Homework Helpline: Top tips to keep kids and parents sane (and on speaking terms)

As another school year begins and our wee (and not so wee) ones’ academic careers roll along, so too does the homework. Sigh. As many parents know, it’s not only their’s, but ours, too. Young parents yet to experience such joy… just you wait. Softly, softly it starts with Biff, Chip and Kipper, then swiftly segues into handwriting, spelling drills, times tables, curriculum projects, book reports, essays, exams and so on. Tackling this bete noir has the capacity to sour the best of moods and turn home-time into a blood-boiling battle of wills. (What torment awaits with GCSEs and A-levels… I shudder.) So it got me thinking, what words of wisdom might I impart to parents both in the trenches and those about to approach the front line of the...