homework is terrible

 my kids are still young, in 1st and 3rd grades. I'm not looking forward to the future grades!
I finally pulled my kids out of karate because we just couldn't get everything done in a day on karate nights.
I'm told homework should take 30 minutes plus the reading time, BUT it often takes 2 hours. And trying to get them started ugh! I don't blame them though, who wants to go to school for 6 hours and come home and do 2 hours more. After homework, dinner, and baths, i feel like i haven't had any time to enjoy them before bedtime and they feel like they haven't had any time to just lounge around or have fun.