Middle School Question of the Month-
My /sondaughter has a habit of either telling fibs about homework or doing
the homework, then not turning it in. I have tried different types of
consequences and nothing has improved. What can I do?

Talk with your child. Tell him/her how concerned you are about her/his
failure to complete her/his homework and her/his habit of telling fibs. Ask
her/him to tell you why she/he fails to complete the homework or to turn it
in.

Then work with her/him to resolve the problem:

If she/he fails to complete the homework because she/he does not understand
the work, contact the teacher. Explain that your daughter/son does not
understand the concepts being taught in class and therefore cannot complete
the homework. Ask if your daughter/son can receive additional help. Griffin
Middle Schoo, offers a Homework Center 5 days a week from 2:50 - 4:30 PM.
Certified teachers and volunteers work within the Homework Center to help
your child with homework. However, your child is repsonsible for bringing
the work to the Homework Center. Many of our teachers work within the
Homework Center and are willing t give your child the extra help that is
needed to ensure their academic success.

If she/he fails to complete the homework because she/he is disorganized,
help her/him get into a homework routine. Have her/him double check before
leaving school that she/he has all the textbooks and papers needed to
complete homework assignments that evening. Make sure that the Griffin
Middle School agenda book is filled out completly. Establish a specific
place for her/him to compete homework and a designated homework time each
day. Expect her/him to complete homework before she/he watches TV, talks on
the phone or spends time with friends.

If she/he fails to get a passing grade on homework because she/he doesn't
turn it in, make sure she/he takes her/his completed work to school each
day. Have her/him put all completed assignments in her/his backpack the
night before and then place her/his backpack by the door so she/he won't
forget it.

If she/he fails to complete homework because she/he is too busy, evaluate
her/his schedule with her/him. Explain that homework must come first. Help
her/him decide which activities to eliminate until her/his grades come back
up. Then allow her/him to resume activities gradually as she/he becomes
more organized and her/his grades improve.

If your child fibs about completing homework, consider what is motivating
her/him to not tell the truth. Don't accuse her/him or overreact if she/he
fails to complete homework. Instead, say, "What can we do to help you
resolve this problem?" Then take some of the steps listed in the bullets
above. Let her/him know that it's okay if she/he doesn't understand
everything on her/his homework but it is never okay for her/him to not tell
the truth to you.

Also work with your child's teacher and school counselor to resolve this
problem. They have worked with many students and will be glad to share
their suggestions to help your daughter improve.