It is normal for kids to need some help with their homework but in some cases, parents are offering too much assistance, and this is hindering their children for many reasons.

It has been found that children whose parents help a lot with their homework may not perform any better on tests than those who do it all by themselves.

According to the findings of a recent global survey that examined parents' attitudes about schools and their involvement in their children's education. In a survey of more than 27,000 parents from 29 countries, the London-based Varkey Foundation found one-quarter of parents worldwide spend seven or more hours a week helping their children with homework.

It found that parents in India helped their children the most, spending an average of 12 or more hours each week helping with homework and reading to their children. While parents in Japan spent the least, about 2.6 hours. American parents, clocked in 6.2 hours, were just below the global average of 6.7 hours.

The foundation asked parents how much time they spend helping their children and whether they believe the time spent is sufficient. It provided interesting findings including:

Almost 40 percent of parents in Colombia, reported spending seven or more hours helping with homework, but the average PISA score there was 416. That's over a hundred points lower than Japan, where 45 percent of parents said they did not help their children at all, yet the average PISA score was 538.

Germany had a high percentage of parents who said they don't help their children with homework (36 percent compared with 19 percent in the U.S.), but the average German PISA score was 509, higher than that of the United States.

Overall one-third of parents said they spent too little time helping their children, and half said it’s because they’re busy with other tasks. The study proved that children can work alone but also that with or without help and it shouldn’t dictate their test results. This is encouraging news for busy families in Ireland.  

Homework is a big issue in households around Ireland, with many parents complaining that homework causes stress for both them and their children and interferes with family events and of course, where is the free time to exercise? In the 1960’s homework was phased out (albeit a little depending on schools) so that students could benefit from social experiences and outdoor activities as well as creative time outs. However, in the later years it once again came back into focus and is now a very big part of education in Ireland.

Homework is apparently good for children because it helps them learn how to study and manage time. It gives them an opportunity to show parents what they are learning and fosters independence and responsibility. However, it is best if children learn to study by themselves and work quietly. Parents should wait and let their children try to complete homework alone and if their child asks for help, of course; help.

Just not too much!

Written by Emma Hayes, Staff Writer, with Family Friendly HQ.