Schoolwork
There are a lot of kids that love school and they can't wait to go back so they can associate with their friends. Then there are the kids that try to fake sick so they don't have to go. Every child is different and they each come with their own fair share of parenting challenges. Getting your children motivated about schoolwork is tough, but it is important to be resilient. It helps if your children have a set schedule each day. If possible, try to get at least one parent home when they kids return home from school. Set aside time for playing, eating, and schoolwork. Putting off the schoolwork after dinner works for a lot of families, but other find that making kids do it right when they get home is better because they can play after dinner. No matter which idea you choose, be consistent with it. Use some rewards to help your children work on their schoolwork. Each week, allow them to put a star on the calendar if they did all their homework. Once their grades come, reward them. You can do small rewards like ice cream or larger rewards like a night out at Chuck-e-Cheese's.

To help your children stay motivated about schoolwork, remove things that are distracting like the Wii and Xbox. Place your children in different areas where you can see them but they cannot see each other, this will help them focus better. To drown out any noises, use some light classical music. Several people claim classical music helps the mind to think better.

Exercising
With working parents and busy schedules, over 60 percent of children do not get the proper amount of daily physical exercise. Even though they may spend 10 minutes running in gym class, children need a good 60 minutes of exercise each day. Create an exercise schedule for your children that will be fun for everyone. Perhaps after dinner you can take the dog for a walk or you can all go out and ride bikes for an hour. Get on some rollerblades and play street hockey with your kids. Try to get yourself involved in the physical activities they like to do and it will be easier for all of you to stay in shape.

Eating Right
Every parent struggles with getting their kids to eat right. If you are dealing with a picky eater, you do have some options. First, consider using vegetable drinks over juice drinks if your child doesn't like to eat their veggies. V-8 actually makes vegetable juice drinks that are packed with vegetables but taste like fruit smoothies. This is a great way to trick your child into eating healthier foods. Another way to get them to eat right is to remove treats and sweets from your home. Far too often kids are loading up on sugar and they don't want to eat green beans. A lot of famous chefs have found that a fun way to get your kids to eat right is to get them involved in the dinner-making process. Have them snap peas and toss them into the casserole and be sure to thank them and comment on how delicious their peas are. It's a simple way to get them involved and they will take pride in their ability to cook.