Is back-to-school season in full swing at your home?
Great! Take advantage of the easy early days and spend some time to set up a homework station for the kids to make working on school projects painless and peaceful.
Here’s how to set up a simple but practical homework station at your home, today:
Select a Safe Space
Begin by selecting an area that is clear of distractions, like the TV, and is well-lit and easy to work in. It can be the dining table where you can keep an eye on everyone or a desk in the child’s room, depending upon how much space you have.
As far as possible, try to give each child space of their own to work in. This will prevent squabbling and chatting amongst themselves. So, if they’re sitting at the dining table, give them chairs placed across the table and their own clipboards and stationery supplies.
Stock Up the Station
Make sure that your homework station has everything a child needs to finish a project – paper, pencils, pens, colors, markers, note paper, pushpins, stapler and staple pins, scissors and anything else that your kids would need for school work.
Do a weekly check to see what needs to be replaced or replenished and stock up accordingly. For older kids, who have their own special school supplies, ask them to inform you well in advance of when they need something specific so that you aren’t rushing to stores at the last minute.
Organize and Accessorize
Finally, make everything easy-to-find and nice-to-use with a bit of organizing and accessorizing.
- Personalize files and folders with free printables found in plenty online.
- Organize paperwork and school supplies using caddies, jars, ice cube trays, boxes, and binders.
- Put up a magnetic or dry-erase bulletin board to put up notices, project to-dos, and other homework related material.
- Make sure you have a calendar in place, updated regularly with deadlines and submission dates.
- Label everything so that even young kids know where to find something and more importantly, where to put it back.
Setting up a homework station will make finishing school projects stress-free and simple for everyone – the kids and you. So, start off this school season by setting up a homework station that will boost school success!
