Rather than fighting a constant battle of wills with your children over multiplication tables and verb conjugations, tailor your approach to their personalities.

It is been two hours since you have been sitting with your child, speaking only in soothing tones (while thinking about what bribes might work), trying to keep him from melting down after three more pages of math problems. Your son may have forgotten to turn in the reading response he was expected to hand in last Friday. According to the email you just received from the teacher, she apologizes for having to contact you again. It is past your bedtime and you and your daughter are still hunched over in the basement, painstakingly assembling a model of a Mohawk long house, toothpick by toothpick.

It is no secret that homework is the bane of every home, unless you happen to have a kid who is super-organized, methodical, and always motivated (we are not jealous at all). What can be done to prevent all the drama?

In her Toronto facility, Ruth Rumack's Learning Space, a centre for academic support, she advises teachers to discover what makes them tick. How does your child manage to stay on top of assignments and leave things to the last minute? In terms of how your child handles homework as well as how she relates to you, her temperament, personality, and learning style are huge factors. It is easier if you know which roadblock your child is facing," says Rumack, "to set up the situation that makes them successful."

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This cheat sheet will help you identify the homework personalities that usually pop up in kids and figure out how to handle them.

1. Procrastinating Personality

Since three weeks ago, your child has been thinking about the solar system project. However, the only thing in the basement is a half-painted Styrofoam sun. We know all too well as parents how tempting it is to put off work, and some children are no different.

You should first discover if your child has learning difficulty or just does not understand the material. Once those are taken into consideration, it is wise to keep in mind that kids will be more interested in pretty much everything other than homework. In fact, some researchers believe one of the brain regions that helps children to regulate their own behavior does not become functional until well into elementary school. This is often as late as age 12. Due to this, the urge to organize Pokémon cards will win, and scientific homework will no longer be understood.

Furthermore, most kids do not have a clear understanding of how long a task will take them. "Is it essential to begin gluing the longhouse now? Surely it will not take long!” (That's how you find yourself in the basement at 10:30 at night, not a step closer to completion.)

Possible Solution: As a practical matter, make sure the homework is completed before the fun stuff can begin. It is prevalent for teachers and parents to follow strict rules for the same. They instruct all of their children to have daily tasks that they need to accomplish. It also helps to break down the work into manageable portions. Students cannot play video games before they have completed their homework. If your child has five pages due next week, you can have him work one page a day in addition.

Utilize digital calendars and reminder apps (like Google Calendar) to create to-do lists and connect them to your schedule. If a "to do" item is not completed on one day, it can automatically be moved to the following day. If you are worried about your child getting too overwhelmed, set a timer on your phone. ("In the next 10 minutes, let's see what you can accomplish!")

2. Perfectionist Personality

There might be more than a lure of Pokémon to keep your kid from doing their homework. In situations where he can not bear the thought of doing it imperfectly, he will not attempt it at all.

Perfectionism is particularly common among children who are sensitive or gifted. It is common for parents to tell their children that they can handle the work. Parental concerns do not want to put their children in that vulnerable position of doing homework. Perfectionists do not see it as anything more than a way to point to their lack of knowledge. They do not feel that what they are doing does not live up to their ideals. A project will be started many times-they will reject their own ideas repeatedly, hoping the next version will be perfect.

Probable Solution: Overcoming perfectionist tendencies is no easy task. It might take your child longer than you expect to get through assignments because she has anxiety around getting things right.

Rather than focusing on results, keep your attention on the process- How to approach this and how to solve problems should be part of the learning process. Consider asking him, "Did you try your hardest? If so, then whatever happens now is irrelevant." instead of "What was your mark?"

It is recommended that you set a time limit for your kid's tasks so that he or she does not get stuck, for example, at the brainstorming stage. In addition, you may support a "spelling does not matter" rule, where students should not worry about the spelling until after completing the task if they cannot abide the thought of spelling anything incorrectly. Additionally, the tendency toward perfection can be avoided by playing it safe for fear of getting something wrong.

Tech Support: Voice transcription tools, such as Google Voice Typing or the built-in transcription feature in Macs, can help kids write down their ideas without worrying about spelling or handwriting, which can be a hurdle for many perfectionists.

While parenting, we quickly discover that one of the best tools we have for overcoming parenting challenges is helping kids establish routines. That holds true for homework as well. Kids are advised to sit down every night at the same time and in the same place so that starting homework becomes as automatic as buckling up.

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