Homework: Are the Benefits Worth the Sacrifices?

For years, parents and educators have debated the pros and cons of homework.

Does it really help students to retain lessons taught in the classroom? How much time should a student spend on homework assignments? Do at-home projects truly enhance a child’s educational experience or detract from family-time?

My own father was a fifth-grade math teacher for 30-plus years. He did not believe in homework and never once gave a homework assignment. He encouraged students to study for tests and on occasion he might have suggested that a student finish incomplete classwork assignments at home, but no homework per se.

His theory was that students spent seven hours per day at school and needed time to be kids after the school day had ended.

Over the years, we as a family have struggled with homework assignments.

With soccer practice or swimming lessons and rehearsals for the church play, we didn’t get home until dinnertime. While we scrambled to put dinner on the table, our boys would do the minimum amount of homework before eating, bathing and falling exhausted in to their beds.

As they got older and advanced to middle school, the homework became more involved in the form of projects. The dreaded rubric would arrive via backpack and a collective groan would reverberate through the house. Weekend plans would be changed, supplies would be procured from Staples and our schedules would revolve around “the project.” One year, we took an entire Science Fair project (tri-fold board and all) to Iowa City and back because it was due the day after Thanksgiving break.

Students begin building their college résumés in middle school now which increases the pressure to participate in as many extracurricular activities as humanly possible.

At what point do we as parents say, “enough?" And, what are the consequences when we do?

How can we as parents teach our kids about time management when there just are not enough hours in any given day?

How can parents find a way to balance all the demands placed on their kids’ time without giving in and doing “the projects” themselves?

If you have answers to any of these questions, please take a moment to share your experience and insights in the comments section below. 

I am sure I am not the only one who would love to hear your solutions!

Local mom Denise Romeo writes a weekly column on issues of interest to area parents with input from neighborhood families. If you have a question to pose to the Patch community or a story idea, please leave a comment below or send her an email at patchmoms@gmail.com.