Getting Started on Homework Without Procrastinating
1. Background (Parent, read this with your child/teen)
Getting Started and Self-Awareness are the primary Executive Functions at play when your
child needs to work on their homework.
Getting Started - Getting Started plays a huge role in assignment completion. As you
probably already know, getting started on a task is half the battle. Regardless of the task's
difficulty level, getting started can seem overwhelming. This could apply to something
simple, like getting dressed in the morning, or to something more challenging, like a
research paper. Sometimes, it feels like the Grand Canyon stands between you and task
completion. It seems impossible, and you might avoid attempting it at all costs. With the right
strategies, you can guide yourself in developing positive habits to overcome obstacles in
your way.
Getting Started On
Homework Without
Procrastinating
Coach Your Own Child
Let’s get started.
Getting started on “Task Initiation” is one of the most common challenges for kids and teens.
It is a classic ADHD symptom. And though it may look to a parent that a child is lazy or
unmotivated, keep in mind that it is probably genetics and a lack of dopamine and
norepinephrine (neurotransmitters) causing this issue.
Today’s kids have more distractors than ever with the prevalence of YouTube, social media,
and video games, just a browser tab away from homework assignments. But this doesn’t
mean it’s okay to procrastinate. Chronic procrastinators have problems in life - they are more
likely to drop out of school, get fired from jobs, and get divorced. Nobody is a procrastinator
for life. Don’t have a fixed mindset about procrastination. You can DEFINITELY improve at
getting started on tasks.
3. Strategies
Coach Your Own Child
A.
Remove Distractions - Remove distractions from your workspace, limit your internet use,
put your phone out of reach, and turn off notifications.
B. Time Yourself - Set a timer for 30 minutes and challenge yourself to make your own
deadline. Then, time some short breaks. See how many “pomodoros” you can do (a
pomodoro is a work session followed by a short break session).
Self-Awareness - This Executive Function enables students to identify and understand their
emotions when starting homework. It builds on the ability to make appropriate, responsible
decisions. By developing Self-Awareness, it becomes easier to recognize one's strengths
and challenges and develop positive habits that lead to personal growth.
2. Discussion: (ask these questions to your child)
How often do you struggle to get started with homework?
How do you feel about homework?
How do you figure out what homework to do first?
Tell me about a time when you felt anxious or overwhelmed by
homework.
Tell me your opinion on whether students can get a good grade even if
they don’t do the homework.
Tell me about a time when you were tempted by distractions when trying
to do your homework.
What do you do to get ‘unstuck’?
C. (For longer-term projects) Break it up and set deadlines for each portion - Break up the
project/homework assignment into smaller chunks. For example, when writing, break it
into the introduction paragraph, body Paragraph 1, body paragraph 2, body paragraph 3,
and conclusion. Give yourself a small 5- or 10-minute break between each chunk.
Coach Your Own Child
D. Study Buddy - AKA Body Double—Ask a friend to help you make sure your work is
completed and packed to bring back to school. If you have someone in your neighborhood
who rides the same bus, they can easily ensure you remember to bring your work, too.
Ask your child if they have their own strategies.
Ask them which strategies they think would work best for them.
Get them to try 1-2 of these strategies.
Follow up with them to see if the new strategies are working and
make changes if necessary.
4. Strategies Discussion:
Getting Started on Homework Without Procrastinating
Parents, use this "Cheat Sheet" to remind you of this lesson when you are "in the moment" with your child.
OK
YES
NO