It feels like this time of year gets stagnant when it comes to doing anything related to homeschool.
Indoor activities, repeating the same routine, or even working on the same old thing just seems to bog everyone down. But, if you’re like me, you just need something to give you a pep in your step—a makeover, homeschool-edition! Here are some things I’ve learned from our latest renovation of our homeschool room.
Decide Where you Homeschool
When I first decided to homeschool, I had to decide how and where the majority of our educating would happen. I personally needed somewhere I could gather my little school and show them where we could do art projects, science experiments, read poetry, and the reading-writing-arithmetic teachings. This first started at my kitchen table. This worked so well for a couple years since that’s all I had, but as time progressed, it soon became the place where we needed a snack every few seconds and the dirty pile of dishes bothered me! So, some reevaluating was absolutely necessary!
Research: Instagram and Pinterest Style
The sincerest forms of flattery are imitation right? Well, I decided that the people who knew how to create a wonderful education-promoting space were professional teachers who just happen to like Target. After I decided on my space in our basement, I ravished Instagram on money-saving, space-saving, and education-promoting spaces (and just possibly another excuse to go to Target). It was so helpful! I followed other homeschool moms to see what worked best for them as well; it was amazing to see how receptive some moms were to opening up about how they educate! It was super helpful to see the types of furniture that would best serve our room and even storage ideas (because, hello, what homeschool mom has the room to store the thousands of books on insects in her house). After this very fun step, the real work began.
Furniture, Budgeting, and More
My husband and I sat down and worked on a budget while talking about our choices for furniture. I decided I needed a larger bookshelf, a place to store toys for a younger sibling, display shelves, a thin enough table, and some foldable chairs. We visited places like At Home, Kirkland’s, Costco, Ikea, and of course, Target. This was the toughest part! It took SO much time to look at everything, measure, and stack coupons. It was totally worth it in the end!
The Makeover Reveal
After working on putting together furniture, sorting our materials, and placing everything in its respective place, it was done! I was so excited to display the space to my children…and like me, they were excited! They instantly looked at how everything worked in their new space and loved that they could use it as a place to which they could escape.
Above all else, make sure your space is inviting. Homeschool, while a great deal about education, is also about fostering great memories. Make that space your own, in your own way, and in a way you too could escape.
Happy homeschooling!
