5 Reasons Why Your Children Shouldn’t Have to Do Homework

We’ve all been there.

Crouched around the kitchen table forcing your tired, brain-dead primary schooler to slug their way through that last homework sheet before you both collapse in a tired heap.

Are you over homework yet? We are, and after running the research, we can’t believe we’ve been falling for it for so long. Homework is a con! It’s bad for you, bad for your teachers, and yes even bad for your kids.

Here’s why…

1. Learning doesn’t just happen at a table.

In recent years, we’ve fallen into this strange frame of mind that children can only learn something if they’re sitting at a table, pencil in hand, with a worksheet in front of them. How did this happen? Kids learn all the time. The very nature of childhood is learning, and with each question asked and answered, kids learn a little more. So why box kids in with bland worksheets that don’t ignite their passion for anything? Instead, let them spend time with you, try a new hobby, or simply play in the wild world. You’ll find they do as much learning there as anywhere else.

2. Homework doesn’t inspire kids to learn.

Children’s brains are flexible when it comes to learning, and they constantly change as new information is fed into the system. But at some point, that information needs to be absorbed and converted into something useful. Unfortunately, instead of giving children time in the afternoon to do this, we’re forcing them to learn more and do more work. This isn’t making them excited about learning. It’s taking kids that are already tired from their day and eager to burn off the energy of sitting down and confining them to a chair to do yet more schoolwork. If that’s not a recipe for stressed kids who don’t want school, we don’t know what is.

3. No homework is good for parents.

If you’ve got kids, we don’t need to tell you just how much of a burden homework can be. Your kids are stressed about the deadlines and the idea of failure, you’re stressed from trying to get them to sit down and complete everything lest it reflect badly on you, and your family is stressed from a lack of time to just be together and relax. There just isn’t any balance here, especially not when families are already juggling extracurricular activities that allow children to extend themselves beyond the realms of school. Where’s the time when homework is also on the table?

4. Homework is not about forming good habits.

Many people argue that homework forms good habits that children will use later in life, and therefore, it cannot be done away with. The problem is, there’s nothing to support this idea. In fact, kids do more homework now than ever before, but there isn’t any proof that they’re more prepared for higher education, that they manage their time better, that they think more independently or anything like that. The truth is that kids adapt at various points in their lives, and as they grow into adulthood, they will become better time managers with good work habits and the ability to think independently. But how many adults do you know that can do this without years of primary school homework behind them? We bet you’re one!

5. There’s no educational benefit.

Yep, you might need to read that one twice, but we swear we aren’t lying. There is absolutely zero scientific research out there that supports the academic benefit of homework into outside school activities for children under 14 or 15. None. Professor Harris Cooper, one of the most respected researchers on homework in the world states that “there is no evidence that any amount of homework improves the academic performance of primary school students”. So for all that stress, all those tears, and all that time your child is missing out on the experience of being a carefree child, they’re no better for it.

But”¦

Just because we don’t agree with homework, doesn’t mean we don’t agree with learning. There are always things that you can do as a parent to get your child excited about learning new things, and about the many discoveries that await them as they move through life. So although you might be a homework ignorer, continue to encourage them to read and explore their own projects.

Reading is as simple as regular trips to the library and a set aside time each night before bed where screens are off and stories are on. At home, projects could be anything from painting a picture to helping you cook dinner. Both reading and discovery challenge kids to learn in different ways, and see the world in a new light.

Talking To Your Child’s School

It can be a challenge to broach the topic of homework with your child’s school, especially if your desire for them not to be given homework is directly at odds with the school’s policy. But, it’s so important, it really is worth talking about, and if you’re looking for something to get you started, we recommend this letter, which respected parenting speaker Dr. Justin Coulson sends to his children’s school every year.

Do you agree that children shouldn’t do homework?