If you are the one who was awarded custody in your divorce, you have to supervise their homework. We know about children coming first in a divorce. We know that when they have homework to complete, and they are visiting their other parent, then that parent should be willing to become the homework supervisor for the weekend.

Children know when their parents are consistent and in agreement. While they might grouse at the time in the face of consistency or agreement, in the long run they will appreciate it. Your children will appreciate the consistency if you and your ex communicate standards between you so the kids know you both have their best interests at heart. I cannot think of one thing that drove me up the walls as a kid when I tried to "work" my parents was to hear either one of them say "What did your father / mother say'I knew I'd been found out and could never manipulate them to get my own way.

Homework is an ongoing demand for children and it deserves as much attention as the work you do at your job each day. It is their job. Don't minimize their job in any way. Don't compare their life with yours. They don't appreciate if it was easier or harder back then. They only know 'now.'." It's their task today and honor that. Support one another and your child with standards like:

- Penmanship should be legible. Their homework should have a clean, tidy appearance.

- Homework should be complete. Hold them to a standard and don't permit doing things half as well.

- Homework should be accurate. Read it over to be sure they're accurate.

Share homework duties. If one of the parents is better at a particular subject than the other, then that parent should help with that subject. Let the child know you are only a phone call away to help him figure out how to do that homework.

If it's your weekend to visit with the kids and they have schoolwork due on Monday, set up a place at your home and a time for them to do it. Do the hardest homework first and then take a break. Your kids will appreciate your help with this, regardless of which parent is helping them.

As their custodial parent, your kids know it's about children coming first because you make them and their lives a priority since you've divorced. Your children will enjoy the continuity you create as well as learning that they are your priority and you love them when you place a high importance on them completing their homework. They deserve these comforts and they deserve to see homework, not as a curse, but as an accomplishment that both his parents support.