Q: The battle over homework is often a daily one. So we asked: what is the best way to get your children to do their homework without voices being raised?

A: ‘In primary school, I sat my children around the kitchen counter and supervised homework while cooking dinner. This worked well. In high school, I encouraged them to do their homework in their rooms. It was a dismal failure – they played games instead. I quickly reinstated the kitchen-table homework regime.’

- Anne Roberts (mother of three, ages 14, 18 and 20)

A: ‘I used to promise my children money for doing homework and scoring above a certain percentage at school. They did very well. But I think that was wrong. Now I have reverted to telling them often how proud I am and that I trust them to do their homework diligently. Twice a month I page through their schoolbooks and ask whether there’s any specific project that I can help them with.’

- Colet Searle (mother of two, ages 13 and 14)

A: ‘You need to become your children’s biggest fan to encourage them. First, I read what needs to be done with my son and if he doesn’t understand, I explain it to him. We play games around homework. For spelling homework, I might ask him to write a grocery list, for example.’

- Nelisiwe Luvuno (mother of two, ages 2 and 7)