This past year many families had to do something they swore they would never do and hated it as much as they thought they would.
Homeschool.
I know most people would never want to do it because over the almost 20 years I homeschooled, many people told me so. It was something we chose to do along with 1% of the US population but it wasn’t easy making the initial transition. This past year wasn’t truly homeschooling which is filled with co-ops, sports and various extracurricular activities. Society is set up for kids to go to school and learn from trained professionals for many areas and even home schooled kids lost out on that.
Just as our society isn’t set up for it, most of our homes aren’t either. Some people have decided to continue homeschooling after realizing they enjoyed this different lifestyle and the positive experiences they had learning at home. Many other people have invested in these Learning Area Spaces or are searching for homes with designated areas. Excellent article here highlighting how staging and builders are catering to this new home trend. https://www.wsj.com/articles/home-classrooms-covid-real-estate-11628100036
When I pulled my children out of school at Thanksgiving many years ago I had to quickly find room to pull it off. With four children I had no space to set up a schoolroom. The two who were in school each used a rolling plastic cart with drawers that I tried to hide along the far dining room wall. This was enough for that first year. As we relocated over the years I sought out homes with room to house our supplies and learning materials.
A few tips from my years of experience.
1- Keep everything in one place if possible. Organize it by age level. Items for preschoolers on the bottom where they can help themselves to puzzles, lacing cards, magnetic dolls etc.
2-Make it a place you all want to be in. Freshly paint an area if needed. Add a new rug with some floor pillows along with a small table or desks.
3-Let the kids learn how to organize their own learning materials. My oldest child was dubbed The Librarian because she always took on the tedious job of organizing the books in our Home Classroom after each move. They will all be good at something.
For frustrated parents I would say enjoy the blessings first. Our children grow up so fast so any real time is a gift. Don’t stress about a messy house. Unless you can afford a regular cleaner the house will be messy. Teach the children how to do laundry, vacuum and sweep. Teach them how to cook, sew and bake or let them make mistakes and teach themselves since now you probably have a designated Learning Space for them to tackle anything.
