Setting up a desk for homework success

We’re well into the school year, yet clients have told me that they are struggling getting into a groove with the after-school routine. For most school-age kids, that means finding time for homework, between all the other after school stuff (all the snacks! Sports! Music lessons! Playtime?!).

I have a positive association with homework: I’ve always enjoyed school and the opportunity to practice skills at a clean desk has always been relaxing. But, it‘s a real chore to a lot of people – kids and adults alike – and the first step is creating a functional, practical, and smart space to get the work done.

I’m all about creating systems that work for YOU – copying a process or design from one client to another doesn’t work for anyone. I love finding out all about the challenges, frustrations, and restrictions that are currently contributing to the clutter and chaos, and finding the right solution for you.

But there are some tips that I think apply to most scenarios. Here are five ways to make a work space work – for your kids or yourself.

  1. Place the desk in a distraction free space.
  2. Get papers off the desk! Use a paper sorter like this one to corral the important papers inside your drawer. But just the important ones! We’ll get to paper organizing on another blog post.
  3. Only keep out essentials, plus just one or two decorative items. Feel the need to keep pens out? Only the few you use most often. Keep the rest in the drawer, in a container or pouch.
  4. Light it up! It’s best to use a combination of lighting options: overhead, desk lamp, and windows letting in natural light.
  5. Make it inviting, comfortable, and personal. Enabling your child to associate the space with healthy learning habits is an important life-long lesson, so make it an area of your home that they want to use.

Now that you have tips to get a kids’ work spaces set up, what else is challenging about the after school routine? Let me know what you want to hear about next!