One of the biggest parenting challenges, at least in our house, is homework. Perhaps not so much in terms of having the kids learn and understand the material — although that can be a challenge too — but just getting kids to sit down, focus on their work, and get it done. For us, this involves a lot of whining, wailing, and general gnashing of teeth. And the kids don’t enjoy it either. To make matters worse, my oldest will be entering 4th grade next year and the amount of homework sent home is reportedly kicked up a notch. If we lived in Los Angeles, however, it wouldn’t be a problem anymore.