I love helping my kids with their homeworks for it refreshes my memory too. I instill in their minds the importance of good study habits early on, so that they will very likely learn to study independently when they are already in the middle school.
When I say I am helping my kids in their assignments, it means that I am guiding them and not doing the homework for them. Guidance means helping them to focus on work rather than leisure first, and giving them clues when they do not understand the topic. We have to bear in mind the major purpose of attending to our children now is for them to develop good habits that will be invaluable to them in the future.
There came a time that I need to hire a professional tutor for my kids, for I have to attend to our family business personally. Sad to say, that my expectations were not met. There are things left undone, unfinished home work or projects for instance, because these private educators always observe time. Usually, tutoring lasts only for an hour, excess time will mean excess payment. There are times they cannot come to teach. In the previous tutors I hired, only one had passed my criteria and expectation, because she looks after my children as if they are her small brothers and do not mind if she exceeds time in teaching to see to it that all assignments are done and my kid had reviewed well for the next day’s quizzes. I admire her own set of rules which she enforced consistently in a fair manner that cut down on unnecessary struggles. In consolation, I am giving her special incentives like she eats dinner with us if they studied overtime and give her gifts on special occasions.
At present, I am once again hands-on with my kids and our home. I personally assist my kid in his school projects, assignments and reviewing him