Does Homework Negatively Affect Kids?

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In the early years of a child’s life, the brain is capable of absorbing information exceeding the ability that of adults. Because of this, many schools determine that they will give these developing young minds homework, hoping that the children will retain the skills they are being taught. Although this philosophy does seem logical, giving homework to children can lead to a myriad of problems. Such problems include lack of physical activity, lack of bonding with their parents, and increased stress levels. According to Parker, researcher and senior lecturer Denise Pope from Stanford University "...found that too much homework can negatively affect kids, especially their lives away from school, where family, friends and activities matter” (1). Homework affects a broad area in the lives of children to the extent that it should not be required. Outside of school many children participate in extracurricular activities. These activities can concede many hours of a child’s time to the point that when they get home it is time for dinner, then to the bath, and finally to bed. If a child participates in these types of activities, there is no time for them to complete their homework. A few possible solutions do exist, however. The child can stay up later and sacrifice sleep to complete the homework or stop the activities entirely to dedicate the time to homework. Doing so, however, causes the child to lose out on important developmental opportunities. “The Ecological Study of After-School Care (described in Table 1) revealed that third graders who spent more time than their peers in enrichment activities received better grades in conduct and were reported by their teachers to have better work habits, better relationships with peers, and better emotional adjustment” (Vandell and Shumow 1). The information proves that extracurricular activities improves grades, and they also increase the social skills of the child that are valuable for their future. Every parent yearns for their child to remain as youthful as possible so they can enjoy the little moments. To savor the moments in life, parents and children need time together. “Lost time is never found again” (Franklin). When a child is doing homework it is taking away from the instances they could be spending with their parents making memories. Rather than sitting indoors doing homework, a child could be outside learning to play catch, to swim, or to ride a bike. Homework will take away these precious moments in a child’s life and replace them with memories of seemingly endless amounts of homework. Stress is a powerful feeling that can damage one’s mind and body. According to a survey by KidsHealth, 36% of kids were most stressed out with homework and school (“What Kids” 1). Many of the children in the survey claimed that when they were upset with themselves, they …show more content…
Homework, it was believed, could accelerate knowledge acquisition” (Gavani). The more modern idea of homework began in the 1950’s as a result of the Russian Satellite Sputnik. As time went on, parents became worried that homework drowned out social experiences and outdoor and creative activities. Parents at the time understood the negative effects of homework. Nevertheless, homework has managed to stayed an active part in every child’s life up to this point in history. Society should open their eyes to the fact that homework is filled with negative aspects and should be

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