Teens (13 - 19)
The trouble with homework
Workload strain
In fact, perhaps the greatest drawback of homework for many parents is the strain it places on family life. We all know that when a child is struggling to complete homework, the tension that results can affect all members of the family. Parents have been led to believe that homework is a sign of good teaching, or that when their children spend long hours hitting the books at home, they are 'being prepared for the real world'. Consequently, we as parents may be caught in a state of cognitive dissonance, asking for something that is fundamentally at odds with our own interests.
Some parents think that without lengthy homework, children will simply spend more time in front of the television. Certainly, increased TV time will be a possibility for some, but in our eyes, the amount of television watched has many causes. One factor is fatigue itself. But how many well-educated and serious adults simply flop in front of the TV when they are tired?
For children, deciding whether to watch TV or engage in other pursuits will often depend on the available alternatives. When children are well rested and there is a range of recreational activities available to them - playing with other kids, singing or doing art projects - kids will gravitate toward such activities. But a child's workload is surely one of the greatest limits to such opportunities.
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