I was reading a few articles the other day on kids going back to school. Another busy year of learning and growing. Hopefully they get a teacher that inspires, supports and nurtures them as they try on new subjects to expand their awareness and abilities in life. The wrong one(s) can really be a child’s undoing. Now the concept of homework is changing. The whole concept of learning is changing this year.
School systems are starting to review studies that say younger children in grade school may do best without having homework. I hear a lot of parents exclaiming how wonderful that they don’t have to beg and nag their child to knuckle down and do homework when their ability to focus is not as developed as it will be. Parents have enough to do and with even more limited time to be with their kids they don’t want it to be a mental tug-of-war. However, we probably all remember the ordeal of homework and some of you may think that this will be a mistake (hard to let go).
Rest assured, though, that homework is not going away for all students. They are finding that junior high and high school do better when they do have homework. They have better attention spans and need to learn to focus, set goals and understand that “good things come to them who wait (or finish their homework.)” There is always a give and take in life. Here is where the yin and yang come into a clearer focus—work earns you money, better grades or play time. Since the goal, hopefully, is a better education and job they will be rewarded for the effort put forth.
Make sure your aren’t overburdening your kids, both mentally AND physically. According to the Chiropractic Association, “a child’s backpack should weigh NO MORE than 10% of the child’s weight”.
Check out this link and see a great X-ray of someone carrying a shoulder bag and how you strain your back. It’s not good at any age, but for the growing child, it shouldn’t be allowed.
