My son is in 3rd grade. He is a great kid. I just got back from Parent Teacher conference and I got his report card. I am very proud to say he got high honor roll. However, he hates school and his least favorite thing to do is homework. The only complaint his teachers have is that his homework is more times than not incomplete or just not done. When asked about it he makes up excuses. Unfortunately I work long hours, he is usually in bed by the time I get home so I can not sit down and help him with his homework. I have tried so many ways to communicate the importance of homework and I feel it is just not getting through. My husband does not bother helping him and I have an agreement with the babysitter to help him when she can and obviously she is not helping either, I understand that homework is HIS responsibility but I need someone else besides me to push the importance of homework but I feel alone in this battle, but I am not giving up. I have tried punishment, Ive tried bribing him with no success. I need some advice or ideas on what I can do to make him understand and be a bit more responsible.

Hubby simply has to step up and take on some of the responsibility for instilling the importance of education. This includes doing homework. Have a talk with dad... if parents don't take education seriously, how can you expect a third grader to?

If helping him is part of what the babysitter gets paid for, then this needs to be discussed as well.

Yes, a third grader is learning to be more responsible, but they still need the guidance and support from home. Good study habits need to be instilled in the early years. Try to help dad understand how doing the work now of helping instill those good habits will benefit your son in later education... when he will need to be doing even more. Yes, it can be a pain at times... yes, it can be inconvenient, but the pay off for doing it now is worth it... and quite frankly, it is part of being a good parent!

Are there any consequences at school for incomplete work? That may be one possible suggestion... work with his teacher to come up with something that can offer consequences... both positive when complete and negative when incomplete.

Could it be seen as bribery? Sure, but for young children sometimes having extrinsic rewards will help get them into good habits so that later, as they mature, the intrinsic value of a job well done and being responsible can take over.

Other possibilities... any neighbor kids in his class that he can work on it with? Could he participate in an afterschool program for a short time and get it done there? How about having one of his friends over after school, or an older child/teen for a study buddy to work on it? Maybe reset bedtime so that he gets up earlier in the morning to work on it at that time with you.

Give him a choice... for example, homework gets done by 4:00 and then you can play with friends or you get to play until 3:30 then do homework, but no more playing with friends after that. If he chooses to play first... which is likely, hold him to it. When he complains, let him know you understand that he is not happy about it, and that you can see how he might want to make a different choice next time. The onus is on him... he has the choice, either way homework gets done, one will obviously become more appealing than the other in time.

By the way... I teach third grade... :)