Holiday Homework Dilemma: How Assignments Are Disrupting Family Time

With holiday breaks around the corner, many families are gearing up for quality time, relaxation, and a break from the school-year grind. Yet, for numerous parents, a familiar stressor looms: holiday homework. Prodigy's recent national survey delves into how holiday assignments affect family dynamics, raising questions about whether they truly prevent learning loss or simply add stress to precious downtime. By examining the views of over 1,000 parents with K-8 children, the survey uncovers stats on how families feel about holiday homework, what sacrifices they make to accommodate it, and how they tackle the learning gap without school-driven tasks.

Prodigy's findings shed light on a growing concern: while parents want to support their children's education, they also value the mental and emotional breaks that holidays can offer. This report shows how families balance these sometimes-competing priorities and offers insights into the potential impact of reducing holiday homework.

Key Takeaways

• 66% of parents believe holiday homework interferes with quality family time, and 72% want schools to stop assigning it during breaks.
• 53% of parents say holiday homework causes stress for their children during breaks.
• Nearly 1 in 5 parents have had to alter or cancel holiday plans due to their children's homework due dates.
• Nearly 1 in 4 parents (23%) are worried about learning loss over the holiday break, but 72% feel that concerns about holiday learning loss are exaggerated.
• 1 in 6 parents plan to use AI-based tools or apps to help their child maintain learning during the holiday break.

Homework vs. Holidays

• Nearly 2 in 5 Gen Z parents (38%) say holiday homework causes stress for their children during breaks.
• Nearly 1 in 2 parents (46%) say their children receive homework over the holidays. Of those, 21% said their children receive homework for Christmas, 20% for Thanksgiving, and 59% for both holidays.
• Parents of middle school children (69%) were most likely to believe that holiday homework interferes with quality family time during breaks.
• 54% of parents say holiday homework has affected their family's ability to enjoy daily holiday activities.
• 62% of parents feel pressured to help their children with holiday homework, which impacts their relaxation time.
• 73% of parents say their children procrastinate and leave holiday homework until the last minute.
• Nearly 3 in 4 parents (73%) feel holiday breaks should focus only on family time and relaxation without academic pressure.

Parental Concerns Over Holiday Learning Loss

• Gen Z parents (37%) were the most concerned about their child experiencing learning loss during holiday breaks.
• 56% of parents actively engage their children in learning activities during the holidays to prevent academic loss.
• Educational activities parents use to engage their kids during holiday breaks:
• Reading books: 85%
• Educational apps or games: 65%
• Watching educational videos: 48%
• Visiting educational sites: 48%
• Tutoring sessions: 15%
• 1 in 6 parents plan to use AI-based tools or apps to help their child maintain learning during the holiday break. Gen Z parents (38%) were the most likely to do so. 

Methodology

For this campaign, we surveyed 1,039 parents of K-8 children to explore the impact of holiday homework on family dynamics, relaxation, and stress. Among the respondents, 50% had children in elementary school, 35% in middle school, and 14% in kindergarten.

The generational breakdown is as follows:

• Gen Z 8%
• Millennials 62%
• Gen X 28%
• Baby boomers 1%

The survey was conducted in October 2024. Methodology percentages don't total 100 due to rounding.

About Prodigy

Prodigy Education is a global leader in game-based learning. Our mission is to help every student in the world love learning, motivating millions worldwide via fun, secure, and accessible curriculum-aligned gameplay experiences. At Prodigy Education, we believe maximizing student motivation helps develop a lifetime love of learning. Prodigy's approach to fun, game-based learning means kids no longer have to choose between homework and playtime. Visit www.prodigygame.com to learn more.

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