Technically, I’m still a credentialed teacher in the state of California.  So you’d think that I would have created a dedicated space for my boys to do homework long before Ryder was halfway through first grade.  Buuuuuuut you’d be wrong.
After enduring yet another “Mooooooom, Evan’s distracting me!” argument, I’d had it.  It was the straw that snapped this camel back into teacher mode and motivated me to clean off the crap-collector desk in our hallway.  I shopped around our house for a few minutes, rustling up pencils and crayons and all the other tools my boys might need to complete their assignments, and found some baskets to keep it all in.  I even got out their boombox and CDs with kids’ music and read-along stories.
And the strangest thing happened… My boys, who have never in their lives shown interest in coloring or crafting at home, were coloring and cutting and glueing their little hearts out while listening to some catchy kiddie tunes!
This little setup is far from Pinterest-worthy, but it works! Â It’s far away from the TV, well-lit, and stocked with all the essentials. Â And as an added bonus, they’re enjoying the space for more than just homework. Â Evan is proudly displaying masterpieces like this:
And since they’ve filled up their “art gallery,” Ryder’s branching out (or up) a bit.
As frustrating as our days can be, it’s exciting to see the growth and excitement they are experiencing right now.
Love it. We have a similar “art gallery” around our kitchen/dining room walls right now (which is where their art supplies are). I will need to get a desk or two at some point to add to that room; right now they just sit at the kitchen table.