Make Homework Fun with a Mail Order Mystery

Ok parents. It’s homework time. You know what to do. You’ve read the advice. Don’t let the kids have fun until the work is done. Make homework a habit. Set a timer. Set another timer. Be involved. Don’t be too involved. Encourage, but don’t bribe. Support success but know when to let kids fail. Aaaggh! Why is this so hard?

You see it like a movie montage: the slow-motion ripping up of the math worksheet, the lying-on-the-floor-crying while you are trying to make supper, the bleary, late night dioramas.  

There is no magic wand. But we know, from experience, that some things do help. Our kids are not always in the habit of reading, but when they are, homework does not seem like quite so much work. When they associate problem-solving with creativity and imagination instead of dumb hoops to jump through, they are less inclined to fight about every assignment that comes home. (Unless it’s bar graphs. It seems nothing can help us with bar graphs.)   

While it may seem counterintuitive to put more reading on kids plates now, when the school year is about to begin, it may actually be the best thing you can do.

Mail Order Mysteries are designed to get kids reading and problem-solving in a fun way. There are objects to explore and mementos to keep, but first and foremost Mail Order Mysteries are stories. There are clues to solve and cases to crack, and the characters in the mysteries can’t do it alone. They need your kids’ help to succeed. Kids aren’t just part of the stories, they are the heroes of the stories. 

And don’t forget, Moms and Dads, that you are heroes, too. Be strong. You can do this!