Give your child a choice about when she would like to do her homework. Her options might include before soccer practice, before dinner or after dinner. Letting kids choose when they do their homework gives them a sense of control and responsibility, which may help them buckle down and do it.
Encourage your child to do his homework. Use a strengths-based approach by offering him your help and assistance with the harder problems. Tell him that the two of you will sit together at the table, and he can do his homework while you work from home on your laptop.
Use a reward system for good behavior. Show your child that homework is a positive activity through positive reinforcement. For every evening that she does her homework without a struggle, reward her with something you know she likes. It could be an extra hour of playing video games or more money added to her weekly allowance.
Teach your child that he is only harming himself and his grades by not doing his homework. Tell him about the repercussions involved if he skips homework, doesn't pass his classes, fails out of school and then can't find a job. Painting a picture of how homework relates to the whole academic and employment process can help some kids understand how it is beneficial to them.
Talk to your child about why she doesn't want to do her homework. Determine what is the source of the problem. By asking her questions, you give her the opportunity to tell you something that may be bothering her. For instance, your child may tell you that the reason she doesn't want to do her homework for Mrs. Miller's science class is because Mrs. Miller was mean to her. Asking questions will help you gain more information on the reasoning behind the homework struggle.
Take something away if your child insists on not doing his homework and your positive attempts are benign. If he has a video game in his room that he enjoys playing or a movie that he likes to watch, physically remove it from his bedroom and let him know that he can have it back after he finishes his schoolwork.
Set up a tracking system in your home on a whiteboard. If your child still refuses to do homework even after having her toys taken away, the next step is to keep track of how many nights per week this struggle occurs. For your tracking system, make each night of a homework struggle equivalent to one hour of timeout on the weekend. If your child argues with you over homework three times during the week, put her in timeout for three hours on the weekend.