Asking your parents to provide you with homework answers

This can be a terrific or a tricky topic. When it comes to doing your homework, on the surface, the key is getting it right. If there is only one right answer and in your home there is someone who can help, then fine. But there is a trap for young players here. Getting the answers right is one thing. Understanding the question and how you arrived at the correct answer is another.

Many students struggle with understanding a particular aspect of a particular subject. They go to their parent or parents and ask them for help. Many parents want to help their children and think they're doing the right thing by telling them the right answer. But this may not necessarily be the right way to help. If you get the right answer without an understanding, you're not really getting the benefit of a good education. So bear that in mind when you are looking for some homework help.

Then there is always the possibility that your parent has the wrong understanding or the wrong idea about what the homework assignment is all about. The student, thinking their parent being older and wiser will be an ideal person to help them, is in fact inadvertently getting incorrect help. Oops!

Is there a right time to ask your parents for help?

It is always the right time if your parents understand the difference between rote learning and understanding the subject. This is a hugely important factor. Of course parents want to help their children and most parents will ask about a student’s results. Did you get an A? Did you pass? But most parents don’t ask about understanding. Do you understand the reasoning behind the problem? Do you understand the concept?

And there is always a right time if your parents are able to perform the role that your expert teacher would perform. But that can be a bridge too far. Generally speaking, parents do not have the skills to understand and perform the role of an expert teacher.

Many parents are not trained as teachers and do not understand the concept of understanding as opposed to simply providing the answer. So you, as the student, need to understand these facts. Yes your parents can certainly help you. But is the help they are providing the right type of help? Will you really benefit from that type of help in the long run?