It’s becoming pretty clear that homework is spiraling out of control, even for the youngest of students. Parents everywhere are pushing their kids to tackle assignments, often despite their exhaustion from long school days and dwindling recess time. Should elementary-aged children really be burdened with homework? One mom believes the answer is a resounding no.
Meet Jessica Thompson
Jessica Thompson is the savvy writer behind the popular blog The Honest Parent. Recently, she made waves with a viral post announcing her home will henceforth be a homework-free haven. And parents are cheering in agreement. “My child is officially done with homework. I just dropped a note to her school letting them know she’s finished. I said ‘cut back significantly’ just to be polite, but let’s be real—she’s done,” Thompson writes.
Jessica explains that her 10-year-old daughter has a genuine love for learning, devouring “10-12 chapter books a year” and exploring topics that pique her interest. She’s also involved in various extracurricular activities like coding and art classes. However, over the past four years, Jessica has noticed her daughter becoming increasingly stressed about school. “By stressed, I mean experiencing chest pains, waking up too early, and just dreading the school day,” she shares.
The Pressure Cooker Environment
Many of us are familiar with those anxiety symptoms: tightness in the chest, sleepless nights, and an overwhelming sense of dread. Are we really pushing our kids into this kind of pressure cooker environment just to keep up with schoolwork? That’s pretty alarming.
“Her school hours run from 8:15 AM to 4 PM, so can someone explain why she should then have to tackle 2-3 hours of homework each night?” Jessica questions. That’s a tough one to answer, especially for a 10-year-old. How much is too much? Are we nurturing kids, or just turning them into little robots?
“Does it really make sense for her to have homework until 6:30 PM, then dinner, followed by an hour to either relax or finish that homework before bed?” she wonders. “Is family time not important? Shouldn’t kids have the chance to just be kids in a cozy home environment? Or must they start down the path of becoming junior workaholics at age 10?” This debate is certainly heating up across parenting forums.
A Balanced Approach
Interestingly, one country offers a more balanced approach: Finland. Finnish kindergartners enjoy more recess than their peers worldwide, and older students face less homework overall. They don’t even start school until age 7 and only have one standardized test each year. Yet, they consistently rank at the top for reading, math, and science in international assessments.
“Kids don’t need to spend hours on homework to be successful, yet we act like sitting at the kitchen table after a long school day is the norm,” Jessica points out. “It’s not. IT IS NOT. IT. IS. NOT.”
Rethinking Achievement
When did we collectively decide our children had to be high achievers at all costs? We need to take a step back. The rising levels of anxiety in children and teens can often be traced back to overwhelming performance pressures. And can we really blame them? As adults, we juggle more than ever and rarely stop to take a breath. Americans are working harder and taking fewer vacations than in the past, so it’s no surprise this lifestyle is trickling down to our kids.
Support from Educators
And guess what? Plenty of educators are rallying behind her stance:
- “I’m a fourth-grade teacher and I couldn’t agree more. This year, I haven’t assigned any homework at all, and my students are thriving just as much as those in previous years. Plus, they come into my class far less stressed and more eager to learn.”
- “I’m a fifth-grade math teacher and I stopped giving homework three years ago. The research shows it doesn’t really help and just adds to anxiety.”
- “I’m a teacher too, and most of my colleagues feel the same. We give homework only because we’re told to do so, or because classroom time is consumed by test prep. The only ‘homework’ I assign my first graders is to read for 20 minutes at home, and they don’t even need to turn in a reading log. I simply want them to enjoy reading or be read to.”
“I don’t care if she gets into Harvard someday. I just want her to be intelligent, well-rounded, kind, inspired, charitable, spiritual, and to have balance in her life,” Jessica concludes. “I want her to be mentally and emotionally healthy. Work is just part of life, not the entirety of it. My kid needs to experience being a kid.”
This article first appeared on April 26, 2017, and is a great reminder of the importance of balance in our children’s lives.
Further Reading
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In summary, Jessica Thompson has taken a bold step in declaring her home a homework-free zone, advocating for a healthier, more balanced approach to childhood education. As discussions about the pressures of homework continue, her story resonates with many parents and educators alike, emphasizing the need for kids to enjoy their childhood without the burden of excessive schoolwork.