It’s the start of another academic year and most kids still have summer hangover. It is every parent’s wish for their kids to start making headway with school as early as possible. But not all kids are exactly excited about studying. Despite long lectures about the merits of education, kids inevitably drag their feet when being told to do homework or study. Change their view on studying and improve their study habits (or lack thereof) by making studying more interesting and bearable. Here’s how:

Decide together. When setting up rules for a regular study time with children, include them in the decisions. This will give them a feeling of responsibility in following through with what was decided on. When they feel that they are partly in control of set study habits they’d be more comfortable about it. Also, they won’t consider studying as a direct order anymore; more like a compromise or a pact.

Determine the best time. Different kids have different preferences for their studying time. Some kids might be more comfortable starting on their homework only a few minutes after they arrived from school while the lessons are still fresh in their minds. Others might be too tired from school activities to start homework immediately; hence it might be better to have them relax and eat first before hitting the books. Ask them what feels most comfortable. This way they can view studying as a less stressful habit.

Take a few minutes to relax. During study, give the kids 10-15 minutes to rest for awhile. Children generally have a short attention span and they might begin to get restless. Also, it is more beneficial to study at a steady leisurely pace so that the kids won’t feel drained. When the study habit is established and regularly observed, there won’t be any need for stressful cramming.

Show how school lessons apply in real life. It is important that from the start kids realize school is not just about earning medals: it is about getting equipped for real life. They should know that understanding the lessons is more important than the class ranking. Apply lessons in real life. Make a math game out of shopping. Have your kids help add or multiply the prices on your grocery list. You not only teach them math; you also teach them to be money-savvy.

Encourage kids to play creatively. Besides memorizing and doing math, creative thinking is also important. Nurture your children’s creativity by being creative yourself. For example, when tucking them to bed, instead of just reading them a story from a book, make up a story together. Instead of playing video games, maybe every once in awhile you can invite the kids to play Scrabble or Pictionary together. Make it a family affair.

Reward good work. For children, receiving rewards tells them that they are doing something right and worth repeating. It also gives them confidence in their abilities. But the reward should not give them the implication that they have to receive something material in exchange for every good work.

Rewards need not be extravagant. It can be 30 minutes extra TV or computer time for memorizing the assigned poem or an ice cream for a perfect score in a test. Verbal rewards are also as important. Sometimes, compliments for a job well done are better than a double scoop ice cream; they have a more lasting effect on your kid’s memories.