Glue His Butt to the Chair!

Many parents dread homework time as much as their children do. It often results in nagging, fighting, and general chaos in the home. “Glue His Butt to the Chair!” offers good advice for getting homework done while maintaining peace. The book employs the concept of “What's the Rule?” to create a structured environment in which homework will be done. This rule specifically states when, where, and for how long a child will do his homework. For example, Joey will do his homework from 5:00 PM to 5:40 PM at the dining room table. The authors propose ten minutes per grade level is appropriate. Going beyond this time limit, they suggest, will upset the balance between doing homework and having fun.
The authors insist upon making homework the child’s responsibility. The parents are not to do the work for them. Nor are they to teach or coach them on the subject matter. They should not review or correct their assignments.
This book is written by a pediatric psychologist, a licensed social worker, and a mom. They each provide unique perspectives towards the topic of homework. In addition, they offer insight into detecting learning disabilities and the processes of how to address the school to make sure the child’s needs are met. While I respect the opinions of the authors, I did take issue with two concepts. Regarding not correcting the child’s work, if they are doing it incorrectly maybe they do not understand the material. It would be better to fix the problem before the test. Also the authors state that if the homework is not completed in the appropriate time, they should not finish it. It seems they are learning that they won’t be held accountable for not finishing assigned tasks.
“Glue His Butt to the Chair!” by Rebecca Jackson, Dr. Robert Pressman and Stephanie Donaldson-Pressman is written for parents to help them get their children to do their homework at a designated time and place. It provides structure for the entire family. By making it a rule, the child and parent know what is expected of them. This system will be beneficial for many families and will help decrease the stress levels of parents and children alike.  The companion book is “Matilda & Maxwell Freaky Homework Fiasco.” It is written from the perspective of middle school students and offers their thoughts on homework.


Glue His Butt to the Chair
Rebecca Jackson, Dr. Robert Pressman and Stephanie Donaldson-Pressman
Good Parent Good Child (2011)
ISBN 9780983218326
Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (4/12)