If we go on to enumerate the importance of homework, the list will be endless. On the other hand, giving too much homework makes a child sick. Worldwide, educational institutions ranging from primary schools to tertiary institutions provide after-class tasks for their students.
Some children have been working on homework since the age of six. Moreover, research shows in affluent homes; most parents prefer their children to be bombarded with homework. Nevertheless, excessive homework can make your child sleep. But how? This article is an eye-opener. Let us find out what the statistics from research have to say.
Is homework making your child sleep deprived?
Research that studied children from wealthy homes explains how bad the situation is; students work on homework for up to three hours at night. According to Denise Pope, a senior lecturer at SGSE (Stanford Graduate School of Education), some children stay up at night for more hours.
Usually, children need at least ten hours of sleep at night. Depriving them three hours out of the ten hours is enough to make your child sick. They already stayed active all day doing school activities. If they don’t get enough rest at night, your child could have both a physical and mental breakdown.
What to know about too much homework
Overworking children with homework increases their stress levels and affects their physical health. According to a study, using a survey of over four thousand three hundred children, fifty-six percent of the students testify that homework is a major stress-causing factor.
Pope explains that there is a connection between the mental stress of students and their physical health. Children that were overworked suffer from health issues such as ulcers, migraines, fatigue, insomnia, and loss of weight.
Does homework make all children sick? Affluent children v. Lower-class children
There is an erroneous belief that homework does not make children from affluent homes sick. According to Suniya, a professor of Psychology, both children from poor homes and wealthy homes are at risk of falling sick from excessive school tasks. She further explains that most American children are at risk.
How long should children spend on homework?
For children between the age of fourteen and eighteen, a maximum of one hundred and twenty minutes is enough. Middle school students do not need above eighty-five minutes of after-class. There are arguments for and against the motion of whether children in primary school need homework to achieve academic success. However, any assignment given to children between the age of five to ten should not take above twenty-five minutes to complete.
Conclusion
The job of every parent is to ensure their kids are in good health. If excessive homework is putting your child at risk, complain to the school authorities so that something can be done about it. When the situation is investigated, you may discover that the home assignments are too much because of some lazy teachers that abandoned their responsibilities. Parents have a responsibility to encourage children to do their home tasks. Nevertheless, you must take your child’s health as a priority especially when the homework is making your child sick.