One of our favorite themes from Executive Moms seasons past was "How to be a Class Mom from the Office."  Meaning — for every well-meaning working mom, what are the best ways to be there, when the reality of life is that you might not actually get to be THERE.  With the pressure on school age children today at unprecedented levels, we realized the same need extended to working moms and homework.  We’ve culled some tips you might find helpful to foster the best possible studying conditions for your kids when your own work gets in the way — from Alexandra Mayzler, the founder of New York City tutoring company Thinking Caps Tutoring, and some of our own…

Working Moms and Studying Kids: A Few Tips

  • Working late or away on business?  If your child has an assignment like an essay that has at least a couple of days lead time before it’s due, arrange to have your child (independently or with adult help), email their draft to you so you can still stay on top of how they are progressing and coach them as needed.   (You can even read it on your BlackBerry if need be).
     

  • On an average school night of homework, but one for which you won’t be home, have your children do a quick check-in with you before and after homework; you might even have have them leave finished work out so that you can look over it when you get home.
     

  • Some schools and teachers will provide a syllabi and/or handouts that enable a little advanced planning on homework.  If this is (or could be) the case, either over the weekend or Monday night, establish a schedule for homework and long term projects.  Put the schedule in your Outlook calendar or BlackBerry and check in periodically to make sure your child is on task and understands the material.
     

  • One of our favorites: if you have to bring work home with you, do "homework" side by side with your child.  It’s a great way of creating a sense of solidarity.  We recently turned a session like this into a fun little Powerpoint tutorial; it can be nice for them to feel involved in your work just as you are involved in theirs.
     

  • Turn your inability to be a helicopter homework parent into an opportunity to build your children’s autonomy and independence.  Make sure they have reference tools like their own textbooks, encyclopedias at their disposal, and make sure they know how to use them.  Many schools provide or can refer you to homework hotlines (libraries can be another source for this); and there are numerous websites offering free and paid homework help, from searchable content, to live chat assistance.  Even in the younger elementary grades, it can be a good lesson for children to begin using their peers as a resource too, and, with discretion, call a friend for help.
     

  • Keep the lines of communication open with your children, and with their teachers.  Let your kids know that even if you have to work late, you can be only a call or text away to being available to answer questions.  Similarly, stay in touch with your teacher (more and more are accessible via email) so you can keep loose tabs on how they are doing in the classroom, and when periods of particular intensity are on the horizon (midterms, big projects) so you in turn can do what you can to be that much more available.

Gain additional tips and information from our friends at Thinking Caps Tutoring