March 18, 2005 -- To help or not to help? That's the question facing many pa
March 18, 2005 -- To help or not to help? That's the question facing many parents each night as their child struggles with homework.
But a new study shows that whether parents help or not, keeping the process fun and lending support can help motivate children and make them more persistent.
Researchers found that when mothers stayed positive about their children's homework -- even when they felt frustrated themselves -- the children were more motivated in school and valued the learning process.
"Homework is often frustrating for both children and parents," says researcher Eva M. Pomerantz, professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in a news release. "It is important for parents to let children know that they are there to support them.
"Being able to put frustration aside and focus on what is enjoyable about the work is key to promoting children's motivation in school," says Pomerantz. "When the work itself is not enjoyable -- for example, there is a lot of boring repetition -- parents might focus on the positives of working together."
Staying Positive Helps With Homework
In the study, which appears in the March issue of Developmental Psychology, researchers surveyed 109 mothers and their 8- to 12-year-old children. The mothers were interviewed on several aspects of their relationship with their children, including:
- Whether they helped their children with homework that day
- Their level of frustration or anger about their child's homework
- The level of fun, love, and affection that occurred during their interactions with their children
- Their perception of their child's helplessness (frustration and desire to give up) and persistence (working hard when things got difficult)
Their children were also surveyed at the start of the study and six months later. Researchers asked the children about:
- How important it was for them to learn
- How much they liked difficult work in various subjects
- Whether they enjoyed homework or did it to please their parents
- Their emotional functioning (happiness, satisfaction with life, and self-esteem)
Researchers found that the mothers' frustration and anger in their interactions with their children rose on days the kids had homework and intensified on days the mothers thought the child seemed helpless and they helped them with their homework.
But the study also showed that when the mothers kept the interaction positive and reported having fun with their children at homework time it offset any negative effects of their anger and frustration on the children. This offsetting effect remained significant whether or not the mothers actually helped their children with their homework.
When the mothers didn't have a positive attitude about helping with their child's homework, the children were more likely to report poor motivation and negative emotions.
Researchers say keeping a positive attitude about homework may convey to children that although homework can be frustrating, it's a worthwhile effort that's not threatening.
"What we need to know," says Pomerantz, "is how it is that parents balance their frustration with more positive feelings."
