Having trouble motivating your children to do their homework? Learn how to help your kids develop habits that will make them stand out in class.

VIDEO: Staying motivated for homework (11/3) - Click here to view -> low res | high res

Courtesy KGO-TV's The View From The Bay
Aired on Friday, Nov. 3, 2006

If you have kids in grade school, then you've probably heard this line many times: "I don't want to do my homework!"

Lizzie Bermudez introduced us to an expert with some tips on how to get ahead, and a Bay Area family that's making the grade when it comes to homework time.

Whether you're a stay-at-home mom or a working mom, it's something we all have to deal with - getting our kids to do their homework.

Jessie Bell, mom: "She'll come in, she'll want a snack. She'll want to see her dog. And then it's pretty much sitting down and getting started, because when she's comes home at 5:30, we don't have much time there before she starts getting tired, and we're not going to get anything out of it."

Lizzie Bermudez: "When we first walked through the door, I asked you about homework. How would you rate it on a scale of one to ten? One being your least favorite."

Sydney Bell, daughter: "One."

Nine-year-old Sydney Bell is like a lot of kids her age when it comes to homework.

Lizzie Bermudez: "Do you ever get too tired to want to do your homework?"

Sydney Bell, daughter: ""Yes, once I was so tired that I stared to cry because I had to do my homework
Lizzie Bermudez: "Just a long bad day?"

Sydney Bell, daughter: "No, it was more like tiring."

Lizzie Bermudez: "Is there anything about the daily home from school, home from activity, routine that you as a parent dread?"

Jessie Bell, mom: "Yeah, sometimes it is hectic because I'm trying to get home, trying to get dinner done. I want her to get her homework done early enough because after about 7:30, forget it -- she's needs to not be doing homework. The thought is just not there."

Abbie Richie is with The Buddy System, a service that could help families that are running into problems when it comes to homework time and sitting down with their kids.

Abbie Richie, The Buddy System: "They could have a tutor work one-on-one with their child, specifically within a subject that they're having difficulty with. A lot of times parents don't have the academic knowledge to help their child with algebra or a more complicated subject. It could be anything from organization skills to chemistry. So our tutor would come to your home and work one on one with your child specifically within their school curriculum, focusing in on the things they need the most help with."

Homework Tips

Give child attention
Abbie Richie, The Buddy System: "One thing I'd recommend is giving your child the attention they need when they come home from school. A lot of times this is the first time they're seeing you. They miss you, they want to be around you -- even if they may act otherwise. They really do want to have your undivided attention. So one way you can diffuse the initial homework trauma or emotion is to sit down with them in their regular homework environment and give them that attention."

Study environment
Abbie Richie, The Buddy System: "I'd establish a studying environment that was peaceful and quiet and eliminated distractions. So if their child is doing homework where the dog is coming in and out, and the phone in ringing, and there's lot of activity, it's going to be difficult for them to focus and concentrate on their homework."

Set expectations
Abbie Richie, The Buddy System: "They should know what the expectations are. When they get home, for instance, they should know they're going to have a snack, so that they're not going to worry that they're going to be hungry. They should know they're going to be sitting down for an hour or two doing homework, and dinner time is at this time. And that I think it helps take out a lot of the insecurity or uncertainty of what a child should be doing with that time."

Break it down
Abbie Richie, The Buddy System: "Breaking it down into bite-size pieces, so you might work on a certain portion of a project for 10-minutes, and then take a five-minute break, and then get right back. You might even set a kitchen timer so that you know exactly how long you're going to be working for, and that diffuses the idea that we might be doing this forever."

For more information: www.buddysystem.com