Homework Stress

Schools are assigning more and more homework to younger and younger children. A national survey by the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan showed that 6-to-8-year-olds spent an average of 44 minutes a week on homework in 1981. By 1997, the amount of time first, second and third graders spent on homework almost tripled to 123 minutes, or 25 minutes a night.

While kids have always complained about the perils of homework, parents are now complaining too. Some say that after a long day at school, the homework overload is too much for young kids to handle. Parents also question whether the extra work is really necessary. “120 math problems? 80 are sufficient,” says Susan Catrini, a mother of two. “Sometimes I think it’s busy work.”

The increase in homework has both parents and kids stressed out. But some experts say that it’s the parents who demand high achievement that push the schools into giving more homework. Educational expert Dr. Jennifer Obidah agrees. “Schools are saying if you want your child to have these high test scores, you have to start them very young,” says Obidah. “We have to train them to work hard at home.”

Still, experts say difficult homework assignments and the pressure to complete many assignments on time, can cause anxiety and frustration for kids. When frustration builds parents should step in, give kids a break and question the school and teachers about their homework policies. “You can’t have a child achieving well academically who is highly anxious,” says Obidah. “And if homework is bringing that, I think that’s defeating the ultimate purpose which is for the child to be achieving well.”

What Parents Can Do:

Get involved. Children often come home with pages of homework sheets containing instructions they don’t always understand. They need their parents help to understand what’s expected of them.

Don't push. Many experts say that parents are to blame, not the schools, for the homework demands placed on kids. Many parents are pushing kids and schools to be more competitive at a time when parents have less time themselves due to demanding careers to assist kids with homework and activities.

Watch for signs of distress. Experts are reporting a rising number of homework and school-related anxieties. Some kids experience anxiety over completing assignments and performing well in school and others experience anxiety over the amount of homework and activities they engage in each and every day.