I've noticed my seven-year-old comes home from school with a new worksheet almost every day, and I'm starting to wonder if the sheer volume of homework in early elementary is actually helping or just burning kids out. We spend about 40 minutes each evening on math drills and spelling lists, and by the end he's often in tears. Is it unreasonable to think that young children should have more free time after a full day of structured learning, or is this nightly practice building the discipline they'll need later? I keep going back and forth, so I'd love to hear how other parents handle this balance between academic reinforcement and childhood play.