals, and give sticker points for each completed task, which can be redeemed for non-material rewards such as parent-child game time. Avoid using money or electronic products as rewards. Create a visual progress chart for children to visually see their achievements, and hold a family sharing session on weekends to showcase their homework results. Pay attention to praising specific behaviors rather than general compliments.

3. Improve parent-child communication

Allow 15 minutes of free time after school before discussing homework. Replace questioning with open-ended questions, such as which question is most interesting today. Parents can demonstrate learning behavior by reading books next to their children. Regularly hold family meetings to involve children in developing homework rules and recording their improvement suggestions. Avoid discussing homework issues at the dining table.

4. Identify learning disabilities

Continuous resistance to homework may indicate reading and writing difficulties or attention deficits. Pay attention to whether the child frequently rubs their eyes, jumps to read, or has abnormal pen holding posture. Test hand muscle coordination through the red stroke game and examine auditory information processing ability by retelling stories. Retain homework samples for professional evaluation, including details such as stroke reversal and messy spacing between characters.

5. Seek professional help

When accompanied by low mood and sleep disorders, intervention from a child psychology department is necessary. Standardized assessment tools such as the Conners scale can screen for attention problems, and sensory integration training improves limb coordination. For specific learning disabilities, multisensory teaching methods can be used, such as using sandpaper writing to reinforce memory. The school resource classroom can provide personalized education plan support.

Ensure 1 hour of outdoor activity daily to promote dopamine secretion, and increase the intake of foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as deep-sea fish and nuts in the diet. Establish a regular bedtime reading routine to alleviate anxiety, and take children to visit science museums and libraries on weekends to rebuild their interest in learning. Parents need to record their children's emotional fluctuations during homework and maintain written communication with teachers at least once a week. If somatic symptoms such as abdominal pain and headache occur, timely developmental behavioral pediatric examination should be performed.