When it comes to parenting, it can be hard to know which issues are important and which ones are not. According to parenting expert Anne Murphy, a family dinner matters. “Having a family dinner doesn’t only mean hours of sharing various kinds of food,” she said. “It means getting together as long as you can—even if it’s just 15 minutes for pizza. Or make it breakfast or lunch — whatever you can do.”
Never waste your valuable time on TV. Keep the conversation joyful — Murphy thinks it makes a difference. Studies have shown that teenagers whose families eat together are less likely to abuse drugs. They also have better grades and — perhaps most importantly — better relationships with their parents. “It brings more benefit to children than many after-school activities,” she added.
Homework has become a hot issue recently. According to a study, the amount of time kids spend on homework has increased dramatically.
“The point of homework is to make students continue to learn after school hours,” Murphy said. “However, giving too much homework runs the risk of turning kids off school and even worse — turning them off learning in all forms.” They will turn to other things, such as computer games, some of which are violent, or drinking for fun. Therefore, some experts came up with an idea, that is, kindergarteners and first graders get 10 minutes of homework. Second graders get 20 minutes, and so on.
Murphy offered tips to parents who think their children are getting too much homework. “Talk to other parents to see if they also think so, and then talk to the teacher,” she said. “Have a discussion about it, and let the teacher know that you want to work together on a solution.”
【小题1】What do we know about homework from the passage?| A．The time spent on homework shouldn’t be over 10 minutes. |
| B．Too much homework may make students lose interest in studying. |
| C．Homework does not help children continue learning after school. |
| D．Parents should decide the amount of homework for their children. |
| A．children’s time spent on after-school activities is being reduced |
| B．computer games are making children increasingly violent |
| C．it is unnecessary for young children to do homework |
| D．some experts think it necessary to reduce children’s homework |
| A．What matters in parenting. |
| B．How to develop a close relationship with children. |
| C．Family education is important for children. |
| D．Parents say no to too much homework. |
