Putting together a quality homework center for your kids can possibly help them become more efficient in their homework efforts.

We adults tend to love our home offices. So what about an area where our littlest busybodies, our children, can do their homework?

Creating the optimal homework center is an on-going process (speaking from first-hand experience), and, of course, every child is different. But a few standard features can help optimize your child’s homework space.

Establishing a designated study or homework area is the first step. This could be a large table or desk, something with enough space to allow your monkey to feel that she has enough room.

Also, provide comfortable seating. You might not need to go the whole ergonomically-correct-office-chair route, but make sure the bottom beneath the budding mind is contented.

A skylight or sun tunnel can help provide a study space with gorgeous natural light.

Obviously, make sure there’s plenty of light around homework central (and, no, the glow from the TV doesn’t count). Whether it’s the natural light of a skylight or sun tunnel, or electric light, provide enough light so that your kiddo isn’t struggling to see.

The National Association of School Psychologists suggests 10 minutes of homework time for each grade school level (10 minutes for your first-grader, 20 minutes for second-graders and so on). So some suggest having a timer nearby so your child can see for herself just how long she has left in the torture session called doing homework.

Your child’s homework will require supplies (pencil, pencil sharpener, eraser, ruler, scissors, colored pencils, etc.) so keep these nearby. If you’re really ambitious, orchestrate some kind of storage system to haul the supplies to and from a closet or designated supplies area.

Then there are the obvious ideas to creating a solid work area, like a quiet house and minimal distractions. Think of the space around you when you’re working at the office or at home. The fewer distractions, the better. The same goes for your child with her homework.

Personal experience tells me getting a child to sit and do homework for more than two minutes can be like wrangling kittens. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t know it all. In fact, I’m still trying to figure out the best way to get my angel to do her homework (please see: EPIC BATTLES WITH HISSY FITS) on a regular basis and without tears.

But homework should be part of the daily routine. And it helps to incorporate your school-age child into the decision-making. She’s the one who will be doing the homework after a long day at school, so try to make the routine of homework as enjoyable (or at least less nauseating) as possible.

Until next time, Happy Home Improving!

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