Excessive homework is a reality that more and more families are complaining about.Some time ago, and just as an example, one mother reached nearly 100.000 signatures on her petition through the "Change.org" platform. Their message was clear and unequivocal: Children between the ages of 6 and 12 should not systematically have homework to take home.During school hours, they already carry out enough tasks without having to extend their days even further when they get home.
If we think about it, our children already have schedules very similar to those of an adultThey are unable to disconnect from classroom tasks, their leisure time is limited, and homework erodes their well-being. his childhood under excessive pressure that forces them to arrive at bedtime just in time, without having enjoyed a few hours of play, family time or simple rest. They "forget" to be children and become little people subjected to "multitasking" or multiprocessing, a dimension whose effects have serious consequences for the child's brain and emotional development.
In recent years, various international organizations such as the OECD and the WHO, as well as numerous studies in child psychology, have focused on this problem: Excessive homework and academic pressure are generating stress, anxiety, and discomfort in childhoodIt doesn't just affect children; it also disrupts family balance, generates daily arguments, and creates a very tense relationship with school and learning.
Duties in excess, when we cross the limit of the pedagogical
It seems that we have reached a point where many schools forget a vital aspect: Children need to play to grow, learn, and develop holisticallyFree play, unstructured time, and the possibility of being bored are as much a part of learning as mathematics or reading.
However, in practice, most schools and many teachers conceive of studying and schoolwork as an absolute priority that must extend beyond school hoursIn this way, the school day does not end when the bell rings: it continues at home, in the library, at the academy and in extracurricular activities, leaving very little room for rest.
This overloaded model creates a context where the child lives almost all day under performance and evaluation demandsAdded to this is the social pressure to get good grades, the comparisons between classmates, and the sometimes excessive expectations of some families who want their children to excel in everything.
Several child health reports have warned that when the academic workload is excessive, Physical and emotional problems increaseHeadaches, abdominal discomfort, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, irritability, anxiety, sadness, or lack of motivation. All of these can appear even at a very young age, from the start of primary school.
The current problem that many children experience would be, broadly speaking, the following:
- They don't feel a clear disconnect between the classroom and homeBoth scenarios become spaces where objectives must be achieved, tasks completed, and coexistence is a reality. anxiety if they don't meet all the requirements.
- Children's schedules are hardly different from those of adults.Sometimes, many parents are surprised to find that all subjects assign a certain amount of homework, without any coordination between them.
- There is no real consensus among the different curricular areas when it comes to regulating or prioritizing a specific type of task. Music, art, social studies, language arts, math, English, or computer science each have their own homework assignments, adding up minutes and hours without an overall vision.
- For many children, finishing school means... start other extracurricular activities (languages, sports, music, academic support...). If we add homework to that, the level of stress and exhaustion they can reach is very worrying.
- Families become that indispensable support for completing homeworkThey supervise, care for, and help. It is therefore "an obligation" that in many cases can overwhelm mothers and fathers, generating arguments, feelings of guilt, and a sense of failure.
- In fact, Family stress due to excessive homework is very common in our societyHomework becomes a daily source of conflict, instead of being a reasonable educational tool.
Consequences for the child of excessive homework
Francesco Tonucci, one of the most interesting educational psychologists today, is clear on this: Homework, as it is often presented, is a pedagogical mistake and an abuseThe reason? The reality is that they don't always achieve the goals they seek, and instead, they generate suffering and a rejection of learning.
Research and clinical experience in child psychology show that an overload of schoolwork It can trigger sleep problems, mood swings, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, and, in more severe cases, depressive symptoms or behavioral problems. The developing brain of a child is especially sensitive to chronic stress.
Furthermore, school is not the only source of pressure. Many children also participate in multiple extracurricular activities (sports, music, languages, academic support…), which further reduces their opportunities to play and rest. Although these activities can be very enriching, when they are added to homework and the school day, they become another source of stress and exhaustion.
In this context, the role of mothers and fathers is key to balancing growth and mental healthIt's not just about helping with homework, but about protecting playtime, leisure time and downtime, and questioning when a schedule is overloaded.
We can stand out several consequences from excessive homework and academic pressure:
- Homework would be useful for those students with learning difficulties or need for reinforcement in instrumental areas. However, in many cases these students also need help at home to meet these requirements, and Not all families have the time, resources, or knowledge to provide the support a child needs..
- Children who suffer from excessive homework throughout primary school lose part of their childhood.Our children need play to learn and grow. Beyond school hours, a child's main "homework" should be play. accumulate positive experiences, sensations and emotionsExplore, move, create, and connect.
- Currently, the only thing their brains often integrate is the stress of achieving academic goals: finishing problems, multiplications, essays, outlines, summaries, group work… After this, they will only have time for dinner and bed, often with the feeling of not having accomplished everything.
- Insufficient rest and sustained stress can lead to sleeping problemsThey have trouble falling asleep, wake up during the night, or wake up feeling more tired. This affects their performance the next day and their mood.
- We must take into account that the Children's neural structures are maturing in these crucial early stages. Allowing a child to grow up with the same pressure as an adult generates anxiety problems, lack of attention, difficulties in emotional regulation, and low self-esteem. It must be taken into account.
- Prolonged stress doesn't just affect the mind: it also manifests itself in physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach aches, muscle tension, tachycardia, appetite problems, or increased vulnerability to illness due to a weakened immune system.
Stress, extracurricular activities, and lack of time for play
It is common nowadays for children to be involved in a wide variety of extracurricular activitiesSports, music, languages, academic support, robotics, theater, etc. While all of these can contribute to developmental benefits, when combined with a heavy homework load and long school days, they can lead to... very high level of stress and exhaustion.
Child psychologists and pediatricians agree that many children end the day as tired as an adult after a long day at workIt's not just physical exhaustion: it's mental and emotional burnout. The feeling of constantly going "from one thing to another" without time to breathe leaves children in a state of almost constant alert.
Child psychology experts point out that, on average, many children spend about eight hours at schoolIn addition to this, there is a significant amount of homework, since Spain is one of the countries that He assigns more homework to the students to do at home. If we add several extracurricular activities per week, the result is full schedules, little free time, and children who arrive at night truly exhausted.
This combination of excessive homework and overload of activities It has clear consequences: less spontaneous play, less family time, less rest, more stress, and a greater likelihood of emotional or behavioral problems appearing.
Among the possible signs Regarding the possibility that a child is overloaded, specialists highlight the following:
- Changes in behaviorThey are more irritable, sensitive, cry easily, or react disproportionately to minor setbacks.
- constant fatigueThey are tired despite theoretically sleeping enough hours, they have trouble getting up, and they complain of exhaustion or lack of energy.
- Decline in school performance: grades drop or they appear more disorganized and absent-minded; not because "they don't try hard", but because they are overwhelmed.
- Physical and emotional health problems: headaches, stomach aches, muscle tension, anxiety, sadness or apathy.
Homework yes or homework no?
Homework can be beneficial, but always in moderation and geared towards a very clear educational goal.: reinforce what has been learned in class, consolidate study habits and promote autonomywithout prohibiting moments of leisure, rest and growth for the child outside the classroom.
It's not so much a "homework yes or no" debate as it is a question What type of homework, how many, and for what purpose?Homework should not be a mechanical extension of what has already been done in class, nor a way to "finish the syllabus" at the expense of family time.
Educational research shows that More homework does not necessarily translate into better academic resultsIn fact, when a certain volume is exceeded, resistance, demotivation, and stress increase, and the supposed academic benefit disappears. A small number of well-designed, meaningful, and age-appropriate tasks are more effective than a mountain of repetitive exercises.
A key aspect is that the homework should be proportionate to the child's age and developmental levelIt makes no sense to expect a primary school student to manage the same workload as a high school student. Nor is it reasonable for an entire afternoon to be consumed by schoolwork, preventing them from playing, playing sports, or spending time with their family.
In this sense, many family associations, psychologists, and educators insist on the importance of homework respecting a healthy balance between effort, rest and leisureand that they never become a source of daily distress.
What studies and institutions say
In international comparative studies It has been observed that:
- Spain is among the countries that assign the most homework hours. to its students aged between 6 and 12, with more than 6 hours per week in many cases.
- The greater the workload, greater rejection and greater stress on the part of the children. Added to this is the exhaustion of the parents, who have to deal with the resistance and overwhelm of their children.
- The Spanish Confederation of Associations of Parents of Students (Onion) denounces that homework has become, in many cases, an extension of the school day rather than a reasonable reinforcement.
- WHO reports on child health show that a A very high proportion of children and adolescents feel pressured by school and homework.and they link this pressure to more headaches, physical discomfort, sadness, tension and nervousness.
- It has also been observed that homework can increase socioeconomic inequalitiesStudents from families with more resources (economic, cultural or time-related) tend to have more support, while other children face the tasks practically alone.
Possible solutions
Above all, we need a real consensus among educational bodies where teachers, professors, management teams, psychologists and parent associations reach logical and, above all, pedagogical agreements.
Some axes The following would be points to consider:
- Homework should not be a substitute for classworkbut a complement to reinforce what has been learned from another more playful, practical and interesting approach.
- When a child sees their schedule full of homework, He gets stressed immediately and his motivation decreases.Homework should never be a source of daily anxiety.
- The purpose of the tasks should be to reinforce what has been learned and help the child practice in the effort, organization and time planningAll of this is best achieved when the activities are attractive and motivating, connected with their interests and their reality.
- It is advisable to introduce them more frequently research projects or project-based work as a form of homework. A topic is proposed for research that can integrate various areas of the curriculum: language, science, mathematics, art… In this way, the child becomes more involved, feels active agent of their learning and develops skills such as information retrieval, critical thinking, and creativity.
- It is also important that schools establish common criteria regarding the amount of homework per course and per day, coordinating the different teachers to avoid overwhelming the students.
The homework that many children bring home today creates dependence on the family. To achieve these goals, frustration, low self-esteem, and high stress levels are common. It is necessary to rethink this approach and consider the emotional well-being of children and work-life balance for families.
Excessive homework is not only not educational, but It directly affects the child's health and family dynamics.It's not about completely eliminating any household chores, but about designing them meaningfully, in moderation, and with respect for the real needs of children.
Strategies for mothers and fathers dealing with excessive homework and school stress
Beyond the necessary changes at the education system level, families can apply concrete strategies to reduce the impact of excessive homework and school stress in everyday life. It won't always be possible to reduce the amount of homework, but we can help children experience it in a healthier way.
First, it is essential to create a open communication environmentEncourage children to express how they feel about school, what they find difficult, what overwhelms them, and what they need. Listen without judgment and take their complaints seriously when they ask for more playtime or say they feel tired.
It is also important to periodically review the extracurricular activities agendaSometimes, in our desire to offer the best, we end up filling their afternoons with obligations. Asking them which activities they truly enjoy and which could be eliminated helps reclaim space for rest and unstructured leisure.
Other helpful guidelines For mothers and fathers they are:
- Set clear boundaries about how much time will be dedicated to homework each afternoon, adapted to the age, and respect those limits as much as possible.
- Organize a schedule with well-differentiated blocks for studying, playing, having dinner and relaxing, avoiding doing everything in a hurry or chaining activities together without a break.
- Take care of the physical workspace: a quiet place, without television or other distracting devices turned on, with good lighting and materials at hand.
- Foment short rest breaks during homework time so that the brain recovers and concentration improves.
- Teach little ones Relaxation (deep breathing, gentle stretching, mindfulness adapted to children) so that they can better manage anxiety.
- Prioritize family time No homework or screens: board games, walks, conversation… These are moments that reduce pressure and strengthen the emotional bond.
- Help them to organize large tasks (assignments, exams) by dividing them into smaller, more manageable steps, so that they are not overwhelmed.
- Be alert to warning signs such as extreme tiredness, intense irritability, sleep problems, lack of appetite, demotivation, or fear of going to schooland consult a professional when these symptoms become frequent or intense.
For some time now, many families, teachers, and mental health professionals have agreed on one thing: Childhood needs less pressure and more balance.Homework and academic activities can be valuable tools if used in moderation, but when they become a daily burden that steals playtime, rest, and joy, it's time to rethink them. Supporting our children, listening to their needs, and protecting their leisure and quiet time is a powerful way to care for their present well-being and their future as more confident, balanced, and happy adults.