Making Homework Count
Your kids don’t want to do homework. You don’t really want to do homework. Clients don’t either, most of the time. But it’s important…clients who are compliant with homework do better in therapy – the effect size is .36 (according to a meta-analysis by Kazantis, Deane, & Ronan, 2000). For comparison, the effect size for therapy as a whole is usually reported at between .7 and .8.
So, let’s make it worthwhile! Here are some ideas:
- Always check in on homework, first thing. Yes, even if they’re crying. (You don’t have to make a big deal about it, if you can tell that the session won’t revolve around it, but you need to mention it, even if you say “I can see you’re very upset, so we’ll check in about your homework later. What’s going on for you right now?”) Here’s a rule of thumb: the first time you don’t check it is typically the last time they do it! So, if you give homework, make sure it comes up next session.
- Be a little stricter than you naturally want to be. It’s a nice idea to let grown-ups be grown-ups and trust that they’ll find the time and place to take care of the homework and make sure it’s done with intention. But they won’t. Help them by collaborating with them to set a time and place during the week for homework to get done. You’d like to believe they won’t procrastinate like a 16 year old with a girlfriend and a Netflix account…but that’s a fantasy.
- Do it together, first. Think how ridiculous you would find it if your kid’s teacher sent homework home on a subject they hadn’t covered that day, or on skill building they hadn’t learned in class! Save 5 minutes at the end of session and do a practice run through with your client. Whether that’s a thought record, a communication exercise, even journaling – it’s worth it to do it in session first. Then clients have a better sense of self efficacy about the assignment, can get their questions/barriers addressed, and are more likely to actually do it.
- Make sure you and they know why it’s important. Assign homework with intention. It’s so easy to get into the habit of just assigning and re-assigning the same 5 homeworks. Instead, make sure you have a clear understanding of the therapeutic value of the assignment. Be able to explain it to yourself, and be overt in telling clients why you are assigning what you are assigning, and what benefit you believe it will have for them. If clients believe the homework has value, they’re more likely to do it!
Kazantis, N., Deane, F. P., & Ronan, K. R. (2000). Homework assignment in cognitive and behavioral therapy: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice (7)2, 189-202.
Comment with some of your favorite homeworks!