You know, there is no reason elementary school kids should have regular homework. Don't they have all day in class to do their learning? And then they get sent home? Sounds to me like the teacher's having you do her job for her in what should be family time.
My sibs and I never took more than three hours (when we applied ourselves) on school before high school. Granted, there's a lot of wasted time in a school setting that homeschoolers don't have to worry about, but just what are they doing with the kids all day?
I don't have a problem with ~some~ homework. I see it as a way for the parents to know what their child is being taught and making sure they "get it".
Some kids may not understand the lesson in the way the teacher is explaining it, but maybe mom or dad can explain it in a way that their kids can understand.
But I've always viewed homework as a refresher course for the day. IMHO, it should be about short exercises and light reading to make sure the student grasps the lesson.
And it shouldn't take more than 5 or 10 mintes to go over at home.