Ok – despite the training and yelling reminding that things need to be put away after school is done, things are obviously still not ideal around here. There is a certain culprit who’s always leaving things around tho’ the others aren’t that innocent either!
The problem as I see it is the fact that they do not have a fixed place to do their work. We have an assortment of tables in the house. Two are from Ikea and 1 is like those you find in pre-schools. The children then work on whatever table space they can find. So for those who are forgetful <roll eyes> they tend to pack up some things but leave other things behind on the table they were working on. Then come the next school day, guess what? They can’t find their book/pencil case/paper/etc…
I know, I know, we don’t want to bring school home and we want the children to have freedom to do their work anywhere they are comfortable, etc, etc….
BUT
It just doesn’t work here. I personally feel that we need the discipline of sitting and doing work at the table. Afterall, I am not asking them to sit still for 6 – 7 hours as in a formal school setting. They only sit and do their work for at most 1 hour per day for the younger ones and 1.5hrs for the older ones. So I am sure they can be taught to do that.
The problem I have is lack of space! Hmm…I wonder why, eh? 🙂 But desperate times call for desperate measures!
Thinking aloud here : I am planning to custom make individual study desks for the 1st 5 children, for a start. I have some limitations tho’. The desks need to be slim – width wise – as I do not have enough wall space.
I originally wanted the desks to have shelves above them but since I am positioning the desk next to the windows, I can’t. Otherwise, no one would have access to the windows!
So I am looking for old-fashioned wooden desks. Remember those we used back in school? Where there was a storage space under the lid of the desk? It looks something like this : http://www.allchildrensfurniture.com/Lipper-International-564P-IG1052.html#ProdDetails
I wonder how much it’d cost??? Time to call the contractor and ask for quotes!
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i HAD one of these in my house when I was small.
I’ve seen a friend (Barbs’ friend actually) who has a huge room where all her kids sleep in. Then right in the middle are all their desks, all stacked together like a big dining table with books standing on top etc. Each kid has their own desk and does their work there. They’re not homeschooled tho.
Er…how many children did this family have? It’d have to be a mansion to do that here! Haha! Imagine to fit all the kids’s beds AND study tables in ONE room! That would be ideal but then…who lives in an ideal world. Heh! 🙂
At least 5? Not sure if 6, lah. But they had some gap betwn the older ones n the youngest – i rmber the eldest was doing psle that year.
House is intermediate terrace, but have at least 3 levels n basement so hv nice yard at the basement plus pond in between levels… very nice. Only the kids room like dormitory. *hehe*
My husband designed desks like this for my children… at least the older 4 so far. One thing we did was to get plexiglass to fit on the top so we can put alphbet strips or maps or whatever underneath for them to reference. I can send you photos if you want. They work great and are very sturdy. Gotta get him to make a couple more now that others are getting a bit bigger…
that’s pat and yes, she does live in a mansion 😛
she has five. at the time when i had less kids i thought the dorm was rather “unusual”.
serene, i have the old school desk if your contractor needs measurements. becks uses it.
Carri – I would LOVE to see photos! Email me at buildingupmoms @ gmail.com without the spaces please!!!! 🙂
Barbs – can you also send pix and dimensions?
Hi! We did wall desks right before this school year started (I keep meaning to post photos) and even though we’re like you with family size, we only did four so they would have plenty of space. We’re thinking that as they get older and the younger ones will become school age, the older ones will /graduate move to other spaces around the house to do their work (their room, table, etc.) It has been really nice this year though.
Another thing that has been super helpful is that I charge them a dollar deposit when they take my pencils. They put a dollar in the drawer, and when they bring the pencil back they get their dollar back. It is amazing how well this works. I think it could probably be adaptable to being responsible with other areas.
Just what works for us :o)
Oh yeah, and I was reading your post on Love and Logic. I do really like it (although the setting I learned it in was a teaching cd series that is built on a Christian foundation, but was based off love and logic). But I agree with you in the younger years. I feel it’s better as they get older, but the little ones need to be trained in obedience :o)
Great minds think alike, eh? 🙂
So can you email me the photos please??? Esp WHERE you have placed them in relation to the other furniture. Did your dh build them too? And I like the charging them of a dollar for missing stationery! I was so mad some weeks ago after buying them EACH a ruler and have a certain someone (why is it always that certain someone?!) tell me she/he didn’t get it while it was being dished out! Grrr…..