HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) – For many families, your home is now also your kids school and maybe you’re working there too. It can all be overwhelming. 10 On Your Side reached out to some experts to help you set up the perfect space for your home.
The internet is full of ideas on how to design and decorate an at-home classroom. You could spend a lot of time and money on it, but Amy Manseau, a home school mom with 12 years experience, says don’t worry, “The thing that made the difference for me was just having a small shelf.”
The Virginia Beach mom only had a kitchen table to use when her boys were young. A small three-shelf book case made cleanup quick and kept things from getting lost. “And the kids know, this is my shelf, this is where I put my work when I’m done or this is where I’m going to pick up my work for the day.”
Now that her son is older he has a desk in his room with lots of natural light and drawers for pencils, ink, and other supplies. “So he has a nice clean work space to work with; I think that’s important too,” said Manseau.
Keeping your space clutter and distraction free is the key to success according to Veronica Jones, who has been teaching in Portsmouth for 39 years. “If you have a spacious basement or garage, give everybody their own corner.”
If you are tight on space, she suggests something as simple as a cubicle made from cardboard.
Sometimes, Jones suggests, you can skip the desk altogether.
“They can sit on the floor, they can lie on the floor, you can sit in bean bags or I have rockers and pillows and blankets and stuff everywhere. You come into my room, there’s children all over like whales on the beach, but they were focused,” Jones said.
If you can afford it, let your kids pick colors out or characters to keep it fun, but Manseau says don’t stress over it or overspend. “Honestly, probably you have everything laying around the house that you need.”
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