TAP top app download banner
theAsianparent Philippines Logo
theAsianparent Philippines Logo
EnglishFilipino
Product Guide
Sign in
  • Money Tips
    • Savings
    • Insurance
    • Loans
    • Investments
    • Government Benefits
  • Building a BakuNation
  • Becoming a Parent
    • Trying to Conceive
    • Pregnancy
    • Delivery
    • Losing a Baby
    • Project Sidekicks
  • Ages & Stages
    • Baby
    • Toddler Years
    • Preschool Age
    • Kids
    • Preteen & Teen
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • News
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Health & Wellness
    • Diseases & Injuries
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
    • COVID-19
  • Education
    • Preschool
    • K-12
    • Special Education Needs
  • Lifestyle Section
    • Celebrities
    • Contests & Promotions
    • Home
    • Travel and Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Fitness
    • Wellness
    • Money
  • Become a VIP
  • Press Room
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping

This mom wants teachers to know that she’s not letting her son do his homework

3 min read
This mom wants teachers to know that she’s not letting her son do his homework

Doing school work at home is basically an extended period of begging children focus. No thanks, said Maria.

Maria Guido has a message for teachers: “don’t bother sending it home, I’m not forcing my grade-schooler to do homework.” In her article of the same title published on Scary Mommy, she details why she is against this common school practice.

“Schooling is mandatory, homework for elementary children isn’t,” she said. “And forcing my 5-year-old child to sit down and concentrate on homework after he’s already spent six hours at school is something I actually have control over.”

Her house, her rules.

Doing school work at home is basically an extended period of begging children focus. No thanks, said Maria.

READ: 10 ways moms can make study time fun for their kids

Everyday kids are being sent home with loads of school work waiting to be done, but Maria says that you have an option to opt out.

She says, “So often we fall into this ‘must follow the rules’ mentality when it comes to dealing with any kind of bureaucracy that we forget that we actually have choices.”

Maria then mentions Heather Shumaker’s article, “Why Parents Should Not Make Kids Do Homework.”

A comprehensive study by Duke University psychologist and neuroscientist Harris Cooper revealed that homework’s benefits are highly age dependent.

“High schoolers benefit if the work is under two hours a night, middle schoolers receive a tiny academic boost, and elementary-aged kids? It’s better to wait.”

READ: Homework Help—Tips for parents and kids!

Then Maria cites a research reviewed by The Washington Post’s Valerie Strauss on the effects of homework on children.

“First, no research has ever found a benefit to assigning homework (of any kind or in any amount) in elementary school,” Valerie said.

“In fact, there isn’t even a positive correlation between, on the one hand, having younger children do some homework (vs. none), or more (vs. less), and, on the other hand, any measure of achievement.”

She argues that if parents are making our children 12 and below do homework, it’s that they were misinformed about what the evidence says or because they think kids ought to have to do homework despite what the evidence says.

Maria ends her argument by asking, “So what are we doing?”

She says that parents like her are doing what they’re told—but why?

“If we know our elementary-aged kids aren’t even focusing on their homework, much less finishing it or benefiting from it—why are we making them do it? I have no idea.”

Partner Stories
New to the Mom Game? Celebrate Mother's Day with These Awesome Deals and Activities
New to the Mom Game? Celebrate Mother's Day with These Awesome Deals and Activities
Parents, here's what you should do when your child sees you and your spouse fighting
Parents, here's what you should do when your child sees you and your spouse fighting
#SendLoveWithBebeBata
#SendLoveWithBebeBata
3 Game Changing Baby Products that’s Now Available
3 Game Changing Baby Products that’s Now Available

If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ to stay up-to-date on the latest from theAsianparent.com Philippines!

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

James Martinez

Become a Contributor

  • Home
  • /
  • Parenting
  • /
  • This mom wants teachers to know that she’s not letting her son do his homework
Share:
  • To the Mom Who Sold Her Two-Week-Old Baby for ₱45,000: A Mom-to-Mom Open Letter

    To the Mom Who Sold Her Two-Week-Old Baby for ₱45,000: A Mom-to-Mom Open Letter

  • Teaching Children Problem-Solving Skills to Thrive When Parents Can’t Always Be There

    Teaching Children Problem-Solving Skills to Thrive When Parents Can’t Always Be There

  • The Power of Storytelling: Why Children Still Need to Hear Stories in the Age of Video

    The Power of Storytelling: Why Children Still Need to Hear Stories in the Age of Video

powered by
  • To the Mom Who Sold Her Two-Week-Old Baby for ₱45,000: A Mom-to-Mom Open Letter

    To the Mom Who Sold Her Two-Week-Old Baby for ₱45,000: A Mom-to-Mom Open Letter

  • Teaching Children Problem-Solving Skills to Thrive When Parents Can’t Always Be There

    Teaching Children Problem-Solving Skills to Thrive When Parents Can’t Always Be There

  • The Power of Storytelling: Why Children Still Need to Hear Stories in the Age of Video

    The Power of Storytelling: Why Children Still Need to Hear Stories in the Age of Video

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Money Tips
  • Building a BakuNation
  • Pregnancy
  • Parenting
  • Lifestyle Section
  • FAMILY & HOME
  • TAP Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
© Copyright theAsianparent 2025. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it