What If Homework Is Hurting More Than Helping?

EA Academy
Aug 25
2 min read

Updated: Sep 9

Homework: A Modern Family Struggle

Father and child look stressed at a cluttered table with books and laptop in a dimly lit kitchen. Text reads "Homework or Home Stress?"

It starts out with good intentions:

You want your child to be responsible. To succeed. To stay ahead.

But night after night, you find yourself in the same place:

Reminding them to finish
Watching the frustration rise
Feeling the tension between wanting to help — and wanting it to be over

If homework has become the most stressful part of your family's day…you’re not failing. You’re seeing what the research has been trying to tell us.

The Truth: Homework Isn’t Helping

Most parents assume that homework equals academic growth. But according to a major meta-analysis by Duke University, that’s not true — at least not in the younger years.

Finding: Homework has no measurable academic benefit in elementary school.

Source: Harris Cooper, Duke University

So if it’s not boosting achievement… what is it doing?

The Hidden Cost: Stress, Conflict, and Burnout

A 2014 Stanford study of high-performing students revealed something troubling:

56% said homework was their #1 source of stress.
Many reported headaches, sleep deprivation, and family conflict.

And this isn’t just for older kids.

A study in the Journal of Experimental Education found that even students in grades 3–6 showed signs of:

Emotional strain
Reduced sleep
Constant pressure from take-home assignments

So… Why Are We Still Doing It?

Homework became a norm decades ago. But our world has changed — and so has our understanding of how kids learn.

At Extraordinary Adventures Academy (EAA), we believe that real learning sticks when it’s:

Purpose-driven
Mastery-based
Intrinsically motivated — not forced by stress

Instead of homework, our learners:

Engage in real-world projects
Set their own academic goals
Leave school energized, not exhausted

What Would You Trade Homework Battles For?

Family plays a board game at a kitchen table, smiling warmly under soft lighting. Cozy evening setting with plants and rustic decor.

A calmer evening? A deeper conversation with your child? Time to explore, build, rest — or just be?

For our families, that shift has been life-changing:

“Our nights used to be all about homework. Now they’re about connection.”— EAA Parent

Is It Really Worth It?

If homework is hurting your child’s love of learning…

If it’s draining your time and energy as a family…

Is it really worth it?

Imagine evenings without the homework stress.