By: Natasha Archary
With most schools in the country offering the option for remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents had to get to the grips of homeschooling their children and figuring out homework.
Kaya Drive with Sizwe wanted to know how parents approach homework with their kids, the challenges, joys and the lessons they learnt in the process.
Listen to the team’s feedback here:
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Mon 15:09:04 to 15:23:28 Kaya 959 95.9
Homework expectation vs reality
A few parents have shared their frustrations with homework, taking the parenting pressure to an all-time new high.
Finding the balance to not only work from home during the lockdown, manage the household, and also have a structured routine in place for homework is no easy feat. For many parents, the expectation vs reality of homework is that some parents think homework can’t be that hard. Many parents allocating the final few moments before bed to help their children with their homework.
The reality is that homework and the curriculum that children are following in school today is a lot different to when parents were in school. As mentioned on Kaya Drive with Sizwe, many parents struggled with grasping problems or assignments and felt like they weren’t helping their children.
Some parents opted for a tutor or extra lessons to assist their children and a few signed up their children to attend the school’s homework class offering.
Sink or swim
The frustrations you have with regards to homework will rub off on your child and they may not want to finish their homework with you. It’s important to keep calm and try to explain things from a perspective that they understand.
YouTube videos that may give an easier approach to a mathematical problem can help diffuse a tense situation. Give your child time to figure out a problem so they understand the concept, method and reach the correct answer on their own.
Here’s a video on some cool hacks to solve maths equations:
Making it work
Move away from the traditional methods of teaching that schools adopt. Find educational digital intervention like online learning options.
Integrating some of your child’s lessons onto their kid-friendly tablet, allows them some freedom to control their learning independently. Kids love that. Giving them the illusion they’re in control, will have them happily engaged for hours on end.
Install reading apps, download e-books, YouTube animated stories, math, and crossword games and watch your child find ways to work through their homework with little supervision from you.
Also read: Sizwe Dhlomo shares message of hope with South Africans


