Wearing out my welcome

Our latest stop on our homeless sojourn (but see below!) is at the home of one of LPC’s many gracious families.  Becky and I invaded their house on Wednesday and they’ve been so hospitable in providing such poor wayfaring strangers a roof over our heads and a warm bed to sleep in for.  But I’m afraid I’m already jeopardizing my welcome. 

Ryan is the 14-year old son and he has lots of homework.  He was doing homework when we showed up on Wednesday evening and he was doing homework last night when we got back from Faith Acts.  Ryan’s homework got me to thinking about a study they’d done on homework a few years ago. Time Magazine, the Washington Post, Slate, and Newsday were among the many who reported on it at the time.

The results of the study, and the conclusions of other similar findings, were publicized in full length books with provocative titles like The Homework Myth and The Case Against Homework.  According to the researchers, too much homework makes Johnny and Mary sad kids.  And no smarter than otherwise.  In fact, one of the studies shows that kids who do only one hour of homework per night have better test scores than the kids who do two or more hours per night.  Turns out that it may be better for younger children to build tree houses and play dolls and older kids to ride bike, play sandlot baseball (no adult organizers, please) and, yes, go to youth group.  By the way, if you are wondering, your kids do have more homework than you did.  If you were in high school in 1981, you averaged 52 minutes of homework per night.  Your kids are averaging 128 minutes. 

So when Ryan came up for air at some point in his third hour of homework, I told him what I could remember about the studies.  He said he’d like to know more.  I think his parents were wishing I’d say less.  I’m going to try to be more careful about what I tell Ryan and his older brother over the course of the next two weeks in hopes that I’ll still have a bed to sleep in and a roof over my head until we make the move to our own house. 

But I’m still thinking about too much homework.  I haven’t seen any studies that support my idea, but I’m wondering if sometimes we Christians can get too much of a good thing, too.  Like too much talk and too much thinking and even too much praying rather than getting out and sharing the life of Jesus in word and in deed.