Mom Talk Q&A: Too Much Homework?

Moms Talk is a new feature on Sayville Patch that is part of a new initiative on our Patch sites to reach out to moms and families.

Sayville Patch invites you and your circle of friends to help build a community of support for mothers and their families right here in Sayville.

Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of experts and smart moms take your questions, give advice and share solutions.

Moms, dads, grandparents and the diverse families who make up our community will have a new resource for questions about local neighborhood schools, the best pediatricians, 24-hour pharmacies and the thousands of other issues that arise while raising children.

Moms Talk will also be the place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic. Do you know of local moms raising their children in the Tiger Mother's way and is it the best way? Where can we get information on local flu shot clinics for children? How do we talk to our children about the Tucson shootings? How can we help our children's schools weather their budget cutbacks?

So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation today.

This Week’s Question: Too much homework? How long are your children spending each day on homework?

Donna Haakonson: The golden rule is usually 10 minutes times whatever grade the student is in. For example, a third grader should have about 30 minutes of homework. If an elementary school aged child is spending an hour or more on their homework, I would share the concern with his/her teacher.

Alisa Drinkwater: My 11th grader does not have much, less than onehour, but she has a free period in school, in which she does most of it. My 10th grader seems to have 2-3 hours of homework. Homework, and projects and labs – it is way to much.