Homework can be a challenge for kids too. Aside from the work itself, homework can also mean time alone in their quiet room. Toiling away in search of answers to word or math problems in isolation, homework can seem like punishment instead of an important part of your child’s education.
But homework doesn’t need to be a chore or a struggle for kids or parents. There are ways to make the task less stressful, less lonely, and even more fun. You can help your kids focus on their schoolwork by creating a dedicated space for them to work.
Many parents place their children at the kitchen or dining room table to complete their schoolwork. This gives parents a little oversight, ensuring they stay focused and avoid social media, phone calls, and internet distractions.
However, kids then need to unpack their supplies before each homework session. Lost pens, forgotten notepads, or lost supplies can disrupt or derail homework sessions before they even start, leading to frustration on both the children and the parent’s part.
By giving your kids their own personal homework station in a common area, such as the kitchen or living room, necessary resources will always be ready for the next afternoon or evening of schoolwork.
A dedicated space can also be personalized for each child, making it easier for them to take ownership and even enjoy the work at hand. Instead of setting up a temporary workspace that needs to be cleared away before dinner, give your kids their own desk nearby.
Here are a few great ideas for homework stations to reduce stress and help your kids stay productive.
Pick the Best Spot
By placing a homework station in a common area, you can help keep your kids from feeling isolated while providing supervision. Building a dedicated workspace can also eliminate the nightly routine of setting up shop and spreading out supplies only to pack them away again.
Whether it’s placed in the kitchen, a hallway, or the living room, chose a spot that’s bright and comfortable for your kids to work.
Take over a bookshelf by creating a desktop out of the bottom shelf and decorating the rest with favorite colors and personal items. Or place a long table against a hallway wall. Or convert a closet into a hideaway homework station.
Or, create a kid-sized desk next to Mom or Dad’s own workspace. Kids like to imitate their parents, so give them a place to do just that. That can also make printers and computers easier to access too.
Personalize the Space
Once you’ve created a dedicated workspace, decorate with their favorite colors and personal items. Movie themes, cartoon characters, or childhood heroes can all make a workspace more fun.
Keep the distractions to a minimum by avoiding toys but keep it light and fun just the same. Bright colors and familiar figures can make the work seem less like work.
Stock it with Resources
Any job can be more of a chore if you have to round up all of the tools and supplies you need every single time you’re ready to start. That’s one of the reasons why repair shops have workbenches and toolboxes, and offices have desks and bookshelves.
Instead of chasing down pens, paper, rulers, and staplers, a dedicated space can keep those tools ready to be put to work. You can also personalize those resources by buying them in favorite colors, or by matching a theme.
Many school supplies come already decorated with movie stars, favorite superheroes, or sports figures, making it easy to build a homework station that seems like it was made for playtime too.
Accessorize
To make the new homework station even more useful and fun, add items that can help your kids finish their nightly tasks.
Put chalkboard on the wall or use a dry-erase board instead. String some lights overhead to help illuminate the area. Put up some pegboard that you can use to hang the tools and supplies your kids need often. Add arts and craft supplies for school projects and playtime.
No matter what kind of homework station you create, it’s easy to make it feel like a comfortable and fun place to work. With their own dedicated workspace, you never know – your kids might just look forward to getting their homework done!
