How much should parents help with homework?

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(NC)—All parents want their kids to get good grades and be successful in school, which sometimes means rolling up the sleeves and lending a helping hand. But how much help is too much?

According to Dr. Nick Whitehead, founder and CEO of Oxford Learning, the answer lies somewhere between seeing grades on the report card for the first time and doing homework every night.

“Parents should be involved and aware of what is going on at school, but not actively completing work for their kids,” he said. “ The goal is for children to become independent and self-directed learners, but often that requires guidance from parents.”

According to Whitehead, the role of parents is to establish the rules and routines and habits that help their children develop good at-home routines, which can mean communicating with schools and teachers outside report card time.

“Parents should help their kids with homework but not do the work for them,” said Whitehead. “If kids have run into problems, the goal of the parent becomes to identify the problem, monitor the stress and frustration, and help their child find solutions.”

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