One of the best benefits for raising kids with an academic focus is how they approach carrot-and-stick thingees like ‘free homework passes’.
One of my kids came home from school today and told me:
“Mom, we’re given tokens for this done well or that done well….and if you save 10 of them, you can have lunch with the teacher! And 5, well, 5, you get a ‘free homework pass’. But Mom, if you don’t actually use that homework pass, if you gather 10 of those before the school year ends, Mom, you get a prize!!
So Mom, here’s my strategy – I’m going to save and save and save and you just wait and see!”
The idea of taking advantage of the pass and actually NOT doing the homework never occurred to her. 
That’s me girl.
People have asked me in the past, how on earth do I manage to get my kids to listen to me, buckle down and do their work, and never whine about it to boot?
The answer is simple – back when they were younger, I figured that challenges would get greater and greater as opposed to shrinking down to nothing. So I made certain to set up rules and expectations…and then held the kids to them. Certainly, there were some power struggles back then…..but years later (ie today), they are very few and far between.
Kids. Boundaries. High expectations. Accountability. These go together like rainbows and unicorns. Math and beauty. Weight lifting and sleeveless gi’s!
Mighty proud mommy,
Barbara
ps – did you know there are homework helpers available today? Check out: