'What Matters' in Parenting
Oct. 16, 2006 — -- When it comes to parenting, it can be hard to know which issues are important and which ones are not.
Even experts disagree on how families should prioritize.
"Good Morning America" parenting contributor Anne Pleshette Murphy recently broke down three fundamental parenting concerns: family dinners, homework, and the importance of an Ivy League education.
According to Murphy, a family dinner matters, though today's times don't reflect that.
"It's not a Norman Rockwell, 'Leave It to Beaver' world anymore," she said. "With so many after-school activities, only about a third of us families eat dinner together most nights."
But Murphy says the quest to sit down at the table is not hopeless.
"Having a family dinner doesn't mean hours of multicourse meals," she said. "It means getting together for as long as you can -- even if it's just 15 minutes for pizza. Or make it breakfast or lunch -- whatever you can do."
Turn off the TV, don't pick up the phone, and keep the conversation upbeat -- Murphy says it makes a difference.
"A key study by Columbia University has found that teens whose families eat together are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. They also have less stress, better grades and -- perhaps most importantly -- better relationships with their parents," she said.
Homework has become a hot-button issue of late.
According to a study by the University of Michigan, the amount of time kids spend on homework has increased 51 percent since 1981.
"The point of homework is for learning to continue after school hours," Murphy said. "However, piling too much on runs the risk of turning kids off of school and even worse -- turning them off learning in all forms, such as reading for pleasure."
A recent Gallup/University of Illinois Extension study found a negative relationship between test scores and the amount of homework.
