Why Parents Must Care about Homework

Why Parents Must Care about Homework

The first school report card has not been issued yet, but you’re already having doubts about your child’s performance in school. Perhaps that’s because every time you ask about homework, you hear, “Oh, we didn’t have any homework” or, “I did it at school.”

“What about reading?” you ask. “Do you have a book from the library to read?”

“Nope. Our class hasn’t been scheduled to go to the library yet.”

Then you get that uneasy feeling that maybe something isn’t right. After you check with the teacher, you realize that maybe your child is avoiding homework, reading and even computer work because doing so hurts her eyes.

Here are five behaviors that may help you identify a possible vision problem.

• Reluctance to read aloud. Students who will not read aloud may not be able to see the letters and words on the page clearly, or the words may “bounce” on the page.
• Rubbing the eyes and squinting. Eye rubbing is an effort to reduce eye strain. Opening and closing the eyes to improve focus and reduce eye strain is a natural response; squinting may mean difficulty in seeing clearly.
• Homework avoidance. Not wanting to do homework can be the result of many things, such as truly not understanding the work, but check to make sure it’s not a vision challenge.
• Frequent headaches. Seeing with blurred vision can require a lot of effort, and as a result, headaches develop. Note when these headaches occur and look for patterns, such as headaches that happen during a particular class or time of day.
• Behavior problems in class. Sometimes kids will make frequent trips to the restroom, nurse or other areas in school to avoid being called on in class. Likewise, some children will act out so they don’t have to show their work or respond to questions from a textbook. It’s not that they don’t want to learn; they don’t want to be made fun of for not being able to see.

These five behaviors do not mean your child has a vision problem, but they do suggest exploring the conditions more in depth. A vision exam may mean eyeglasses are necessary.

“But my child won’t wear eyeglasses,” you say?

Today’s eyeglasses are stylish, and there are many designer options for children’s eyewear.

If eyeglasses are something your child needs, talk to him about styles and options. There are affordable junior styles in many designer brands, and some brands in particular, such as Denim and X Games are made with durability in mind. Young children may respond well to picking out their frames and colors themselves.

Being able to see well is critical to success in school. The sooner you correct difficulties with vision, the sooner your child will be back on track and earning good grades.