As parents we often just want our children to listen. They question our authority or even the teacher’s on a routine basis. It can get very frustrating, but here is a method to help with this problem.
When I am managing my work center, I am focused on my people, their product and the processes they use to make this product. It is a very simple formula that can be used to alter the behavior of our children as well.
We want our children to do well in school. Their grades are how we rate their progress. Grades are the product. The process is the work they do to make that product  (homework, studying, research, etc.). Obviously, we know who the people are in this formula.
I always focus on people first: at work and at home. With our children we want them to become independent creatures; however, we get upset when they question authority. The problem is not their questioning; it is usually the lack of scruples and the timing. We need to teach them how and when to question the world around them.
Once we get them to understand this and teach them that every battle is not worth fighting, we need to reward the behavior we want repeated. When they make minor improvements, let them know you are watching and that you appreciate the effort. When they make major advances, reward them on a much grander scale.
Getting your child to know that you care about his education and that you are willing to reward his efforts, the process needs to be tweaked. It seems the homework load is getting larger and larger for these young kids. I never had this much homework and I was not in a home where both parents worked. I was able to come home directly from school and not go to an aftercare program and then have to eat dinner, bathe and somehow find a moment to do 15 assignments.
I truly feel bad for these kids, and the time they are not able to spend with family and friends. They are in an educational factory. My strategy for this is to teach my daughter time management skills. From the time she was two, I was telling her the plan for what we are going to do for the day. She knows that in order for ‘D’ to happen we need to do ‘A-B-C’. This gives the whole picture perspective and lets them plan better.
If there are 10 assignments, rack and stack them in order of importance. Do the one with the biggest impact to the grade first and perfect it. Then work your way down to the word puzzle that is meaningless. This is the same thing we do at work, so why not teach them now.
We can apply some basic principles from work to help our kids get the grade we want them to get, and prepare them for real life along the way.