Homework sucks. And my kid hates it too.

I used to roll my eyes at parents who "did" homework with their kids.

I felt that at a certain point the most you should do is make sure your kid did everything, but it was up to them to sink or swim.

How else would the teacher know what was sticking and what wasn't?

But it soon became apparent that if I didn't make sure he understood the concepts then everything that followed was pointless. Math is his weakness. It was for me too.

Most of the time when he says "I don't get it," he really doesn't. I get that. It was me.

"Does he actually attend school?" my husband asked testily one night after my son got nearly every problem on his math worksheet wrong.

Here's my biggest problem with homework: First, as they get older the amount they get grows exponentially (exponentials, another math concept he doesn't "get"). Honestly I think it's too much. I think much of it is busy work. And I feel bad for him.

If you had to go to your job all day, stay hyper-focused with very few breaks, had to be an expert in five extremely different areas then come home and dig into another couple hours of work, eat, shower and go to sleep how would you like it?

Oh, and factor in if, God forbid, you want to have a hobby. Squeeze that in too.

I feel so bad for him. We expect so much of our kids.

Does anyone else feel this way?

I think our kids would be better served with longer term projects that they could work on a little at a time so they could both learn the material and how to manage their time. I find when he has assignments like that he is far more diligent about getting it right, rather than getting it done.

It would be wonderful if teachers were able to identify children who are consistently struggling with their lessons and give those students homework that simplifies the concepts and then pushes them to apply them. That type of homework makes a lot of sense to me.

Allowing a portion of each day to work with those kids while others have a chance to get a head start on their projects or homework makes a lot of sense to me.

Instead I watch him struggle, wilt under the fatigue, get stressed out and I feel bad for him.

I know our teachers are doing their best. I cannot think of a more important job, and we all know that each of our lives has been touched and affected by a few great teachers.

I know many are mandated to work the way they do. But I would ask everyone involved with the education of our children to spend one month working the way they do, and then decide if it's the best way to get the most out of our children.

Am I the only one who feels this way?