Are you trying to homeschool in a shared office space? We just recently opened up my home office to start homeschooling my 5 year old son. Today, I’m going to share with you 5 tips for creating a shared homeschooling space! Scroll down to download free printable homeschooling quotes for your classroom!
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Our “before” homeschooling space:
We didn’t have great storage options, and the space is pretty cluttered and doesn’t flow very well.
Our “After” Homeschooling Space:
Pick a Theme
If your office already has a theme, great. If not, this is a good place to start. What do you want the vibe to be? For my office, I wanted a farmhouse glam look. There are some old, classic elements like my desk that I refinished and the built-in bookshelves, mixed with some gold metallics, a fun rug, and some soft textures. However, once we moved the kids’ homeschooling stuff into the office, it just didn’t mesh very well because it didn’t fit the theme. So, we had to make some adjustments in order for everything to flow. We knew we weren’t going to change the desk (it’s my husband’s desk that he uses typically at night or on the weekends). The simplest thing to change: the seating. I’ll get to that in more detail a little later! But for now here’s some simple things to add to solidify your theme:
- Rug
- Lighting
- Cushions/pillows/throw blankets/curtains
- Decorative elements like art, plants, picture frames, etc.
For inspiration, well, that’s what Pinterest is for, right?!
This is what we have in our home:
So, to sum up: what will your shared office theme be? What ‘vibes’ are you going for? This will guide your decision making from here on out.
Storage
One of the more challenging aspects of sharing an office is the storage! The first thing you’ll need to figure out is how much storage space you’ll need, and how to make that happen.
For me that meant cleaning out my desk (which needed to happen anyway!) so I could store my son’s homeschooling portfolio in there. The next thing I did was get collect some wire baskets I had around the house, clear them out, and put them at the bottom of my built in bookshelves to use for supplies.
Lastly, I got a corner bookshelf and that will be the dedicated area for the homeschooling curriculum. I love this corner bookshelf because it takes up minimal space (it’s in the corner!), it fits the theme, and it has an extension so that I can plug things in right to the bookshelf, which is super handy. The only downside is that the bookshelf cubbies are not tall enough to store our workbooks upright, so I have to lay them down. Which isn’t a huge deal, it’s just not as aesthetically pleasing. No biggie.
So, how much storage space do you need? Is there an existing storage space you can repurpose? Or do you need to get additional storage space? Will you need a whole bookshelf, some extra baskets, or space in your desk drawers?
Additionally, I have one of those plastic cubbies that I keep in the garage with craft supplies. I couldn’t find the exact one that I have, but the one listed below is even better. I used to keep it in my office, but I found that the kids would get into it whenever I wasn’t looking, and then I’d have a million googly eyes scattered across the house. No fun.
This is what we have in our home:
Inspirational Quotes or Reminders
When we started homeschooling, I realized pretty quickly that I needed some reminders, or quotes, set up in our homeschooling space. On a practical note, we needed some numbers and the alphabet for my son to look at when he needed a reminder. I found these printables on Etsy and put them in these frames from Amazon.
Next, I wanted to have some reminders or quotes that would help with our mindset (both my son’s and mine!) as we embark on homeschooling. The first was a reminder to both of us that we all make mistakes, have bad days, and don’t know everything. On my part, I want to enter into this homeschooling relationship with my son with humility and compassion. I also wanted a reminder for us to not give up – even if we get frustrated, even if we’re stumped by something, the only way we fail is if we stop trying. So I created this printable to serve as a reminder of those principles.
If you’re interested in this printable, you can download it for free!
The next quote I chose was from 1 Corinthians 13, a passage about love. This is something I’ve been trying to reiterate to my son as much as possible these days – how much we love him, and what love really means. Of course, no one (except Jesus!) is perfect with these principles, but it’s definitely something we’re striving for. This quote serves as a reminder to me to try to exemplify these virtues, and also serves as a reminder to my son that he will always have my love (and God’s love) to fall back on. And I think there’s no place these qualities are more needed than in the home (and the classroom!).
If you’d like to download this printable, you can! For free!
So, what reminders or quotes do you want in your shared office space?
This is what we have in our home:
If you don’t have any Command Strips or Command Hooks for hanging your pictures, whiteboard or other art, definitely get some! It’ll make your life SO much easier, and save your walls/paint from having a million holes in them.
Comfortable Seating (that fits the theme!)
This was key to our shared space working well because we had very different, mismatched chairs that made the room not flow that well. By getting matching chairs that fit the theme and fit the (now) smaller space, it created a better flow AND functionality. But it took me a while to find chairs that were comfortable, functional AND fit the space/theme well. It was worth it, though.
Ultimately, we’re going to be using this space every day for a long time, so I’d rather us be comfortable AND like the space we’re sitting in!
I found our chairs on Amazon – which is a bit risky in terms of finding comfortable seating, since you can’t sit in them before you buy them. But I made sure that the chairs I chose had lots of reviews and that the reviews consistently mentioned comfort. I was *very* close to buying chairs that people had reviewed as uncomfortable, but I ended up finding these other chairs and I’m glad I did.
So, do you have comfortable, functional seating that you feel good about? If not, what are your most important needs for seating?
For us, I knew that I wanted chairs that rolled (so I could easily push my kids closer to the homeschooling table), lower backs (so the chairs didn’t take up too much space and so that they were more comfortable for the kids) and preferably white/gold chairs to match the theme. I found all three! Woohoo!
So, what kind of seating do you have in your shared homeschooling space? If you’re not happy with your current seating options, what are your seating needs?
This is what we have in our home:
Make it Their Space, Too
So your office is obviously your office. But what would make it their space as well? You can accomplish this without letting it become ALL their space! For example, I moved some of their books and coloring books into the office space so that they have the option of doing that in the office. I also decorated the bookshelf with clay animals we made together. But I’ve kept my desk off limits – they can’t open the drawers or play on my desk. (This rule is especially for my 3yo, who seems to have a homing device for all dangerous objects.)
This is important because you want your kids to feel comfortable and confident in their homeschooling space!
So, what ways can you make your shared homeschooling space special for your kids? Even something as simple as writing your child’s name on the whiteboard could make it feel like ‘theirs’ too!
This is what we have in our home:
I hope this article has been helpful for you as you try to put together a shared homeschooling space for your family!
Comment below and let me know what tips you plan to implement in your homeschooling room!
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