Homework time

I never thought I would have to repeat 1st grade again, but apparently I am with my son David.  We are only a few days into the school year and already he has homework nightly, and I know this will only get worse in the years ahead.  So far the homework is simple, a few letter sheets, a reading book, and a list of words . . . . . but it is literally every night of the week except Friday's.

I am already finding that I will really need to draw on my friends experience and skills on how to handle homework time, because it takes all of my ability to make it through the hour or so of sitting at the table, without yelling at someone.  Now believe me, I know that yelling is not exactly the best parenting tool in any situation, but it is especially not the best tool to use at homework time. I guess one of the biggest problems is that one of my study habits throughout my school years was to have complete silence so I could focus, I didn't work with a radio OR TV in the background while I worked, so it is difficult for me to work with David Jr. in this noisy homework environment now.

Here is my list of homework time issues, if you have advice, I welcome it:
1.)  David Jr. is easily distracted but the layout of our home is an open floor plan, so my husband who is home from work and wanting to relax in front of the TV is only a few feet away from where David Jr. is sitting at the family table working on homework.  Also, even if I do manage to get Jon to stay in his room to play, the noise he makes, along with the TV, is quiet loud.
2.)  If Jon wakes up early from his nap, he wants to be  right at the table and no matter how much I try to distract him with his own activity, he makes a lot of noise and creates a lot of distraction for David Jr.
3.)  David wants to rush through so he can get to cartoons, games, or playtime, so his homework ends up looking sloppy and this ends up frustrating me that he is rushing and not doing his best work.
4.)  David's homework time often runs into dinner prep time, so I find it difficult to multi-task and give him the full attention I would like to.

I have at times in the past, asked my mother to take him upstairs and work with him on homework where the distraction level is less and she can give him full attention.  However, I don't think this is fair to my mother, she has raised her four children and done her time sitting at the table doing homework.  I feel like this is something my husband and I have to figure out and work out the best system, even if it means sacrifice of our own "comfort, pleasure, or wants" and I know that this year we will have much more homework then we did with kindergarten.

I know I am at the beginning of the homework journey, and I have many more years of this ahead AND I have three children I have to learn how to do this with.  THUS I am seeking my blogging friends and Mom friends advice now before I set some very bad homework habits and my son cringes at the very thought of sitting down to do homework with me.

Help me Please!  :-)