Family Matters | The Petry Family

The word “homework” gives kids shudders and triggers PTSD flashbacks in parents who recall their own dealings with protractors and prepositions. As the debate over the value of homework rages on, educators continue to embrace the adage that practice makes perfect. Try telling that to a child with learning and attention issues whose patience and ability to stay focused have been ground down like a No. 2 pencil after an exhausting day at school. Homework can test any child’s limits. But for youngsters who learn differently, struggles with executive functioning — which impacts their ability to plan, organize, and prioritize — can mean homework leads to meltdowns and breakdowns that leave the child feeling down and out about education. The good news is that, while there is no one-size-fits-all solution for helping neurodivergent children conquer homework, there are strategies parents can tailor to suit their child’s needs that can transform doing homework from horror to hurrah. On this episode, we visit a Midwestern mother of three kids with ADHD who long endured stressful homework sessions but fortunately found a solution that has made homework less, well, work.