What Causes Teens to Not Do Homework?

You can't do your teen's schoolwork for him -- even if you wish you could. Instead, you can stand by your child even as he fails to complete homework assignments, puts off writing essays and, as a result, reaps the consequences levied by his teachers. Teens can't often see past the here-and-now, which means your teen probably doesn't see any harm in skipping homework assignments. Help your teen understand the roadblocks preventing him from completing his academic assignments so you can help him avoid them in order to get his homework done.

  1. Procrastination

    • Teens are notorious for putting off immediate action via procrastination, according to psychologist Carl Pickhardt in an article for "Psychology Today." Your teen views doing homework as boring and less preferable than other activities, so she'll tell herself -- and you -- that she'll get the work done later. Of course, this just increases the pressure homework puts on her schedule. Unfortunately, a procrastinating teen often doesn't get her work done because she runs out of time to complete her homework before it's due.

    Lack of Motivation

    • While your teen might begin looking like an adult and wanting to do more grown-up things, he still has some childlike qualities that make homework a difficult task. When your child was younger, you used rewards both large and small to elicit certain behavior. Even though your child has entered his teen years, he still requires a high degree of motivation to get his homework done, and sometimes a good grade isn't enough of a motivator. Instead, find out your teen's motivation factors and create rewards -- a later curfew or the use of a car -- for immediate motivation.

    Lack of Understanding the Material

    • Your teen might not want to admit that she's skipping out on her homework assignments because she doesn't understand the material. It's embarrassing for her to admit she's falling behind and she might even be hiding some of the signs from you, such as notes from her teacher or failed tests. If you suspect that a lack of understanding is stopping your teen from doing her homework, consider a private tutor to help get her back on track.

    Distractions

    • The computer, texting friends, listening to a new CD: all of these can distract your teen from getting his homework done after school. Some teens don't focus well when distractions are present, which means you might need to create a distraction-free homework zone if you want your teen to be more successful with his assignments, suggests clinical psychologist Patrick J. McGrath at Aboutkidshealth.ca. Alternatively, you can institute a rule such as no TV, computer, phone or video games until their homework is finished.

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