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Denise Pope

Education scholar Denise Pope has found that too much homework has negative effects on student well-being and behavioral engagement. (Image credit: L.A. Cicero)

A Stanford researcher found that too much homework can negatively affect kids, especially their lives away from school, where family, friends and activities matter.

“Our findings on the effects of homework challenge the traditional assumption that homework is inherently good,” wrote Denise Pope , a senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and a co-author of a study published in the Journal of Experimental Education .

The researchers used survey data to examine perceptions about homework, student well-being and behavioral engagement in a sample of 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper-middle-class California communities. Along with the survey data, Pope and her colleagues used open-ended answers to explore the students’ views on homework.

Median household income exceeded $90,000 in these communities, and 93 percent of the students went on to college, either two-year or four-year.

Students in these schools average about 3.1 hours of homework each night.

“The findings address how current homework practices in privileged, high-performing schools sustain students’ advantage in competitive climates yet hinder learning, full engagement and well-being,” Pope wrote.

Pope and her colleagues found that too much homework can diminish its effectiveness and even be counterproductive. They cite prior research indicating that homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night, and that 90 minutes to two and a half hours is optimal for high school.

Their study found that too much homework is associated with:

* Greater stress: 56 percent of the students considered homework a primary source of stress, according to the survey data. Forty-three percent viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get good grades in that category. Less than 1 percent of the students said homework was not a stressor.

* Reductions in health: In their open-ended answers, many students said their homework load led to sleep deprivation and other health problems. The researchers asked students whether they experienced health issues such as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems.

* Less time for friends, family and extracurricular pursuits: Both the survey data and student responses indicate that spending too much time on homework meant that students were “not meeting their developmental needs or cultivating other critical life skills,” according to the researchers. Students were more likely to drop activities, not see friends or family, and not pursue hobbies they enjoy.

A balancing act

The results offer empirical evidence that many students struggle to find balance between homework, extracurricular activities and social time, the researchers said. Many students felt forced or obligated to choose homework over developing other talents or skills.

Also, there was no relationship between the time spent on homework and how much the student enjoyed it. The research quoted students as saying they often do homework they see as “pointless” or “mindless” in order to keep their grades up.

“This kind of busy work, by its very nature, discourages learning and instead promotes doing homework simply to get points,” Pope said.

She said the research calls into question the value of assigning large amounts of homework in high-performing schools. Homework should not be simply assigned as a routine practice, she said.

“Rather, any homework assigned should have a purpose and benefit, and it should be designed to cultivate learning and development,” wrote Pope.

High-performing paradox

In places where students attend high-performing schools, too much homework can reduce their time to foster skills in the area of personal responsibility, the researchers concluded. “Young people are spending more time alone,” they wrote, “which means less time for family and fewer opportunities to engage in their communities.”

Student perspectives

The researchers say that while their open-ended or “self-reporting” methodology to gauge student concerns about homework may have limitations – some might regard it as an opportunity for “typical adolescent complaining” – it was important to learn firsthand what the students believe.

The paper was co-authored by Mollie Galloway from Lewis and Clark College and Jerusha Conner from Villanova University.

Media Contacts

Denise Pope, Stanford Graduate School of Education: (650) 725-7412, [email protected] Clifton B. Parker, Stanford News Service: (650) 725-0224, [email protected]

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August 16, 2021

Is it time to get rid of homework? Mental health experts weigh in

by Sara M Moniuszko

homework

It's no secret that kids hate homework. And as students grapple with an ongoing pandemic that has had a wide-range of mental health impacts, is it time schools start listening to their pleas over workloads?

Some teachers are turning to social media to take a stand against homework .

Tiktok user @misguided.teacher says he doesn't assign it because the "whole premise of homework is flawed."

For starters, he says he can't grade work on "even playing fields" when students' home environments can be vastly different.

"Even students who go home to a peaceful house, do they really want to spend their time on busy work? Because typically that's what a lot of homework is, it's busy work," he says in the video that has garnered 1.6 million likes. "You only get one year to be 7, you only got one year to be 10, you only get one year to be 16, 18."

Mental health experts agree heavy work loads have the potential do more harm than good for students, especially when taking into account the impacts of the pandemic. But they also say the answer may not be to eliminate homework altogether.

Emmy Kang, mental health counselor at Humantold, says studies have shown heavy workloads can be "detrimental" for students and cause a "big impact on their mental, physical and emotional health."

"More than half of students say that homework is their primary source of stress, and we know what stress can do on our bodies," she says, adding that staying up late to finish assignments also leads to disrupted sleep and exhaustion.

Cynthia Catchings, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist at Talkspace, says heavy workloads can also cause serious mental health problems in the long run, like anxiety and depression.

And for all the distress homework causes, it's not as useful as many may think, says Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, a psychologist and CEO of Omega Recovery treatment center.

"The research shows that there's really limited benefit of homework for elementary age students, that really the school work should be contained in the classroom," he says.

For older students, Kang says homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night.

"Most students, especially at these high-achieving schools, they're doing a minimum of three hours, and it's taking away time from their friends from their families, their extracurricular activities. And these are all very important things for a person's mental and emotional health."

Catchings, who also taught third to 12th graders for 12 years, says she's seen the positive effects of a no homework policy while working with students abroad.

"Not having homework was something that I always admired from the French students (and) the French schools, because that was helping the students to really have the time off and really disconnect from school ," she says.

The answer may not be to eliminate homework completely, but to be more mindful of the type of work students go home with, suggests Kang, who was a high-school teacher for 10 years.

"I don't think (we) should scrap homework, I think we should scrap meaningless, purposeless busy work-type homework. That's something that needs to be scrapped entirely," she says, encouraging teachers to be thoughtful and consider the amount of time it would take for students to complete assignments.

The pandemic made the conversation around homework more crucial

Mindfulness surrounding homework is especially important in the context of the last two years. Many students will be struggling with mental health issues that were brought on or worsened by the pandemic, making heavy workloads even harder to balance.

"COVID was just a disaster in terms of the lack of structure. Everything just deteriorated," Kardaras says, pointing to an increase in cognitive issues and decrease in attention spans among students. "School acts as an anchor for a lot of children, as a stabilizing force, and that disappeared."

But even if students transition back to the structure of in-person classes, Kardaras suspects students may still struggle after two school years of shifted schedules and disrupted sleeping habits.

"We've seen adults struggling to go back to in-person work environments from remote work environments. That effect is amplified with children because children have less resources to be able to cope with those transitions than adults do," he explains.

'Get organized' ahead of back-to-school

In order to make the transition back to in-person school easier, Kang encourages students to "get good sleep, exercise regularly (and) eat a healthy diet."

To help manage workloads, she suggests students "get organized."

"There's so much mental clutter up there when you're disorganized... sitting down and planning out their study schedules can really help manage their time," she says.

Breaking assignments up can also make things easier to tackle.

"I know that heavy workloads can be stressful, but if you sit down and you break down that studying into smaller chunks, they're much more manageable."

If workloads are still too much, Kang encourages students to advocate for themselves.

"They should tell their teachers when a homework assignment just took too much time or if it was too difficult for them to do on their own," she says. "It's good to speak up and ask those questions. Respectfully, of course, because these are your teachers. But still, I think sometimes teachers themselves need this feedback from their students."

©2021 USA Today Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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homework ruined my life

Is it time to get rid of homework? Mental health experts weigh in.

It's no secret that kids hate homework. And as students grapple with an ongoing pandemic that has had a wide range of mental health impacts, is it time schools start listening to their pleas about workloads?

Some teachers are turning to social media to take a stand against homework. 

Tiktok user @misguided.teacher says he doesn't assign it because the "whole premise of homework is flawed."

For starters, he says, he can't grade work on "even playing fields" when students' home environments can be vastly different.

"Even students who go home to a peaceful house, do they really want to spend their time on busy work? Because typically that's what a lot of homework is, it's busy work," he says in the video that has garnered 1.6 million likes. "You only get one year to be 7, you only got one year to be 10, you only get one year to be 16, 18."

Mental health experts agree heavy workloads have the potential do more harm than good for students, especially when taking into account the impacts of the pandemic. But they also say the answer may not be to eliminate homework altogether.

Emmy Kang, mental health counselor at Humantold , says studies have shown heavy workloads can be "detrimental" for students and cause a "big impact on their mental, physical and emotional health."

"More than half of students say that homework is their primary source of stress, and we know what stress can do on our bodies," she says, adding that staying up late to finish assignments also leads to disrupted sleep and exhaustion.

Cynthia Catchings, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist at Talkspace , says heavy workloads can also cause serious mental health problems in the long run, like anxiety and depression. 

And for all the distress homework  can cause, it's not as useful as many may think, says Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, a psychologist and CEO of Omega Recovery treatment center.

"The research shows that there's really limited benefit of homework for elementary age students, that really the school work should be contained in the classroom," he says.

For older students, Kang says, homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night. 

"Most students, especially at these high achieving schools, they're doing a minimum of three hours, and it's taking away time from their friends, from their families, their extracurricular activities. And these are all very important things for a person's mental and emotional health."

Catchings, who also taught third to 12th graders for 12 years, says she's seen the positive effects of a no-homework policy while working with students abroad.

"Not having homework was something that I always admired from the French students (and) the French schools, because that was helping the students to really have the time off and really disconnect from school," she says.

The answer may not be to eliminate homework completely but to be more mindful of the type of work students take home, suggests Kang, who was a high school teacher for 10 years.

"I don't think (we) should scrap homework; I think we should scrap meaningless, purposeless busy work-type homework. That's something that needs to be scrapped entirely," she says, encouraging teachers to be thoughtful and consider the amount of time it would take for students to complete assignments.

The pandemic made the conversation around homework more crucial 

Mindfulness surrounding homework is especially important in the context of the past two years. Many students will be struggling with mental health issues that were brought on or worsened by the pandemic , making heavy workloads even harder to balance.

"COVID was just a disaster in terms of the lack of structure. Everything just deteriorated," Kardaras says, pointing to an increase in cognitive issues and decrease in attention spans among students. "School acts as an anchor for a lot of children, as a stabilizing force, and that disappeared."

But even if students transition back to the structure of in-person classes, Kardaras suspects students may still struggle after two school years of shifted schedules and disrupted sleeping habits.

"We've seen adults struggling to go back to in-person work environments from remote work environments. That effect is amplified with children because children have less resources to be able to cope with those transitions than adults do," he explains.

'Get organized' ahead of back-to-school

In order to make the transition back to in-person school easier, Kang encourages students to "get good sleep, exercise regularly (and) eat a healthy diet."

To help manage workloads, she suggests students "get organized."

"There's so much mental clutter up there when you're disorganized. ... Sitting down and planning out their study schedules can really help manage their time," she says.

Breaking up assignments can also make things easier to tackle.

"I know that heavy workloads can be stressful, but if you sit down and you break down that studying into smaller chunks, they're much more manageable."

If workloads are still too much, Kang encourages students to advocate for themselves.

"They should tell their teachers when a homework assignment just took too much time or if it was too difficult for them to do on their own," she says. "It's good to speak up and ask those questions. Respectfully, of course, because these are your teachers. But still, I think sometimes teachers themselves need this feedback from their students."

More: Some teachers let their students sleep in class. Here's what mental health experts say.

More: Some parents are slipping young kids in for the COVID-19 vaccine, but doctors discourage the move as 'risky'

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Is homework robbing your family of joy? You're not alone

Children are not the only ones who dread their homework these days. In a 2019 survey of 1,049 parents with children in elementary, middle, or high school, Office Depot found that parents spend an average of 21 minutes a day helping their children with their homework. Those 21 minutes are often apparently very unpleasant.

Parents reported their children struggle to complete homework. One in five believed their children "always or often feel overwhelmed by homework," and half of them reported their children had cried over homework stress.

Parents are struggling to help. Four out of five parents reported that they have had difficulty understanding their children's homework.

This probably comes as no surprise to any parent who has come up against a third grade math homework sheet with the word "array" printed on it. If you have not yet had the pleasure, for the purposes of Common Core math, an array is defined as a set of objects arranged in rows and columns and used to help kids learn about multiplication. For their parents, though, it's defined as a "What? Come again? Huh?"

It's just as hard on the students. "My high school junior says homework is the most stressful part of high school...maybe that’s why he never does any," said Mandy Burkhart, of Lake Mary, Florida, who is a mother of five children ranging in age from college to preschool.

In fact, Florida high school teacher and mother of three Katie Tomlinson no longer assigns homework in her classroom. "Being a parent absolutely changed the way I assign homework to my students," she told TODAY Parents .

"Excessive homework can quickly change a student’s mind about a subject they previously enjoyed," she noted. "While I agree a check and balance is necessary for students to understand their own ability prior to a test, I believe it can be done in 10 questions versus 30."

But homework is a necessary evil for most students, so what is a parent to do to ensure everyone in the house survives? Parents and professionals weigh in on the essentials:

Understand the true purpose of homework

"Unless otherwise specified, homework is designed to be done by the child independently, and it's most often being used as a form of formative assessment by the teacher to gauge how the kids are applying — independently — what they are learning in class," said Oona Hanson , a Los Angeles-area educator and parent coach.

"If an adult at home is doing the heavy lifting, then the teacher never knows that the child isn't ready to do this work alone, and the cycle continues because the teacher charges ahead thinking they did a great job the day before!" Hanson said. "It's essential that teachers know when their students are struggling for whatever reason."

Hanson noted the anxiety both parents and children have about academic achievement, and she understands the parental impulse to jump in and help, but she suggested resisting that urge. "We can help our kids more in the long run if we can let them know it's OK to struggle a little bit and that they can be honest with their teacher about what they don't understand," she said.

Never miss a parenting story with the TODAY Parenting newsletter! Sign up here.

Help kids develop time management skills

Some children like to finish their homework the minute they get home. Others need time to eat a snack and decompress. Either is a valid approach, but no matter when students decide to tackle their homework, they might need some guidance from parents about how to manage their time .

One tip: "Set the oven timer for age appropriate intervals of work, and then let them take a break for a few minutes," Maura Olvey, an elementary school math specialist in Central Florida, told TODAY Parents. "The oven timer is visible to them — they know when a break is coming — and they are visible to you, so you can encourage focus and perseverance." The stopwatch function on a smartphone would work for this method as well.

But one size does not fit all when it comes to managing homework, said Cleveland, Ohio, clinical psychologist Dr. Sarah Cain Spannagel . "If their child has accommodations as a learner, parents know they need them at home as well as at school: quiet space, extended time, audio books, etcetera," she said. "Think through long assignments, and put those in planners in advance so the kid knows it is expected to take some time."

Know when to walk away

"I always want my parents to know when to call it a night," said Amanda Feroglia, a central Florida elementary teacher and mother of two. "The children's day at school is so rigorous; some nights it’s not going to all get done, and that’s OK! It’s not worth the meltdown or the fight if they are tired or you are frustrated...or both!"

Parents also need to accept their own limits. Don't be afraid to find support from YouTube videos, websites like Khan Academy, or even tutors. And in the end, said Spannagel, "If you find yourself yelling or frustrated, just walk away!" It's fine just to let a teacher know your child attempted but did not understand the homework and leave it at that.

Ideally, teachers will understand when parents don't know how to help with Common Core math, and they will assign an appropriate amount of homework that will not leave both children and their parents at wits' ends. If worst comes to worst, a few parents offered an alternative tip for their fellow homework warriors.

"If Brittany leaves Boston for New York at 3:00 pm traveling by train at 80 MPH, and Taylor leaves Boston for New York at 1:00 pm traveling by car at 65 MPH, and Brittany makes two half hour stops, and Taylor makes one that is ten minutes longer, how many glasses of wine does mommy need?" quipped one mom of two.

Also recommended: "Chocolate, in copious amounts."

homework ruined my life

Allison Slater Tate is a freelance writer and editor in Florida specializing in parenting and college admissions. She is a proud Gen Xer, ENFP, Leo, Diet Coke enthusiast, and champion of the Oxford Comma. She mortifies her four children by knowing all the trending songs on TikTok. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram .

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Do You Have Too Much Homework?

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Some schools and school districts are taking a hard look at how much homework is assigned and how valuable it is for student learning. How much homework do you have, on average, each night? Is it a burden for you? Does it mostly help you learn the material and skills you are being taught? Does some of it seem like “busy work”?

Winnie Hu reports on a “homework revolution,” in which some schools and districts are rethinking their policies on and approaches to homework:

Galloway is part of a wave of districts across the nation trying to remake homework amid concerns that high-stakes testing and competition for college have fueled a nightly grind that is stressing out children and depriving them of play and rest, yet doing little to raise achievement, particularly in elementary grades. “There is simply no proof that most homework as we know it improves school performance,” said Vicki Abeles, a mother of three from California, whose documentary “Race to Nowhere,” about burned-out students caught in a pressure-cooker educational system, has helped reignite the antihomework movement. “And by expecting kids to work a ‘second shift’ in what should be their downtime, the presence of schoolwork at home is negatively affecting the health of our young people and the quality of family time.” So teachers at Mango Elementary School in Fontana, Calif., are replacing homework with “goal work” that is specific to individual student’s needs and that can be completed in class or at home at his or her own pace. The Pleasanton School District, north of San Jose, Calif., is proposing this month to cut homework times by nearly half and prohibit weekend assignments in elementary grades because, as one administrator said, “parents want their kids back.” Ridgewood High School in New Jersey introduced a homework-free winter break in December. Schools in Tampa, Fla., and Bleckley County, Ga., have instituted “no homework nights” throughout the year. And the two-year-old Brooklyn School of Inquiry, a program for gifted and talented elementary students, has made homework optional: it is neither graded nor counted toward progress reports. “I think people confuse homework with rigor,” said Donna Taylor, the Brooklyn School’s principal, who views homework for children under 11 as primarily benefiting parents by helping them feel connected to the classroom.

Students: Tell us about your homework. How much time do you spend per night on assignments? Do your homework assignments tend to reinforce your learning in class, or does it generally feel like a useless requirement? Have any of your teachers changed their homework policies or limit the homework they assign? Do you ever have optional or individualized homework? If it were up to you, what would your school’s homework policy be, and why?

Students 13 and older are invited to comment below. Please use only your first name. For privacy policy reasons, we will not publish student comments that include a last name.

Comments are no longer being accepted.

I’m a 9th grade student at BCA and the homework amount is awful. For the entire year of social studies, you know those long charts in the textbook, yeah, I had to copy each and every one for homework. Homework? More like a torture course. I didn’t have any time for myself because I had those charts, had to read chapters of a book for English, with Math, and I had no time for anything. I came home at 4pm and finished homework by 2am. We couldn’t go to dinners because I had too much homework. I couldn’t talk to my mom, dad or sister. Every time I asked them something the first thing they go is “did you finish your homework?” And I didn’t. Even my sister was acting like my mom after a while. So yes. I think I have too much homework. And no. It doesn’t really help (unless it’s learning how to use math formulas). I just copied everything i saw without any of the actual information being absorbed just to be done with the work. Homework ruined my life.

Alright, well it depends on what kind of homework you get. At my middle school, I get math homework everyday, but it’s not the kind of homework from which you don’tlearn anything. They are problems where we apply what we learned in class. I never get Texas History homework and when I do, it’s just reviews for our test. In Science our only homework is the occsional project. Of course, we have to work hard on those, so it takes some time, but we don’t get projects everyday. The only class where I think the homework is overdone is LA (language arts). Since I am in the gifted class, all we do is project after project after project. And they all require hard work (staying up till 12, creativity, etc.) Just because we are gifted, our teacher thinks we should be able to produce oustanding out-of -the-box work on every single project. I never actually learned anything in LA. During our persuasive unit, we did a mock presidential election, which I thought was great, but she never had us exclusively work on persuasion. Of course, it was there, in fact it was the most prevalent aspect, but we never did anything to build on our technique of persuasion. The whole year, our LA teacher has taught us how to get by on 6 hours of sleep, drai our brains dry of creative, outstanding, huge projects, and write reader’s responses.

So in MY middle school, homework really depends on how YOU decide to have it. We have a good amount of homework (I wouldn’t say it was THAT much) but it really depended on if you finished it in school… if if you wanted to keep it as HOMEwork…

I usually have homework at night. Studying spellings words is a given. Other homework is really stuff I didn’t finish in class. My teachers try to not assign homework when there is a school-wide event in the evening. Because of a learning disability, my teachers either modify my homework or let me turn things in that would be late for others, but not for me. I have awesome teachers and go to a great school! //www.hammonsmarketing.com/health

The homework quantities at my Catholic high school are, I believe, on the reasonable end of a lot. Most students spend between one and three hours each night, depending on the courses and teachers. However, a survey found that most of us get very little sleep and that half of the freshmen and two thirds of sophmores and juniors had suffered physically because of stress. The reason for this is the extra curricular activities. When my parents were younger, one could get into very good colleges without being the star of the sports team or school orchestera. Now, students are pressured to excel in as many activities as possible. More than 75% of the students in my school are on at least one sports team, many of which practice from the end of school until as late as 8pm. I play four instruments and participate in debate and the community service club. Other students have jobs, or have responsibilities at home. When someone is practicing music or sports, or working for five hours every night, one to three hours of homework becomes a much greater burden than it would otherwise be.

I agree with Brina, homework ruined my life as well. Our school gives out so much, and I am only in 7th Grade!!!!! I know I’m in honors, so I shouldn’t complain, but we should be getting harder work, not more work!!!!! Each teacher claims they only give about 20 minutes of homework a night, but in reality, its like an hour. I’m usually working from the time I get home 4:20 until at least midnight. It’s just too much! I should really be getting more sleep than I am already getting- it’s just not healthy to get 6-7 hours of sleep each night. There was not one night this school year (besides Fridays) that I was not studying or doing homework while in dinner or even out to eat! The teachers also never consider all the evening activities typical middle schoolers would have… It’s just such a pain to have to carry all that homework pressure around when you have to go somewhere or play a sport. As a matter of fact, my little brother longs greatly for us to play legos together (remember them? from the carefree days?), but I just dont have time! In addition, I don’t obtain any knowledge as well from doing homework. I’m a type of learner that once I see it and practice it a few times in class or review it a few times, it’s in my head. I don’t need some type of review to remember it. I feel homework should just be something that if someone feels they need to do it, they should to review. I can’t believe I actually have time to write this review- actually, I don’t- I have two projects due, from the same class, with only 2 1/2 days of school left! This is unfair- I have so much work due, and I’m literally scrambling around, making sure I did all of my work, until the last day of school It’s just insane. Please do something about it.

I’m happy people are finally seriously analyzing the excessive homework situation and determining whether it actually helps kids learn and retain or not. I work at a Montessori Middle School where the only homework assigned is work the students couldn’t finish during the week. Usually, as long as kids are on task at school, they get the rest of their time to do things they love by themselves or with their families.

Montessori schools are an interesting voice in this type of debate. //www.waterfrontmontessori.blogspot.com

At my old school, I got a lot more homework. At my new prep school, I get less. The difference: I spend much more time on my homework at my current school because it is harder. I feel as if I actually accomplish something with the harder homework, even if it means I don’t go to bed until 2 every night (it’s junior year it’s not that far from the norm).

I’m a student from Indiana. I go to a public school, and at my school I get about 1 to 2 hours of homework per night. When I have in-school projects, I usually have about 2 to 3 hours because I try to do them at home. But, on average, I get my homework done by 5. Compared to many of you, I have little homework. I also do extra work to help me understand the material better. Because of this, I am doing very well in my school, but other students in my school aren’t doing so well. I found out that, on average, they do about ½ to an hour of homework per day. I’ve also noticed that they rush through it and don’t try to understand it. Then, they found out that this little amount of work affects them a lot by lowering their grade, and also, they don’t understand the material. But they don’t do anything about it and continue these ways. I think that schools should keep the same amount of homework, or maybe increase the amount of homework. Of course, some might say, “If we give them more work, won’t they rush through that as well?” To prevent this, homework should be harder to do so that students can’t rush through it. For example, teachers can give questions that aren’t hard, but take a long time to do. I say that homework shouldn’t be greatly reduced or eliminated because if the schools do reduce or eliminate homework, students’ grades might slowly drop. I think that having more homework will help me get smarter and maintain my grades, rather than having no homework and starting to fail.

I’m a freshman in high-school and usually I have 1-2 hours of homework everyday. There is not a day where I don’t have homework. (I have all Pre-AP classes.) If I have a project(s), then I have 4-5 hours of homework.

I am in 8th grade, in advanced classes, and in 2 honors classes for high school credits. For Algebra 1 honors I get 1-2 hours of homework each night. It’s crazy, and I am good at math. My friends that are okay at math take 3-4 hours a night for that class. My mom e-mailed the teacher about the homework madness and he said,”I am just teaching and giving to the state standards(Florida).” If that is the standards then I have no life.

I am a junior at CNG in Bogota, Colombia. I have been in the school all my life, and homework had never been an issue. I used to spend about 1 hour each night doing homework and for me it was very relaxed. But this year I don’t know what happened to our school and I am getting excessive amounts of homework. Now i spend from 2-3 hours doing homework each night and when I’m done I’m exhausted and go straight to bed and have no time to do anything else. To make matters worse i feel most of the homework assignments that are given to me don’t help me reinforce my learning in class. It is just extra work that should be done at school. I don’t think that students should leave school to get to their houses and do more work. In my case the homework assignments I have force me to go to bed at very late hours of the night. This is not healthy for a student because the next day they won’t work as well as if they had slept for the recommended 7-8 hours. I’ve had to cancel some extracurricular activities many times this year because of the excessive amount of homework I have this year. “I think people confuse homework with rigor,” said Donna Taylor. The statement given by Donna Taylor in Winnie Hu’s article is very true. Some teachers do confuse homework with rigor and therefore give their students tons of homework. Finally I would like to say that I think my school should change their homework policy and give us less homework. Homework is supposed to help us not make us suffer and get stressed.

When I was a freshman, I hardly had any homework (besides algebra II which didn’t take too long anyways). I even had all honors classes. Now that I’m a sophomore, I’m taking AP U.S. history, pre-calc, band, american lit, spanish II, and honors chemistry. The only homework I regularly get is AP history. I get about an hour and a half per night for that class, but it is a college level course. The other classes are hit and miss for homework.

This answer is obvious, its YES! I am an eighth grader at a public school, and I seriously think the teachers there think we do not have any social lives. I have hours of homework. And it is only middle school. All this stuff we do not even need to know! I occasionally just cry because I really want to hang out with my friends so bad, but I have to do homework. I want to play with my pets, but too much homework. I want to do a lot of things, but always too much homework. There should be a rule, only 20 minutes of homework allowed per night!

Yes. It’s ridiculous. On average i get about 10-14 pieces of homework a week. This results in me having to spend around 2-3 hours monday to friday doing homework, and 1-2 hours on saturday and sunday. School isn’t just 9-4 monday to friday anymore, it’s 9-9 monday-sunday.

:)

I usually have at least 3 hours of homework a night, no including projects and studying. I feel that this is too much. I’m often up until 11 at night doing it and I have to get up a 5:30 for school. Last year, I had a huge project dumped on my and I don’t think I slept at all that night. Maybe 2 hours. Tops. I got pretty sick from it. I don’t know. My body just shut down. It wouldn’t move and I was soo cold as I remember. I went to the doctor’s and that was that, I guess. I feel that some work is busywork, but not all. I like doing labs and answering those questions. I find almost ALL math homework to be busywork. It’s REALLY easy, but SO TIME-CONSUMING. It’ll take me an hour to do 30 problems because I have to show all the work and the process, etc. History and English questions CAN reinforce the learning. I don’t think it always does, but in some cases, yes.

I am in the 10th grade and i get about 50 problems in geometry 3 pages of notes in chemistry (we have to write our own notes in chemistry for homework) 15 questions in world history and a 3 page essay in AP english all in one night i just think that is way to much homework for one night i get out of school at 3:05 and have to go to bed at about 10:00 thats just like six hours to do all that homework plus i still have to do chores and eat and stuff so realy we only get like four hours a day to do all this homework and my geometry teacher says and i quote “I DONT GIVE A DAMN IF YOU WHERE AT THE HOSPITAL, IF YOU WERE SICK, OR SOMEONE DIED YOU NEED TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK NO EXCEPTIONS” she also does not accept late work finish missed testsor anything and if she forgets to grade a test or something its ok for her grading papers is her homework but its ok for her! if i did not have to deall with all the stress of homework i think i would do better in school.

The main problem that occurs with homework is that teacher are oblivios to exactly how long it takes to accomplish. I spend a longer amount of time on homework because I am a prefectionist and so a question that would take an average person 10 min would take me 15- 20. Now, If I got say, 9-12 assignments a week (each assighnment taking aproximatly 1 hr to accomplish) it would be alright. However, I have been getting 3 hr. long projects and 14 other assignments due in a week. I start my homework at 4:00 and don’t stop untill 6:30 and I’m only in 7th grade. Many people I know in highschool don’t get as much as I do. I belive that before a teacher assignes homework they should make shore that it doesn’t take more than an hour and that all of their homework combined for a week doesn’t take more than 9hrs. Though ‘young’ and ‘immature’ children do have lives outside of school.

A little homework isn’t such a bad thing. Problem is, I haven’t been given “a little homework” since sixth grade. The main thing I see is teachers giving homework because they think it helps us learn. When they give us things to do that we’ve never done even in class that we are graded on, 20 minutes of homework can easily turn into 1 or 2 hours of research online. They give homework because they’re expected to, not because it actually does anything.

Also, the teachers seem to think that their class takes precedence over every other class. In honors, I expect reasonable homework, not busy work. We go to school for 8 hours right after we wake up. We go home and get homework that takes us 10 hours straight… sorry, not going to work out. Every teacher sees an hour of their homework as one hour of homework. Multiply that times 7, guys. even better, add a job, sports and clubs (which are all required to get into a decent college.) into the mix. and you mock us and give us detentions for being tired in the morning and hungry before lunch… what’s sleep? I’ve never tried it. Dinner? I think I had that once. All I know is work. I live weekend to weekend, summer to summer.

Ever wonder why kids hate school? because it destroys us. breaks us down. It’s something we shouldn’t take for granted, but it’s so hard to feel like it’s doing us good when it feels so bad. All we have to look forward to is getting out of there. But if we ever say we hate school, that makes us ungrateful slackers, melodramatic whiners and rotten teenagers that want to laze around doing nothing all day.

So hard to be a student these days.

Im a sophomore and there is a plethora amount of homework its crazy especially from Ap World History in which im always getting projects and english sometimes i stay up late till 12 am and then continue my homework at school during breakfast sometimes students in grade levels below mine have to stay after school and during school for something that was called “wallstreet” and now is called”college prep”so you can imagine how many times some students have to stay after school for homework especially those in more advanced classes than the others like I am.

I’ve been on the accelerated track at my high school, and homework has never been an issue for me up until my junior year. I feel as though lately my homework load has more than doubled and frankly I don’t see the full use of it. Being a teenager, school is obviously a huge priority, but I feel that it shouldn’t take away from high school experiences. I have a job, and I do participate in a competitive sport, and I would like to be able to handle it all. What always ends up throwing me off is that 12 page outline for biology, or those verb translations for italian. I feel like nowadays every teenager has to two of three things; good grades, an active social life, and a healthy amount of sleep. Farewell, sleep.

yes!i think some teachers give students to much home work.they should relize we have six other periods were we get work.i think some teachers should not give as much work as they do.

I think my school is good right now because the students don’t get alot of ho9mework because it’s all mostly classwork so the teachers can help us out and everything. There are some teachers that do give alot of homework sometimes but it’s only if your behind or need to catch up really fast.

In my opinion,Ithink I get too much homework sometimes.Sometimes it’s so difficult my mom can’t figure it out.Once,I had to spend 2hours on one math assignment!Since I’m a seventh grader,the required amount is a little over an hour.For L.A.,I usually need to read for 20 minutes.But with my brain processing tests,I’m advanced in reading.(but I already know that).Since I have ADD,it makes it harder.I have to spend 90 min. On hw.It should be illegal.

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A Conscious Rethink

“I’ve Ruined My Life, Now What?” (12 Pieces Of Advice)

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young woman with hands covering her face because she feels like she has ruined her life

So you’ve hit a hard point in life and you’re probably wondering what to do.

Just about all of us have been through this at some point, and you ARE going to get through this too.

Things are probably looking pretty bleak right now, and you might be in the middle of a downward spiral, feeling that you’ve ruined your life irreparably.

Sure, you may be in a pretty dire situation at the moment, but considering that you’re still breathing, and reading this article, things are definitely salvageable.

To repair and rebuild you life after you ‘ruined’ it, take some of our advice.

Consult a life coach to help you get through this challenging time and make a brighter future. Use the quick and simple form on Bark.com to have qualified life coaches email you to discuss their coaching services and provide quotes.

12 Ways To Approach Your ‘Ruined’ Life

1. write a gratitude list..

Once, when I was riding a train cross country, a very wise stranger I met told me: “Be grateful for what you still have, because everything could always get worse.”

I was going through a pretty horrible time just then, and his words helped me to re-center myself.

You probably don’t want to think about all the other things that could possibly go wrong right now, so let’s shift perspective and focus on the good for a moment.

Write down all the things that you have to be grateful for right now. This could include anything from a working pen and a box of tea in the cupboard, to an affectionate pet, or a plant that hasn’t keeled over on you just yet.

Be sure to write down every single thing that might help you shift your attention to the positive.

Are you wearing warm socks? Doesn’t matter if they match, so long as your feet are warm. Is your pen working? Good, write that down too.

All these tiny little fragments of positivity will help you to build the new foundational framework for how you’re going to rebuild your life.

2. Stop catastrophizing the situation.

It’s hard to think rationally when you’re mind is focused on all the ways you think you have ruined your life. But you have to ask yourself this: are things really that bad?

And be honest with yourself. Try to imagine that this same thing has happened to a friend and consider whether you’d be so negative about their life.

So, you dropped out of university and now work a low wage job whilst trying to pay off the student debt you racked up. Oh, and you’re still living with your parents because you can’t afford to rent, let alone buy a home. And you’re single but don’t want to be.

Is your life over? No. Can you still work hard to create a future of significant emotional and material wealth? Yes.

You may have suffered some setbacks and you may have to forge a different path to build the kind of life you want, but very few situations in life can’t be turned around.

Often, the most important step is to accept that your life isn’t nearly as messed up as you think. Once you stop believing that you are helpless and start believing that you can assert a level of positive control over your life, you will be able to take action.

3. Realize that no ties = freedom to change.

One of the things that people panic about the most when they feel that they’ve ‘ruined’ their life is all the changes they’re about to face.

For example, someone who’s been caught cheating might suddenly be faced with the prospect of a divorce, losing their house, and dealing with a drastic change to their relationship with their kids.

But those changes don’t necessarily need to be a bad thing.

Think about it for a second. Although it may not feel like it right now, this is an amazing time and opportunity for complete change. When you don’t have any shackles, you are free to change direction entirely.

If everything you’ve worked on so far is broken, and all you’ve built or accumulated is lost, then you have no ties binding you. To anything.

In essence, you’re free to live the life that you’ve always wanted.

This entire situation may feel utterly awful, and although you might not believe it right now, this can be a blessing if you allow it to be.

After all, when you’re working with a blank slate, then a complete re-ordering of your world is more within your grasp.

When you have nothing, then you have nothing to lose. And thereby, with the desperate fire and courage pounding through your chest, you can make incredible things happen in a very short amount of time.

4. Let go of prior expectations you had for the future.

If you’ve made more than your fair share of poor decisions in life and this has led to some rather unwelcome circumstances, you might feel a sense of loss over the expectations you used to have for your future.

If those expectations have been shattered, you might be angry at yourself for your mistakes, and sad that your future may not now look how you had hoped it would look.

But the truth is, you can never accurately predict your future. And you may not have enjoyed what you once saw as your ideal future should it have come to pass. The only thing you can do is to make peace with the reality of your situation and keep working to improve it.

Yes, you should set goals. Yes, you should aim for better. But don’t become so attached to a particular vision of the future that you feel like a failure if you aren’t able to achieve it.

Remain flexible, see opportunities when they arise, and learn to be content with your present and less concerned about the precise details of your future.

5. Address any regret, guilt, and shame you are feeling.

If your actions or choices have led to the less-than-inspiring situation you find yourself in, you are likely to experience some regret, possibly some guilt, and quite likely some shame too.

These are all emotions that will weigh you down and make everything seem far more desperate than it really is. So it’s important that you get a handle on them and work to overcome them.

Dealing with regret is a multi-stage process that involves taking responsibility for your actions, NOT taking responsibility for things that you had no say over, focusing on the silver linings that came from your actions, and more.

In terms of feeling guilty about past mistakes that may have hurt others, you have to accept that what’s done is done, forgive yourself for your flawed decisions, seek to make amends to whoever you might have wronged, and reflect on the lessons learned, among other things.

Shame can be considered as the damaging result of regret and guilt being focused back onto yourself as a person. It involves internalizing events and equating the things you have done with the worth you have. Dealing with shame involves examining your actions in a new light, working to neutralize emotional triggers, and separating your self-worth from your actions.  

Working to overcome all three will put you in a far brighter mindset regarding your future. If the effects of your regret, guilt, and shame are impacting your life in a big way, you should seek the help of a certified mental health counselor. If they are just background feelings that are holding you back, a life coach might be a better fit.

6. Ask yourself: who do you want to be? 

Please know that there is a tremendous power within you. Deep within your heart and soul lies the ability to recreate yourself.

Within your fear there will be a desire and a passion. It’s not easy to see past the fear and it will require consistent effort to not allow it to cloud your vision, but if you look hard enough, you’ll find some important truths there.

These things are what can help you become who you’ve always dreamed of being.

But beware; what you find when looking inward is not always what it appears to be.

Analyze deeply whether the things you desire (or believe will make you happy or fulfilled) are things of worth and substance.

How do you feel when you’re doing whatever it is you believe makes you truly happy?

Do they inspire you? Do you truly enjoy doing them? Or do you do them grudgingly because you think you “should”?

Do you think you want those things, but then find every excuse to avoid taking the actions required to achieve what you’re dreaming about? This generally means that you aren’t truly sincere about wanting those things in the first place.

As you write a list of things you want to do to build your new life, only pursue things you truly love. By doing so, you’ll be sincere in your endeavors, and you’ll put real effort into pursuing them.

7. Try to accept these changes with courage and grace.

Often, when people lose things, their instant response is to grasp to get it back, but they need to ask themselves whether they really and truly want it.

Were you happy and fulfilled where you were?

What were the negative aspects and repercussions about the situation(s) you were in?

Sometimes, what feels amazing and ideal in the moment, thinking that’s what we really wanted, turns out to be less than ideal in hindsight.

Acceptance is not something that simply happens, however. It’s a mental process like any other.

Every time you feel yourself longing for the past life that might now be beyond rescuing, you have to bring your mind back to the positives of your new situation.

Revisit that gratitude list. Make a new one in your mind at that precise moment to reflect the good that’s around you.

The more you can feel better about your new situation, the easier it will be to accept it rather than fight against it.

That’s not to say that your feeling that you’ve ruined your life isn’t valid. It’s absolutely okay to experience many difficult emotions when your life has been turned upside down, especially when it is through your own actions.

You should feel these feelings and allow yourself to work through them. Don’t bottle them up and hope that they’ll disappear because they’ll only resurface at a later point.

Accept the situation you find yourself in, accept the feelings you feel, but also accept that inevitable reality that things will improve with time.

homework ruined my life

8. Identify actions you can take to improve your situation.

First and foremost, try to be comfortable with your current discomfort. Yes, things are difficult right now, and that’s okay.

Try to avoid running from or numbing the pain because those things will not address the causes of your discomfort.

The best way to feel better is to take action.

So, return to your list that details who you want to be and the kind of life you want to create.

Then, work backwards from that end point and construct a number of steps that are needed to get from where you are now to where you want to be.

Turn these steps into goals – both long term goals and the short term goals that lead to them.

Remember that a journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step. Merely getting off the couch is the first step to being able to run a marathon.

By doing just a bit of effort every single day, you’re working toward the person you want to be.

9. Don’t allow fear to hold you back.

Your belief that you have ruined your life may be born out of fear. You are afraid that you may not be living up to your potential. You are afraid that you have let others down. You are afraid that you are going to suffer because of the choices you made.

Fear can make you feel powerless, which can mean you don’t take positive action to make your situation better. Fear is especially paralyzing when your past actions are what have gotten you into your current situation in the first place. You may be afraid of making things worse than they already are.

Fear breeds doubt in your abilities. Fear breeds lethargy. Fear breeds excuses. You need to break down the walls of your fear in order to see that not only is your life not ruined, but it’s got every chance of being happy and successful if you do the necessary things to make it so.

Often the best way to overcome a fear is to expose yourself to it head on. By doing the things you are afraid of, you prove your mind wrong when those things lead to positive – or, at least, neutral – results.

10. Do things that generate positive emotions.

Aside from the gratitude list you’ve already made, there are plenty of things that you can do to feel good in the present moment.

And while they cannot fix the problems in your life, they can give you the resilience and motivation you’ll need to get past this difficult stage.

A positive emotion amidst all the negativity you are probably feeling right now could be enough to pull you out of a downward spiral and see the opportunity that you’re now being presented with.

Some of these things might include:

Getting out into nature: there is something so mentally and emotionally cleansing about escaping the hustle and bustle of everyday life and immersing yourself in a natural environment.

Visit some green spaces, the ocean, lakes, or pretty much anywhere away from the concrete jungle of our towns and cities. Try not to take your phone with you if you can, or keep it on silent and avoid looking at it.

Hobbies you already enjoy: when you feel like you’ve ruined your life, it can be easy to give up on the activities you currently do on a regular basis. After all, who cares about that team sport or jam making when you’ve screwed up and are facing the consequences?

But you did those hobbies for a reason, and that reason was hopefully that you enjoyed them. Sure, you may not get quite so much enjoyment from them right now, but they can help to give your mind a rest from the worries of your life and boost the feel-good chemicals your body releases.

Spending time with people whose company you enjoy: you might feel like shutting yourself away from the world right now, but I’d urge you not to. Social interaction with the right people will make you feel better.

You can discuss your problems if you like and see if they have any advice, but it might be a better idea to talk about something else instead. Ask them about their life; get them talking and really take an interest in what they are saying.

Engaging with other people will make you realize that life goes on and you have people in your life who love and care about you.

Moving your body: you might not be much of an exercise person, but there are great mental health benefits to getting active and raising your heart rate.

Not only is it empowering to know that you can run or swim or walk and push yourself, your body releases endorphins and other chemicals as you do it which improve your mood.

11. Address any mental health issues you may have.

The lens through which you see your life can be tinted in various ways depending on your state of mind. If you think your life is ruined, there’s a good chance that you are seeing it from a rather negative perspective, and that could be down to a mental health condition that makes it difficult to see the positives.

When you are suffering from depression, for instance, it is hard to be optimistic about your life or your future. It can be hard to muster enthusiasm of any kind, and this will make it difficult to act in the ways you need to act to get your life back on the right track.

Low self-esteem can also be a roadblock to personal growth and the improvement of your life. If you don’t hold a very high opinion of yourself, you won’t believe yourself capable or worthy of enjoying better circumstances than those you currently face.

And anxiety about your future can be crippling. If you are constantly stressed and worried that you’re failing at life, you might not have the mental energy reserves to persevere with the plan of action you need to make your future look a little more rosy.

These and other mental health issues should be addressed with the help of a professional as soon as possible. Not only will you then be able to see your life in a better light, you’ll feel more able to tackle some of the issues that might be holding you back.

12. Give yourself a break.

Finally, you need to avoid blaming yourself over and over again for ruining your life.

Now, this is not to say that you shouldn’t take responsibility – because you 100% should if this is a situation of your own making – but there is a big difference between responsibility and blame.

Taking responsibility means owning what you did whereas blaming yourself means finding fault in who you are as a person.

Taking responsibility is the thought, “I know I made a mistake.” Blaming yourself is the thought, “I am stupid, weak, useless.”

See the difference?

So don’t be so hard on yourself for whatever actions you took that led to where you are now.

Sure, it might represent a flaw, but we’re all flawed in many ways. It doesn’t make you a bad person.

If you are to pull things together and take forward steps toward a brighter future, you need to be kind to yourself and be patient with yourself.

If all you do is talk yourself down – both out loud and in your head – you’ll find it more difficult to take the kind of positive action that is required.

Still not sure how to move forwards if you think you’ve ruined your life? Speak to a life coach today who can walk you through the process. Simply fill out this short form to get quotes from several coaches along with details of how they can help.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How can i stop being such a loser.

‘Being a loser’ is a mindset; a view you have of yourself that is far removed from the reality of who you are. So the main thing you can do is to shift that mindset to one where you are far more positive and compassionate about yourself as a person.

It’s simple, but make no mistake, it is not always easy. Your thoughts and feelings will not change overnight and you will need to do some work to change them. You need to be more objective about your life and your accomplishments and accept that you have done better than you give yourself credit for, even if your current situation is not the one you had hoped to be in.

You ought to avoid comparing yourself and your life with others and their lives. That is a road to ruin that many people unfortunately walk down. You are not those other people and what you see of their lives is a mere fraction of their overall truth. They experience many of the same doubts as you and go through rough patches too. Putting them and their lives on a pedestal is not healthy.

There’s a lot more to it, of course, which is why we recommend you read our article on how to stop feeling like a loser .

When is it too late to turn your life around?

Short answer: never. It depends on your drive and willingness to make your future into something you want it to be. You could be 80 and still achieve goals that you doubted you could achieve when you were much younger.

Sure, you might have to reassess certain goals as time goes by and be realistic about what you can and can’t do – physically and mentally – but the potential for a happier and more fulfilling life is always there.

Just remember this: the sooner you get started, the longer you’ll have to reap the rewards of your efforts. There is no time like the present.

How can I start my life again from scratch?

If you feel that you have genuinely ruined your life, you might be wondering whether you can just start again with a blank slate. In some respects, yes you can. You can change all the circumstances of your life and try to start afresh.

The key is that this has to include your mindset if your new life is to work out better than your current one. You cannot take a lack of self-esteem and self-confidence with you and expect to forge a beautiful new life that somehow cures these things. The same goes for mental health issues too.

But, the process of addressing those things is one of the major steps in restarting your life and giving yourself a second chance.

Other than the mental side of things, you’ll probably want to move to a new location – possibly even a new country – to help sever the ties you have to all the things that bring you down in your current life. Putting physical distance between you and the things and people who aren’t good for your mental health can be liberating.

Don’t expect it to be easy – you’ll need to put the work in to making new friends, finding work (or more likely forging a new career if your old one didn’t bring you joy), and being more independent.

A fresh start will come with its own worries because a blank canvas means freedom, and freedom can be daunting when it involves major decisions about what your new life will look like.

But it can be done and many people take this kind of leap into the unknown every single day. You could be next.

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About The Author

homework ruined my life

Finn Robinson has spent the past few decades travelling the globe and honing his skills in bodywork, holistic health, and environmental stewardship. In his role as a personal trainer and fitness coach, he’s acted as an informal counselor to clients and friends alike, drawing upon his own life experience as well as his studies in both Eastern and Western philosophies. For him, every day is an opportunity to be of service to others in the hope of sowing seeds for a better world.

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How Homework Is Destroying Teens’ Health

Jessica Amabile '24 , Staff Writer March 25, 2022

homework ruined my life

“[Students] average about 3.1 hours of homework each night,” according to an article published by Stanford .  Teens across the country come home from school, exhausted from a long day, only to do more schoolwork.  They sit at their computers, working on homework assignments for hours on end.  To say the relentless amount of work they have to do is overwhelming would be an understatement.  The sheer amount of homework given has many negative impacts on teenagers.

Students have had homework for decades, but in more recent years it has become increasingly more demanding.  Multiple studies have shown that students average about three hours of homework per night.  The Atlantic mentioned that students now have twice as much homework as students did in the 1990s.  This is extremely detrimental to teens’ mental health and levels of stress.  Students have a lot to do after school, such as spending time with family, extracurricular activities, taking care of siblings or other family members, hanging out with friends, or all of the above.  Having to juggle all of this as well as hours on end of homework is unreasonable because teenagers already have enough to think or worry about.   

According to a student- run survey conducted in Cherry Hill West, students reported that they received the most homework in math, history, and language arts classes.  They receive anywhere from 1 to 4 or more hours of homework every day, but only about 22.7% somewhat or strongly agree that it helps them learn.  Of the students who participated, 63.6% think schools should continue to give out homework sometimes, while 27.3% said they should not give out homework at all.  In an open-ended response section, students had a lot to say.  One student wrote, “I think we should get homework to practice work if we are seen struggling, or didn’t finish work in class. But if we get homework, I think it just shows that the teacher needs more time to teach and instead of speeding up, gives us more work.”  Another added,  “Homework is important to learn the material. However, too much may lead to the student not learning that much, or it may become stressful to do homework everyday.”  Others wrote, “The work I get in chemistry doesn’t help me learn at all if anything it confuses me more,” and “I think math is the only class I could use homework as that helps me learn while world language is supposed to help me learn but feels more like a time waste.”   A student admitted, “I think homework is beneficial for students but the amount of homework teachers give us each day is very overwhelming and puts a lot of stress on kids. I always have my work done but all of the homework I have really changes my emotions and it effects me.”  Another pointed out, “you are at school for most of your day waking up before the sun and still after all of that they send you home each day with work you need to do before the next day. Does that really make sense[?]”

homework ruined my life

As an article from Healthline mentioned, “Researchers asked students whether they experienced physical symptoms of stress… More than 80 percent of students reported having at least one stress-related symptom in the past month, and 44 percent said they had experienced three or more symptoms.”  If school is causing students physical symptoms of stress, it needs to re-evaluate whether or not homework is beneficial to students, especially teenagers.  Students aren’t learning anything if they have hours of “busy work” every night, so much so that it gives them symptoms of stress, such as headaches, weight loss, sleep deprivation, and so on.  The continuous hours of work are doing nothing but harming students mentally and physically.

homework ruined my life

The mental effects of homework can be harmful as well.  Mental health issues are often ignored, even when schools can be the root of the problem.  An article from USA Today contained a quote from a licensed therapist and social worker named Cynthia Catchings, which reads, “ heavy workloads can also cause serious mental health problems in the long run, like anxiety and depression.”  Mental health problems are not beneficial in any way to education.  In fact, it makes it more difficult for students to focus and learn.  

Some studies have suggested that students should receive less homework.  To an extent, homework can help students in certain areas, such as math.  However, too much has detrimental impacts on their mental and physical health.  Emmy Kang, a mental health counselor, has a suggestion.  She mentioned, “I don’t think (we) should scrap homework; I think we should scrap meaningless, purposeless busy work-type homework. That’s something that needs to be scrapped entirely,” she says, encouraging teachers to be thoughtful and consider the amount of time it would take for students to complete assignments,” according to USA Today .  Students don’t have much control over the homework they receive, but if enough people could explain to teachers the negative impacts it has on them, they might be convinced.  Teachers need to realize that their students have other classes and other assignments to do.  While this may not work for everything, it would at least be a start, which would be beneficial to students.

The sole purpose of schools is to educate children and young adults to help them later on in life.  However, school curriculums have gone too far if hours of homework for each class are seen as necessary and beneficial to learning.  Many studies have shown that homework has harmful effects on students, so how does it make sense to keep assigning it?  At this rate, the amount of time spent on homework will increase in years to come, along with the effects of poor mental and physical health.  Currently, students do an average of 3 hours of homework, according to the Washington Post, and the estimated amount of teenagers suffering from at least one mental illness is 1 in 5, as Polaris Teen Center stated.  This is already bad enough–it’s worrisome to think it could get much worse.  Homework is not more important than physical or mental health, by any standards.

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Help my child’s homework is destroying our family.

HELP! MY CHILD’S HOMEWORK IS DESTROYING OUR FAMILY!

            Throughout years of working with children and their families, I have heard well-meaning parents make countless complaints about their children’s homework. Grievances such as:

“I don’t understand how to do so much of this, I can’t help my child.”

           ” I  hate when my child has homework, it ruins the entire evening. My son becomes hysterical with               anxiety, especially when I can’t help him,”

           “My son is obsessed with getting good grades. He freaks out if his homework isn’t done perfectly.                He is stuck in his room all weekend doing homework. It limits what we can do as a family.”

            In the last decade, these homework grievances have increased. With mounting financial demands, necessitating full time jobs for both parents, parents have little time or energy to devote the amount of time it takes to tackle their children’s homework.

I often use the phrase, “ Parents on Steroids ” to describe the incredible amount of time, energy, focus, and planning it takes to raise a child in the twenty-first century. Technology abounds, making it difficult to carve out time for face-to-face interactions with children. Competition is at the highest in this generation as children are expected to excel at academics, sports, and technology.

Parents keep children well planned with activities and educational after-school opportunities to boost scores and athletic or artistic performance. They are highly invested in producing a well rounded, highly educated, and successful child. This results in children having very little free-time to play and explore the outdoors with their imagination. Even their “quiet time” is scheduled, along with other planned activities. Let’s face it, society in general is expecting a lot from these Generation Z children.

Children begin structured learning early on, as pre-schools develop academic kindergarten readiness programs, and kindergarten becomes “the new first grade.” And each successive grade promotes readiness for the next year. It is no wonder that homework has become a focal point of concern for so many parents. Children are expected to catapult their cognitive levels a year ahead, instead of enjoying and nurturing their developmental age.

Standardized testing has been a part of public school education for more than seventy years. In 2001 when George Bush signed No Child Left Behind, standardized tests became a way of hopefully ensuring that all children reach reading and math proficiency. However, this Bill has morphed into a measure for teacher effectiveness and overall school performance. Grants, teacher’s raises, and promotions are awarded to the schools with the best overall performance on standardized tests. With this type of pressure on to perform, teachers often pile on homework in an attempt to boost students’ scores on these tests.

Back in the 1890’s to 1920, there were reformers in the so-called “Progressive Era” that depicted homework as a “sin” that deprived children of their playtime. (It was during this era that women fought for the right to vote.) The Progressives worked hard to modernize and reform schools and they believed that homework was not an essential part of the leaning process.

Today many of the same educational concerns are coming to the forefront. And homework is once again being examined. Researches have studied whether homework is beneficial and their findings may shock you.

Studies show, in the lower grades, children are getting three times as much homework as recommended by the National Educational Program This is causing behavioral, physical, and health problems, as well as emotional stress and anxiety for parents and children. Over the last decade, children as young as nine have seen a nearly forty percent increase in homework. This increase in lower grade homework is generally linked to the push for schools to have high-standardized test scores.

The standard set by the National Education Program states that there be 10 minutes of homework given per grade beginning in first grade. However, even though this standard is set, researchers found the average amount of homework given to children well exceeds this standard. Even kindergarteners were receiving homework and in some schools, first graders were given 28 minutes of homework a night. (CNN report August 12, 2015)

Harris Cooper, a professor of education at Duke University, has recommended that students be given no more than 10 to 15 minutes of homework in the 2 nd grade and that this amount increases no more than 10 minutes in each successive grade.

Denise Pope, a Stanford University Education Professor and author of Overloaded and Underprepared: Strategies for Stronger Schools and Healthy, Successful Kids (2015), states that children are overloaded with days as long as adults and burdening children with too much homework is not preparing children for the real tasks of life. Dr. Pope feels that children are overscheduled with after school activities and homework, leaving little time to engage in more collaborative, social, and creative outlets.

Richard Walker, an educational psychologist at Sydney University and his research team found that in countries where more time is spent on homework, students actually scored lower on an international standardized test. Studies have also pointed to the fact that homework bolsters student’s academic performance only during their last three years of high school. In “Reforming Homework: Learning and Policies, 2012 ), Richard Walker found that teachers typically give take-home assignments that are unhelpful or “busy work”.

Gerald LeTendre of Pennsylvania State University also found that teachers give take-home assignments that are unhelpful and remarked that assigned homework “appeared to be a remedial strategy, and not an advancement strategy. The latter is work that is designed to help children accelerate, improve, or excel. “Remedial homework” on the other hands, is homework that is given as a consequence of not covering topics in class, exercises for students struggling, or a way to supplement poor quality educational settings. It is the remedial type of homework that tends to produce marginally lower test scores compared to children who are not given this type of work.

Gerald LeTendre has been studying trends in education for over a decade and participated in Richard Walker’s international study of homework. Researchers studied 59 countries in this 2007 study. Countries that had top rates in math and science achievement reported homework time as less than the international mean. In Netherlands, nearly one out of five fourth graders reported doing no homework on school nights, even though the Dutch fourth graders put their country in the top ten in terms of average math scores.

These finding clearly suggest that homework is not always associated with high levels of academic achievement as it relates to standardized testing scores. Further many research studies have linked excessive homework to sleep disruption, indicating a negative relationship between the amount of homework and the perceived stress and physical health of children.

It is important to know, however, that other studies do not demonstrate the same concerns about overloading students with homework. Research from Brookings Institute and the Rand Corporation in 2003 analyzed data from a variety of sources and concluded that the majority of U.S. students spend less than an hour a day on homework, regardless of grade level. In the last 20 years, however, these researchers found that homework has increased only in the lower grades.

The amount of responsibility that is incurred by parents to help children with their homework has also increased. Since homework can often be too complex for students to complete by themselves, such difficult tasks require assistance from parents. This comes at a considerable cost to family life. Arguments, temper tantrums, and oppositional behaviors erode quality parent-child time in the evenings and weekends, and diminish overall harmony in the home.

Further, when parents and children conflict over homework, strong negative emotions are created promoting in the child a negative association with academic achievement.

What can be done to counter-act the negative impact of homework in the child and the family? The following are some suggesting that may help decrease the stress that you and your child are experiencing when it comes to homework assignments:

  • Make sure you have open communication with your child’s teacher in order to address homework issues,
  • It is best if your child’s teacher can tailor homework to your child’s individual needs, weighing the child’s age, family situation, and the need for skill development,
  • Remember repetitive practice does not always contribute to new learning. It may help master a skill, but if a child learns a skill, practice can come easily in the school setting. A child should have enough practice at school to learn and master a new concept. Therefore, multiple pages of math equations will not help your child learn the concept if he or she has already mastered the skill. Talk to your child’s teacher if you see this type of repetitive homework,
  • If you feel that your child is receiving too much homework, ask the school if provisions can be made for your child to complete some of this work at school. Remember the guidelines to the amount of homework that a child should be given. If the teacher is unwilling to budge, a meeting with the principal may be needed to address this issue,
  • Regardless of the amount of homework your child has, be diligent to allow your child the freedom to play, even if they can’t finish their homework. Play is the real work of childhood, for in play children can learn to conquer fears, explore their creativity, and express feelings. Play is essential to children and so is their free time. Don’t overschedule your child with activities so that they don’t have time to play,
  • If the homework is too difficult for you and your child to complete, contact the teacher rather than muddling through hours of mental exasperation and fatigue,
  • Make sure that homework is scheduled at a reasonable time and does not begin later in the evening. Children need a rest after seven or so hours at school, so scheduling relaxation time for an hour or so after school is a good idea. However, remember that relaxing with electronics may not be the best way for your child to prepare for homework. Too much screen time will make your child’s brain somewhat sluggish. Outside exercise or imaginative play will help your child better prepare for homework.
  • Scheduling homework while you are preparing dinner is also a recipe for disaster. You will not have the time to devote to your child and the anxiety will mount. If you can, find at least an hour before dinner preparations, or an hour after when you can sit down with your child and do homework. If they don’t need help, sit down next to your child and work on your own unfinished taxes, budgets, or finances. This will model for your child good study habits.
  • Tackling homework in the evening may mean that your child will not have time to unwind and relax before bedtime. Winding down is critical for children to prepare for sleep. Preschoolers need at lest 11-13 hours each night, while school-aged children from six to thirteen should get at lest 9-11 hours of sleep. If homework time is disrupting their sleep, it is counterproductive to learning. Tired and anxious children do not make good students.
  • Remember that your child’s academic success is not linked to the amount of time he or she is doing homework, so allow flexibility in the schedule, and don’t stress about unfinished homework. Teach your child to prioritize the homework and help set reasonable limitations and expectations.
  • Most importantly help your child handle the stress of homework. It is critical that children learn how to deal with their emotions. Help your child find ways of relaxing and renewing energy before, during, and after homework.

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18 Hidden Ways Depression Affects You at School

homework ruined my life

With all the pressure of getting good grades, participating in extracurriculars and having a social life, school can be a stressful time for anyone. But for students with depression –who may have trouble finding the motivation to get out of bed, let alone finish their assignments — it can be especially difficult, and sometimes teachers and family don’t understand.

But it’s not always obvious when a student has depression — so  we asked people in our mental health community to share hidden ways depression affects their experience at school.

Here’s what they had to say:

1. “Far too often, I end up procrastinating because either I’m too emotionally exhausted to do my work, or I want to distract myself from the depressive thoughts. So I spend time watching TV or browsing through the internet. In classes, I’ll try to focus but end up zoning out or just ignoring what’s happening around me. Somehow, I still manage to get decent grades, but it baffles me.” — Alaura F.

2. “When you have one of your ‘episodes’ so to speak, you just sit in class and can’t take anything in or concentrate. Then you don’t learn, and when it happens often you find yourself having no idea what’s been going on for months.” — Eliyah R.

3. “I used to stay in the library doing assignments for as many hours as possible to avoid people and focus on something other than how bad I felt. Before I used to be passionate about what I wrote, but during that period there was zero passion in my writing, it was purely mundane. Plus, I knew if I didn’t fight procrastination and get assignments done then I would also have my anxiety to contend with when they were due.” — Kashmere N

4. “I think the hardest part for me is knowing I need to study or do homework but completely lacking the motivation to do so. And knowing how important keeping my daily routine is but so quickly falling behind.” — Jamie W.

5. “A lot of the time you get labeled the ‘lazy teenager’ or other such cliches. Yes, it may have taken me five hours to get out of bed, and yes, my assignments weren’t met. But there are hidden reasons. Often I am late for classes not because I cannot be bothered but because it is completely impossible to get out of the house in less than five hours some days. The lack of motivation is hard to deal with.” — Lucy M.

6. “Sometimes I didn’t do my homework because: ‘I’m a failure so why do I even try?’”— Noella K.

7. “Fear of failure definitely. Self-doubt. It just gets to a point when I give up and miss out on some opportunities my ‘normal’ brain would jump sky high for. I get this clouded vision that I’m not capable or worthy of anything and that there’s no point in trying, I’m useless anyway. It affects my grades and my social life. I lose friends and respect from my teachers, and it hurts worse in the long run. Now that I’m slowly recovering, every day I’m realizing how much self-doubt gets in the way of the person I want to be and my future.” — Hannah F.

8. “Oftentimes, I go to college on very little sleep. Some days it will be none, and other days it will be two to four hours. That’s just the norm to me. In episodes, I am in a constant fog and my body feels super heavy. I feel even worse and can’t concentrate on top of my other depressive and borderline personality syndrome (BPD) symptoms.” — Kellyann N.

9. “When I was a student, my depression would get the best of me, I wouldn’t study or write my papers. Not because I didn’t want to — oh, I thought and worried about it constantly. I couldn’t do it because my depression keep telling me what I wrote was garbage, what I studied didn’t matter, and it all piles up. I would get so overwhelmed I would blank out in class, staring off and couldn’t focus. Then class would be over and I would be so upset with myself because I didn’t pay attention. That only fed the depression, telling me I would never make it so why should I bother.  I was trapped in my own mind.” — Carolyn A.

10. “I distracted myself by obsessing with my notes. Color-coordinated, perfect writing, prefect lines, thorough essays. I had all straight As. No one knew I had a war in my head because I was the perfect student. But when my work was done… my thoughts would flood back to me and I’d become overwhelmed. Repeat the process until I would go home and cry for an hour.” — Jessica S.

11. “Not being able to attend classes and having to make up reasons for why you’re not there. To both your teachers and your family. And when living in dorms, the humiliation of bringing your trash or dishes out from your bedroom when you haven’t had the energy or motivation to clean your room for like a week. People just think you’re gross or lazy. But I genuinely couldn’t face going into the kitchen if anyone was there. Also, weight gain. I’m a comfort eater and rarely had the energy to cook, so I would mostly get take out or order something in. I tried to convince myself that my flatmates didn’t notice or care, till one day I came through to cook, and some of my flatmates were in the kitchen. And I know they were trying to be friendly and supportive, but they made a fuss over the fact I was actually in the kitchen cooking. And all I wanted to do was flee back to my bedroom and not show my face now that I knew they were observing my eating habits. I was humiliated.” — Rebecca B.

12. “When you want to sit by yourself in class, but teachers keep coming up asking, ‘Are you OK?’ ‘Do you want someone to come sit here?’  They mean well, but it serves as a constant reminder that today I’m not strong enough to interact with my peers.” — Katriana F.

13. “It’s a snowball effect. Depression affects my ability to get things done efficiently, so then I have two options: 1) I stay up late and avoid social events so no one knows I’m struggling or 2) I avoid the issue with all sorts of procrastination until I force myself to do just the bare minimum. Either way I feel guilt and shame about it and stay stuck in the downward spiral.” — Emily C.

14 . “When an episode hits, it really does feel like my mind is broken. I try to study but can’t, and it soon turns into this spiral of very harsh self-criticism and zoning out while my brain tries so desperately to recover. When this happens, I try to use music to relate to. Music really helps me sort my thoughts out, but unfortunately, a day of studying was just ruined because of my inability to pay attention.” — Morgan M.

15. “At university I used to spend pretty much every free day I had in the library working – I knew if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed or do anything productive. I didn’t always get much done, but the fact that I had got out of bed and done something made the negative thoughts a little less intrusive and kept them at bay to a certain extent” — Rebecca D.

16. “ As much as you want to succeed, you feel like you’re dragging around too much to be able to function. You let school work fall behind. You care deep down, but depression pulls you in deeper. You watch the teacher speak, but nothing is comprehended.” — Meaghan T.

17. “It’s having no motivation to do work while at school but then getting home and feeling so exhausted it seems impossible to attempt any of the work I didn’t do. It’s sitting silently and being constantly scrutinized for it — ‘Are you OK?’ ‘You seem quiet.’ ‘Someone’s in a mood.’ ‘Stop PMS-ing/sulking.’ Not once was I ever asked, ‘Is your mental health affecting your studies?’ That would have made an enormous difference.” — Rosie B.

18. “A positive note: School is what pulls me through. If I didn’t have my study I don’t know how I would’ve handled life. School is something I have to do, it’s my number one priority. Yes, it’s sometimes very difficult because of the episodes which I had randomly in class, but my best friend (who is in the same class) knows about my depression so knows how to handle it. I had days where I just couldn’t get out of bed because of it, but then I think about how important school is for me and I always end up happy for going to school. It’s a distraction and a motivation to keep on going for me. ” — Noella K.

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The Hidden Danger of Nightly Homework Battles

The Hidden Danger of Nightly Homework Battles

Inside: We’ve seen the research, and we see what nightly homework battles do to our kids. The good news? We have the power to opt out, and the first step is easy.

You’ve probably seen the stories in the news : Homework in elementary school is useless .

Homework doesn’t help young kids learn any better or faster. It doesn’t teach them study skills. It doesn’t even help them do better on standardized tests.

I’m not going to get into a debate on the merits of homework in elementary school because research has proved that it does no good .

“Before going further, let’s dispel the myth that these research results are due to a handful of poorly constructed studies. In fact, it’s the opposite. Cooper compiled 120 studies in 1989 and another 60 studies in 2006. This comprehensive analysis of multiple research studies found no evidence of academic benefit at the elementary level. It did, however, find a negative impact on children’s attitudes toward school.” Homework is wrecking our kids

Despite all this, my second-grader still has homework nearly every night. This is the norm for most American families with kids in elementary schools.

When we get home after school, I remind my daughter to start her homework, remind her to stay focused while she’s doing it, and remind her to put it back in her backpack when it’s done. In other words, finding out she has homework that night signs us both up for a 30-minute (or more) nag session.

It’s not like you have a practical alternative. The teacher assigns homework, and your kid’s supposed to do it. If she doesn’t do it, she’ll be held in at recess to complete the homework anyway. And then at the end of the day, you get to reap the benefits of a kid who’s had to sit still all day .

But during one of our super fun homework nag-a-thons last week, something happened that scared me.

A Turning Point—And Not a Good One

About five minutes into the brainless busy work that bores my daughter out of her skull, she said: “I’m just not going to do this.”

“What?”

“I’m just not going to do my homework. It doesn’t matter.”

I froze. “Well…,” I said, buying myself time. I could tell we were entering choppy waters, and one wrong move could capsize the boat and damage her attitude towards school. “What would happen if you didn’t do your homework?”

She shrugged. “I’d probably just get in trouble with the teacher.”

This was big . My rule-following, perfectionist child does not shrug about getting “in trouble” with the teacher.

The real problem with battling your kids over homework every night

“Hmm,” I said. “What would that mean?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I’d get my name on the board.” She shrugged again. Any previous hand slaps from the teacher resulted in tears and long conversations when I picked her up from school. Why was she shrugging it off now?

“What else would happen?” I prodded, trying to keep my tone light and curious, but obviously failing .

“Okay, fine. I’ll do it. But I’m just going to make up answers to get it over with.”

My eyes bugged, but thankfully she wasn’t looking. My child who once had a meltdown over not getting a perfect grade on a spelling test in first grade was planning to write incorrect answers on her homework just to get it out of the way.

“So…what will happen if you do that?” I asked.

She sighed. “I guess she’ll make me do it over again. But this is so boring! My grades don’t matter anyway.”

My grades don’t matter anyway. The words started on repeat in my brain, getting louder and shriller with each iteration.

And I realized : Homework did this to my child. My bright child who’s hungry to learn anything and everything. My child who reads as much as she can get her hands on. My child who said to me yesterday, “Is there a place where you can go and just read books all day? Because I want to go there.”

The endless worksheets had finally pushed her over the edge.

Related: What to Do When Your Kid Gives Up

What You Don't See During the Nightly Homework Battles

Yes, Homework Is Pointless—But That’s Not the Worst Part

Homework is making my child resent school. It’s turning the idea of learning into a power struggle. And goodness knows we don’t need more of those while parenting young children.

Bottom line: Homework is destroying our kids’ innate love of learning.

The night after that disturbing homework battle, I started looking for alternatives.

  • Could I ask the teacher not to assign homework to my child? Maybe, but it feels weird to ask for special treatment when other kids are in the same boat.
  • Could I ask the teacher not to assign homework to any kids? Maybe, but it probably wouldn’t be effective coming from just one parent.
  • Could I meet with the principal to suggest banning homework? Other schools have banned it , and the research supports removing it.

Yes, that’s it! That’s what I’ll do, I thought.

Except Then…

I started asking around about how I might approach a principal about this issue. I talked to teachers and other parents. And do you know what I heard?

Elementary school teachers and principals already know that homework doesn’t do any good. They know it hurts kids’ relationships with the learning process. They already know the research. I mean, of course they do—they’re trained professionals.

The real reason elementary schools assign homework? Parents keep asking for it.

The Real Reason for Elementary School Homework? Parents

Let’s Stop the Madness of Nightly Homework Battles

Maybe you feel like pushing your kid to struggle through homework is good for her work ethic. Maybe you feel like the worksheets will help her get better grades on standardized tests. Maybe you think it’s just 30 minutes of nagging your kid every night, then it’s over and done with and not a big deal.

That’s what I thought, too.

But deep down, we know better . We don’t really need to read all the research. Because we know. We see what the nightly homework battles do to our kids.

We know this in the same way we know that asking teachers to dole out corporal punishment hurts our kids emotionally as well as physically . We don’t need to read the research about the damage that goes deeper than the red welts left by a paddle. Parents know this already.

The good news? We have the power to opt out of the homework battles.

The First And Easiest Step

Let’s stop asking our elementary school teachers and principals to assign homework. Easy peasy.

Next step: Share your story with other parents.

  • While you’re waiting outside school at pick-up time, tell the story of how you have to nag your kid every night, and for what? It’s not helping her grades.
  • When you’re making small talk at the school fundraiser carnival, explain how your kid used to love school, but homework battles have soured him on the whole deal.
  • If you run into your kid’s friend’s mom at Target, ask if her kid struggles with homework, too. Listen to her story.

I’m not saying you should try to convince anyone. In fact, sharing stats and research rarely changes people’s minds. So just tell your story. Share how you’re scared that homework battles are doing permanent damage to your kid’s love of learning. Find common ground with your fellow parents because I promise you, it’s there.

The fewer parents we have asking for homework, the better off our kids will be. And maybe one day, so few parents will be asking for it that grade-school homework will be the exception rather than the rule.

Because this isn’t about avoiding the nightly homework battles. This is about protecting the spark we see in our children’s eyes when they’re learning something new and loving it.

A Special Note to Teachers and Principals

Before you go, get my free cheat sheet: 75 positive phrases every child needs to hear.

If the nightly homework battles are getting to you, you might find this useful, too: Here’s the Secret Phrase to Turn Your Kid Into an Amazing Student .

What do the nightly homework battles look like in your house? Share in a comment below!

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I'm a mom of four, a Certified Parent Educator, and the author of Happy You, Happy Family . I believe if you want a loving parent-child relationship that will last into the teenage years and beyond, the time for nurturing that kind of relationship is now . The good news? All you need is 10 minutes a day. Start here »

Note: All information on this site is for educational purposes only. Happy You, Happy Family does not provide medical advice. If you suspect medical problems or need professional advice, please consult a physician.

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22 Comments

YES!!! I fully agree with this! 7 hours of school is plenty for a young child-they shouldn’t have to keep doing it when they get home. My daughter’s 1st grade teacher last year sent home homework just about every night and we both hated it. This year, her 2nd grade teacher has told me that kids need time to be kids and she rarely sends any home. As a result, we’re able to spend more time reading (which is the best homework of all anyways) and playing.

My son has homework in Kindergarten Monday thru Thursday. It’s a nightmare trying to get it done. In school they are so busy trying to teach them what once used to be 1st grade curriculum that we are forced to teach them the stuff that used to be taught in Kindergarten at home. It is incredibly sad hearing my son at 6 saying he hates school.

Beautifully written! It’s been so depressing since my daughter started school 2 years ago to see how she’s gone from excited when I say, “Let’s do an experiment” or “Let’s go get a new book” to “I hate reading” and “I hate school.” We need to start a stop-the-homework movement!

I agree that ” Worksheet Homework” is Pointless. That is why I started talking to the people I work with about using “Invitations To Play” Instead to Practice or Review what they learned that day. I believe that children can’t be expected to sit for 6 hours a day. They need to engage.

Great points! It was also a nightmare for homework in our household. Last year for my 2nd grader, he would be working on his homework for 2 hours. Finally we broke it down into sections, and I set the timer. I said “let’s see if you can get the next section done in 10 minutes”. It really got him to focus. I always gave him more time than he needed.

I wish more parents and schools realized the research shows there are no proven benefits to doing homework! An alternative solution: Montessori schools. As families, we should be spending more quality time with our children, playing outside, eating dinner often at the dinner table, reading, and doing practical life work! This would make our children more well rounded as a “whole individual.” Children are natural learners and we need to inspire their tendency to seek out knowledge that they are genuinely interested in!

My child has just entered middle school and no longer has recess or PE, for an 11 year old boy that’s horrible. Not only do we have nightly homework, we now have weekend homework, projects and Monday tests. It is a constant battle and I don’t know how to make it any better. It is frustrating as a parent seeing my child not getting to play and have fun and get some good EXERCISE every day!

I have been a teacher for the past 21 years. I agree that homework for the sake of doing homework does not increase anything but frustration. I plan my day around the needs of my class. If someone doesn’t complete something due to difficulty, it makes no sense to send it home and have them continue to be frustrated. I hang onto the assignment and we work on it the next day. If a child is goofing off and not using his time wisely , he will get to take it home to complete the task. This is a rare occurrence. Most of my students love knowing that when school is over they get a break. We all need that!!!

Hate to be a buzz-kill, but all of the articles at the beginning of this article point to stories that base their findings on the same Harris Cooper study; therefore, they are redundant and not useful in corroborating the narrative.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely agree with the sentiments and story in this article. I too have the same conflicts with my 3rd grade daughter and I share the same findings on the efficacy of homework at this age.

The fact is that our teachers are teaching from the same patterns that they learned from. They are unable to remove themselves and look at the problem objectively. There is also a large contingency of pediatricians and researchers who look at the use of iPhones and other screen based technology and assert that it is harmful. The fact is that to truly make the next leap in human development, we need to innovate and move beyond the current paradigm and teach our kids in a manner consistent with what we ANTICIPATE their future needs to be rather than our own inefficient methods.

But you decided to point this out anyway to what? Look smarter than everyone else. Yet you agree with the overall message.? I bet you’re part of the grammar police brigade as well.

seems like he’s just playing devils advocate and suggesting that we come up with a paradigm that allows us to base our teachings on future issues the kids will face vs. on what we think they need to know (e.g. how to spell “faucet” in the first grade).. He also makes a good point that citing studies which all cite the same study will lesson the effectiveness of an argument made to someone who does NOT buy into this idea that homework is harmful. Good points, Zack!

As a teacher, i refuse to give homework and as a parent i would never enforce homework with my son.

The school must be clear on the purpose of homeworks/assignments. To measure how each student understood the day’s lessons. If the y don’t like assignments–a test the following day can also be an alternative to measure each students’ understanding but will take away few minutes or hour from regular classroom teaching.

Just one of the MANY reasons we finally started homeschooling! It’s heartbreaking. :(

We are really fortunate that there is minimal homework in our house this year and it’s all coming from our freshman. Neither my kindergartener nor my 5th grader have had homework this year. It’s wonderful and they get to leave school work at school.

My second grader did not have homework the first month of school, for this very reason. The teacher knew it took away from important family time, etc. However, once the kids started to struggle with the concepts in the classroom, they started getting a math sheet sent home every night to complete. I have the same struggles with my kiddo. He has almost said the very words your daughter has said. “Why?! It doesn’t matter anyway! We just throw it away! It isn’t for a grade.” And the list goes on and on. Thank you for sharing your story and trying to help everyone out there understand that some things cause more harm than good!

I am not sure I believe that parents are asking for homework. This sounds like a cop out to me that could be easily addressed by surveying parents at each grade level on their preferences and getting actual data. Then you would know parents’ opinions and see what approach to take.

As a kindergarten teacher, I believe that children should be free to be children after school, and not be saddled with busy work. The charter school where I currently teach is a no homework school, for which I’m so grateful, our children love to learn. When at a district 5 years ago, the parents were asking for homework, so I had to make worksheets to keep them happy. Those parents seemed to think that it made their children smarter if they had homework every night, so I had to comply to their wishes.

I’m still going to school for education. Do you think sending home sheets with only say, 5-6 problems on and the only instructions is for them to try, and its only so the teacher can evaluate understanding after it it entering their head at x point in the day and seeing what stuck and what needs reviewed on the next day, and do it gets a reward like a classroom treat or something?

As an elementary level teacher, I think that children need time away from the learning they’ve been doing all day in order to process the learning and to have time to make choices to read, to play, etc. If they haven’t learned a concept in 6 – 7 hours of school, boring worksheets are not going to strengthen their knowledge. When you go home after a long day, do you want to still be faced with paperwork? (Sorry, as a teacher you will be doing lots of work after hours, but is it helpful to do this to children?)

Intrinsic motivation is better than any reward system. Children who do things for rewards often will only do things if they can get something for it, and this can train them to be “getters” rather than “doers”.

Education at the early elementary levels is for the most part developmentally inappropriate, as is forcing children to continue busy work after school. We want children to love learning, but how can they when the work is tedious and of little value to their real learning?

They. Were. Aweful. My kiddo was also 8 and in second grade. The homework battle each night was causing huge upheaval in our home and I knew it was not good for my 8 year old, or his 2 year old twin brothers, or my husband, or I. My son had also come to hate school and lost his love of books. I did not particularly want to homeschool, but for this reason, I knew I had to do something to protect my son and our family, and we started 3rd grade as a homeschool family. It hasn’t been easy, but it has been way better than what was happening the other way.

I love this article so much – I will show it to my teacher

Kelly Holmes, author and Certified Parent Educator

You can nurture a warm + loving relationship with your child—in just 10 minutes a day.

I’m Kelly—a mom of four, a Certified Parent Educator, and an author.

If you want to nurture a loving parent-child relationship that will last into the teenage years and beyond, the time for nurturing that kind of relationship is  now .

I believe with a few small tweaks, you can build a home your kids will want to come home to—without having to sacrifice your own personal needs.

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help homework is wrecking my home life.

As many (all?) students will tell you, the amount of homework assigned has reached an all-time high. Never before have students had as much homework as they do now. Students have long railed against homework; are they right this time? Just how much homework is too much? Education World writer Glori Chaika interviews teachers and the top experts -- including Howard Gardner, Carol Huntsinger, and Harris Cooper -- to find out.

American teachers have followed a trend of increased homework, hoping to prepare students to compete in the global marketplace. For example, after the Soviets launched Sputnik, A Nation At Risk warned of our insidious educational mediocrity. And when Asia began its ascent to power in the global economy, the amount of homework assigned in American schools increased.

When researchers from the University of Michigan compared the amount of homework assigned in 1981 to the amount assigned in 1997, they were astonished. Although minimal changes occurred on the high school level, the amount of homework assigned to kids from ages 6 to 9 almost tripled during that time! Assigned homework increased from about 44 minutes a week to more than two hours a week. Homework for kids ages 9 to 11 increased from about two hours and 50 minutes to more than three-and-a-half hours per week. Many students complain that teachers give too much homework. They may have a point. Busy families with demanding schedules may find fitting lots of homework into an average day difficult. Could the stress of trying to keep up do some students and families more harm than good?

IDEALS VS. REALITY

"Teachers should devote energy to creating homework that is stimulating and provocative rather than banal," Howard Gardner, the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor in Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the creator of the theory of multiple intelligences, told Education World. "And parents or mentors should go shoulder-to-shoulder with youngsters, helping to motivate them, thinking of ways in which to help them without giving the answer, and being aware of the child's special gifts and weaknesses."

It sounds great, "but you need parent input for kids to perform, and with the increase in single-parent families, there's no one at home to help," veteran fifth-grade teacher Loretta Highfield told Education World.

"It isn't that the kids don't want to do homework; the majority of my students don't have the skills to go home and do it independently," added Highfield, a teacher at Florida Avenue Elementary in Slidell, Louisiana. "Even young students are not getting the help at home that they used to."

The same seems to hold true for older children. "I have students who have been thrown out of the house or have a financial situation brought on by an ill parent," Northshore High School (Slidell, Louisiana) teacher Kathleen Modenbach told Education World. "There are others whose after-school jobs pay for car insurance and clothes or whose involvement in extra-curricular activities, private lessons, or sports leaves little time for homework.

"For some students, a lot of homework can seem irrelevant," Modenbach added. "High school students become expert at evaluating the validity of assignments and assigning priorities to them. Kids who wouldn't dream of cheating on a test or copying a research paper think nothing of copying homework. I find students will do homework when it must be done to pass the class. Anything else is a waste of time and feeds into the vicious circle of beating the homework system."

Therefore, as kids deal with assigned homework in their own ways -- or grow increasingly frazzled -- their too-busy parents are uncertain what to do. Some, wanting their children to be academically competitive, demand extra homework, while others wonder just how much is too much.

ASK THE EXPERTS FOR HOMEWORK GUIDELINES

"Check out the National PTA and the National Education Association guidelines," University of Missouri psychology professor Harris Cooper, author of a pioneer study on the effect of homework on student achievement, told Education World. "For children in grades K through 2, homework is most effective when it does not exceed ten to 20 minutes each day. Children in grades three through six can handle 30 to 60 minutes a day. If educators and parents expect homework far out of line with these recommendations to result in big gains in test scores, they are likely to be disappointed."

After reviewing dozens of existing studies on homework and researching hundreds of students and parents, Cooper found that although doing homework may begin to pay off in secondary school, little correlation exists between homework and test scores in elementary school.

Carol Huntsinger's research, however, had different results. Huntsinger, an education professor at the College of Lake County, Chicago, also investigated the study habits of young children. She found that for her sample, work done at home did make a difference.

Huntsinger compared the homework habits of middle-class immigrant Chinese Americans with similar European Americans. The Chinese American first graders she studied spent more than 20 minutes per night on math homework -- some of which their parents assigned. European Americans averaged just five minutes. When tested, the Chinese American children performed at higher academic levels than did their European American counterparts. In a longitudinal companion study of European American and Chinese American children from grades 5 through 11, Huntsinger found that those disparities continued through high school.

"Parents' beliefs and practices are very important influences on their children's academic achievement," Huntsinger told Education World. "We got similar results for European American children in our study whose parents taught them in ways similar to those Chinese American parents used. ... I looked at time spent on parent-assigned homework, school-assigned homework, and the formality of parents' teaching methods. Most other studies have focused on time spent on school-assigned homework only."

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE QUALITY OF THE ASSIGNMENTS?

Cooper found the effect of school-assigned homework on standardized test scores for students in lower grades to be minimal or nonexistent; however, the homework completed by the students Huntsinger studied was not necessarily schoolwork but focused on themes the families felt were important. Just how big a difference is there between the quality of typical school-selected assignments and those parents tend to select?

To find out, researchers funded by the Consortium on Chicago School Research asked teachers to evaluate the quality of 1,400 math and writing assignments for third, sixth, and eighth graders from 12 different schools.

"According to criteria established by prior research, the teachers found fewer than 30 percent of the assignments evaluated even minimally challenging," University of Wisconsin professor Fred Newmann, one of the study's authors, told Education World. "It will take a significant commitment to staff development to help teachers ... change their teaching sufficiently to promote more authentic intellectual work."

QUALITY VS. QUANTITY

However, when it comes to older children and math, quantity, or the number of assignments, is what matters, according to associate professor of economics Julian Betts of the University of California, San Diego. Betts examined surveys on the homework habits of 6,000 junior and senior high students over a period of five years.

"It appears to be the overall extent of (math) homework assigned and not the amount that is graded that matters," Betts told Education World. For older children, the quality of assignments had absolutely no influence on math achievement!

Students who did an extra 30 minutes of nightly math homework beginning in grade 7 increased their achievement scores the equivalent of two grade levels by grade 11. Differences in achievement remained -- though at a slightly depreciated level -- even if students stopped doing the extra homework.

"Overall, the best advice for math teachers in middle and high school seems to be that homework can be very effective and helps the bottom kids just as much as it helps the top students in the class," Betts told Education World. "As long as homework levels are maintained at a reasonable level, and teachers in different subject areas carefully coordinate homework assignments to avoid overloading students, an hour of assigned homework appears to be about as effective as an hour spent in the classroom."

HOMEWORK CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

A review of the research in the field, Homework: What Does the Research Say?, published by ERIC's National Parent Information Network, found that high school students who receive school-assigned homework perform 69 percent better on standardized tests and have higher grades than do students who don't. Junior high students who receive homework perform 35 percent better; and elementary students perform about the same.

That does not mean elementary students should have no homework, only that grades or results on standardized tests do not measure the benefits of homework.

Currently, the prevailing feeling is that students need homework to stay competitive in the global market -- that the extra work and responsibility give kids an edge. There is a problem, though, if family time is minimized and children no longer have time to play or if students don't graduate because of failing homework grades. Experts suggest approximately ten minutes of homework a night, starting in first grade, with an additional ten minutes each year. They also stress, however, the importance of teachers' addressing the issue of assignment quality.

"Unless one is prepared to have lots of supervised work at school, there is no way that one can avoid homework for youngsters after they've reached the middle school years," Gardner told Education World. "But before assigning homework, one needs to have clear goals, share those goals with children and parents, and make sure that those goals are being achieved. Otherwise homework is an idle exercise."

So the experts agree: Homework can have a positive effect on achievement as children grow older. Despite the experts' stress on monitoring the quality and quantity of homework, many students are left trying to cope with a huge, often boring, homework load. They wonder -- is anyone out there listening?

ADDITIONAL ONLINE RESOURCES

  • Homework Bound This January 3, 1999, New York Times article lists the current research on homework, including the work of Harris Cooper and Carol Huntsinger.
  • Julian Betts Through links from this site, users can access Dr. Bett's research on homework.

OTHER RESOURCES USED TO COMPILE THIS STORY

  • "Parents Stressed by Homework -- Many Believe There's Not Enough Time for School Kids to be Kids" This March 16, 1999, San Francisco Chronicle article cites pros and cons of homework and suggests that schools implement uniform homework policies and insist that homework be meaningful, not busywork. The article also offers homework tips for parents, teachers, and students.
  • "Winning the Homework Wars" This March 5-7, 1999, USA Weekend article discusses Harris Cooper's research and suggests that schools limit homework while encouraging students to do it independently.
  • "Homework: Planning For Success" This November-December 1998 Teaching K-8 article describes the Planning for Success program's homework guidelines. Included is the suggestion that students have homework partners who help each other and remind each other when assignments are due. It also suggests that teachers use a wipe on/wipe off calendar in the lounge to let other teachers know when a big project is due in order to prevent students from having too many big projects due at one time. Internet connections for homework help are also included in the article.
  • "Parents: Too Much Homework" This San Francisco Examiner article describes the increase in the amount of assigned homework and the effect it has on youngsters who no longer have time to play. Harris Cooper's research is also discussed.
  • "Help! I've Got Too Much Homework" This March 19, 1999, Detroit News article includes Harris Cooper's research and the national PTA and National Education Association's homework guidelines.
  • "Who Needs Homework?" This Feb. 7, 2000, Washington Post article describes the history of homework, the lack of homework standards, and the controversy over amount and quality. The article lists the U.S. Department of Education's daily homework guidelines: 20 minutes maximum for grades 1 through 3, 40 minutes maximum for grades 4 through 6, and two hours maximum for 7 through 9. (Note minor variances in the amount of homework different experts suggest.).
  • "A Prescription for Peace" This article by Howard Gardner, which appeared in the January 25, 1999, issue of Time Magazine, urges parents to treat homework as an opportunity and not a threat. He urges parents to try to make homework assignments fun for their children.
  • "The Homework Ate My Family" This January 25, 1999, Time Magazine article follows a San Francisco sixth grader for a week to see what influence homework has on her life. It also summarizes research on homework by Julian Betts, Harris Cooper, Carol Huntsinger, and others.
  • "Where It's an Unaffordable Luxury" This January 25, 1999, Time Magazine article describes the life of students who must work and don't have the time for a lot of homework. Failing grades for homework assignments might keep at-risk students from graduating.

Related Articles from Education World

  • The Homework Dilemma: How Much Should Parents Get Involved?

Please check out our other articles this week:

  • Icebreakers 2000: Getting-to-Know-You Activities for the First Days of School

Article by Glori Chaika Education World® Copyright © 2006 Education World

 

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Luann: Homework Is Ruining My Life Paperback – December 15, 1989

  • Part of series Luann
  • Print length 128 pages
  • Language English
  • Publisher Tor Books
  • Publication date December 15, 1989
  • Dimensions 4.5 x 0.75 x 7 inches
  • ISBN-10 0812506359
  • ISBN-13 978-0812506358
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Books; First Edition (December 15, 1989)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 128 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0812506359
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0812506358
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.5 x 0.75 x 7 inches
  • #53,041 in Humorous Fiction
  • #94,433 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction

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homework ruined my life

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Diazepine ruined my life XD

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/r/StudentLoans: Reddit's hub for advice, articles, and general discussion about getting and repaying student loans.

my life is ruined. what do i do

before everyone attacks me for being stupid, i know. anything mean you could say to me i’ve already said to myself a thousand times.

i went to college during the height of covid. i went in planning to be a nursing major, but was working a full time job and dealing with unmediated depression/anxiety/ADHD and didn’t make it in. i switched my degree to health science and graduated. i owe $60,000 in loans for this degree.

but i really wanted to be a nurse. helping people makes me feel so warm inside. covid lockdowns were now over, so i applied to accelerated nursing school. i made it in. unfortunately it is a private school. the program cost $91,000.

i am now two weeks from graduating nursing school, i am at the top of my class.

i owe over $160,000 in student loans to various private lenders (maxed out my federal aid.) i had to take out extra to afford rent and food.

i just wanted to be a nurse and help people. i shouldn’t have taken on so much debt, i know that. but it’s over and done with. and my life is ruined.

i am going to have to pay $2500 a month to make the minimum. that’s a more than an entire paycheck. more than half of my income.

i can never buy a home. i can never have a nice wedding or have kids. how can i put food on the table?

my life is ruined, and death feels like the only way out of this. i just wanted to help people. i can never pay this back.

what do i do? how long did it take you to pay your loans off? is there anyone out there struggling with this too? i can’t stop sobbing and i feel so alone

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Bluey has ruined my life and my relationship with my kids

It makes me feel like a rubbish mother.

Bluey TV still Provided by geraldine.jeffers@bbc.com

This might be my most controversial article ever, so I want to start by clarifying that I love Bluey . I enjoy the adorable dog family as much as everyone else . It is by far the best children’s programme out there, and the one I beg my kids to choose over Superkitties or Paw Patrol .

Bluey is funny, charming, and refreshing in that nothing bad ever happens. But, in my household it’s becoming a problem .

My six-year-old objects that I can’t pick her and her three-year-old brother up at the same time, one under each arm, and carry them around the house “like Bluey’s dad does”

My children want to know why I won’t create an entire restaurant, library, taxi and aeroplane in our small living room. And, the more I watch Bluey’s parents Bandit and Chilli being consistently perfect, the more I feel bad about my own parenting.

Bluey is the quintessential show of the gentle parenting era . The parents never shout, or punish. They are respectful of their children’s thoughts and ideas. They are never too busy for their kids, and they encourage Bluey and her younger sister Bingo to be their full selves. It’s beautiful and aspirational. And impossible to live up to.

I watch the Heeler parents remaining constantly calm and (almost) always energetic while coming up with endless imaginative games for their offspring, and I feel like a failure.

Chilli is the more relatable of the parents. No moment of television has spoken to me like the episode where, as Bandit walks through the door, she thrusts the cooking utensils at him and announces, “I need 20 minutes where no one comes near me!” But still, even when rattled, she remains patient with her children.

I, by contrast, sometimes lose my temper. Sometimes I shout. Sometimes I get tired and I don’t want to play. Sometimes (quite often, actually) I have to work.

I know it’s just a TV show (in these self-pitying moments I will tell myself – as I tell my daughter when she is asking for the double-arm carry – they are not people, they are cartoon dogs!), but they have come to be powerfully representative of a standard we all desperately want to achieve yet cannot ever reach.

I maintain that I, too, would be the perfect parent if I had a huge house (with massive garden), that could be set up for a variety of lengthy imaginary games. And, for that matter, if I had children that would engage in one single imaginary game for any length of time.

I’ve banned Bluey from the house – it’s a terrible influence on my four year old

I've banned Bluey from the house - it's a terrible influence on my four year old

My children are pretty close in age to Bingo and Bluey, yet I’m lucky if I can get five minutes of consistent narrative out of them. Bandit and Chilli both have jobs, too, that’s been established, but they never seem to actually need to do any work. Except in that one episode where Bandit was trying to work but the girls kept interrupting so he just stopped bothering to work and played instead. Because childhood is short and family is precious… Do they not have mortgages in Australia?!

And the kids are never irritable. Or grumpy. Or hangry. They are never argumentative, or rude. They never hurl a toy at their sibling for no reason. Even Muffin – who, let’s face it, is a pain in the backside – can be persuaded to play nicely. Bluey and Bingo are always thoughtful when their parents speak to them. I’d take my kids just listening when we speak to them.

Parenting perfectionism is an issue many of us struggle with, but I will try not to judge myself so harshly for failing to live up to an imaginary dog family. I suggest you do the same. We’re all only human. Bandit and Chilli don’t have that problem.

Allegra Chapman is a writer, author, creative coach and business consultant

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  1. Stanford research shows pitfalls of homework

    A Stanford researcher found that too much homework can negatively affect kids, especially their lives away from school, where family, friends and activities matter. "Our findings on the effects ...

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    Emmy Kang, mental health counselor at Humantold, says studies have shown heavy workloads can be "detrimental" for students and cause a "big impact on their mental, physical and emotional health ...

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    In a 2019 survey of 1,049 parents with children in elementary, middle, or high school, Office Depot found that parents spend an average of 21 minutes a day helping their children with their ...

  5. Do You Have Too Much Homework?

    I agree with Brina, homework ruined my life as well. Our school gives out so much, and I am only in 7th Grade!!!!! I know I'm in honors, so I shouldn't complain, but we should be getting harder work, not more work!!!!! Each teacher claims they only give about 20 minutes of homework a night, but in reality, its like an hour.

  6. "I've Ruined My Life, Now What?" (12 Pieces Of Advice)

    By doing just a bit of effort every single day, you're working toward the person you want to be. 9. Don't allow fear to hold you back. Your belief that you have ruined your life may be born out of fear. You are afraid that you may not be living up to your potential. You are afraid that you have let others down.

  7. How Homework Is Destroying Teens' Health

    Source: Redwood Bark "[Students] average about 3.1 hours of homework each night," according to an article published by Stanford. Teens across the country come home from school, exhausted from a long day, only to do more schoolwork. They sit at their computers, working on homework assignments for hours on end. To say the relentless amount of work they have to do is overwhelming would be an ...

  8. Help! My Child's Homework is Destroying our Family

    Preschoolers need at lest 11-13 hours each night, while school-aged children from six to thirteen should get at lest 9-11 hours of sleep. If homework time is disrupting their sleep, it is counterproductive to learning. Tired and anxious children do not make good students.

  9. How School Ruined Your Love of Learning and How to Transform Your Life

    Think of all the things you can do with learning to transform your life. The skills you can learn. Think of the tiny inklings you have had, those sparks of interest and how you can pursue it with ...

  10. Homework: it's ruining our lives

    Homework: it's ruining our lives. Alfie Kohn, a leading US academic, has said that too much study after school turns young children off education, sparking a huge transatlantic debate about whether homework for primary school children.

  11. Homework ruins family life and stops children having hobbies, says Prof

    Prof Robert Winston: 'There's far too much homework and it should be reduced'. Homework is ruining family life and preventing children from pursuing their hobbies, a leading scientist has said ...

  12. Parenting advice: My kids have major homework drama

    For Subscribers Parenting. My kids' homework drama is ruining our family life. Someone is in tears most nights — and often that person is me. Help! "My daughter procrastinates; my son rushes ...

  13. 18 Hidden Ways Depression Affects You at School

    But it's not always obvious when a student has depression — so we asked people in our mental health community to share hidden ways depression affects their experience at school. Here's what they had to say: 1. "Far too often, I end up procrastinating because either I'm too emotionally exhausted to do my work, or I want to distract ...

  14. The Hidden Danger of Nightly Homework Battles

    Because we know. We see what the nightly homework battles do to our kids. We know this in the same way we know that asking teachers to dole out corporal punishment hurts our kids emotionally as well as physically. We don't need to read the research about the damage that goes deeper than the red welts left by a paddle. Parents know this already.

  15. I am so sick of homework! It's ruining our life at home during ...

    Last year (in 3rd grade) a typical nights homework would be 3 worksheets plus spelling of some sort, usually either writing the 20 works 5 times each or sentences and then 20 minutes of reading that has to be recorded in the reading log. If it's not done or the log isn't signed they have to miss recess and do it then.

  16. Help! Homework Is Wrecking My Home Life!

    Homework for kids ages 9 to 11 increased from about two hours and 50 minutes to more than three-and-a-half hours per week. Many students complain that teachers give too much homework. They may have a point. Busy families with demanding schedules may find fitting lots of homework into an average day difficult.

  17. Being homeschooled ruined my life : r/HomeschoolRecovery

    Being homeschooled ruined my life. I've tried to write a post a few times, but even in my late twenties I still have no words to describe the ways in which this horrible practice has fucked up my mental health. Even if my egg donor wasn't a highly unstable abusive narcissist, the isolation would still be the thing that has ruined me the most.

  18. Homeschooling ruined my life and it seems unfixable at this point

    Life eventually gets tired of punching you. You learn what you need to learn by experience. You learn to see an opportunity and learn to take advantage of it. And one day you wake up and realize that your skin and bones are made of hardened steel, and even if life tries to punch you, you don't even feel it.

  19. Luann: Homework Is Ruining My Life

    Amazon.com: Luann: Homework Is Ruining My Life: 9780812506358: Evans, Greg: Books. Skip to main content.us. Delivering to Lebanon 66952 Choose location for most accurate options Books. Select the department you want to search in. Search Amazon. EN. Hello, sign in ...

  20. Homework is ruining my life : Evans, Greg

    Homework is ruining my life by Evans, Greg. Publication date 1989 Publisher New York : T. Doherty Associates Collection internetarchivebooks; inlibrary; printdisabled Contributor Internet Archive Language English Item Size 439.0M . 1 v Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2023-03-28 05:10:33 ...

  21. I feel like I ruined my life. : r/LifeAdvice

    International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) Need to talk? Befrienders Wordwide. contact the moderators of this subreddit. More like your family ruined it ... Emotional abuse ,and theft.....step one is go to.bank.and change all your passwords or get them ( parents) removed ....step 2 is maybe electric bike ...for transportation ...

  22. My homework ruined my life.

    https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcJrGJMpcUvYE_-HtwABp9LkHPUHw38yO&si=DwpNHoAc3LuM2gkpWELCOME. to another. school rant video. gurlllll my professor tried m...

  23. 3umph

    How to Format Lyrics: Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus; Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines; Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse ...

  24. my life is ruined. what do i do : r/StudentLoans

    You need to refinance for a lower interest rate. This is for private loans. Consolidate your federal ones but keep them federal. Reply reply. Diligent_Status_7762. •. Good advice. If your parents are willing to co-sign to get lower interest on your private loans it could help if your credit is not built up.

  25. Bluey has ruined my life and my relationship with my kids

    Bluey has ruined my life and my relationship with my kids It makes me feel like a rubbish mother. August 27, 2024 12:56 pm (Updated August 28, 2024 9:59 am)