I don't remember homework taking this long when I was growing up. 

That probably means one of three things:

• A) It has been too long since I attended elementary and middle school, so my memory is not accurate, or 
• B) We really did not get that much homework when I was growing up, or
• C) My perception of my kids' current amount of homework is incorrect

I think the answer is B - we did not get that much homework when I was younger - and I have compared notes with other parents whose kids go to different schools, and we all seem to have the same sense of things.

Then again, it is been a long time since any of us were in school, so I concede that the correct answer might well be A or C, or even D (all of the above)...

To be clear - I am not a professional educator, so I am not certain what the "correct" amount of homework should be.

However, my gut feeling is that this may be one of those many instances in life where "less is more."

Full disclosure: I am one of those people that believes there should be physical education in school at least four days a week, and that every kid should participate in at least two sports during every school year, for no other reason then life lessons and social inclusion benefits, let alone health and fitness. To have time and energy for those things, something else has to give...

Still, I may well be wrong: my kids are remarkably focused on getting their work done before going outside to play, which means that the current level of homework is building a sense of purpose, discipline, and resilience in them.