I Got a School Room!

My husband had had enough. He took all he could take. Something had to change.

“Honey, you need a school room.”

Our first year of homeschooling took place in our eat-in kitchen. Our picture ledge was stacked high with books, notebooks, binders, flashcards, math manipulatives, art supplies…everything. Our dining table was the teacher’s desk, student’s desk, art table, cafeteria table, everything. It all happened in the kitchen.

It was fine. It worked. It wasn’t perfect, but it was functional.

The downside? Every evening before dinner we had to clear everything away so we could share a meal at the table. It was a hassle, especially when we had company over. It was time for a change.

So…I got a school room!

After countless hours of measuring, diagraming, researching, and chin scratching we made a trip to IKEA. Three hours later we left with a car full of ready-to-be-assembled office furniture.

I liked all the surface area our kitchen table afforded, so I wanted something similar for my desk. II wanted to be able to put our tot in a portable high chair with activities while I worked with his big brother across the table. So we purchased a Galant corner desk.

Lil’Man needed his own space to do his independent work. This Micke desk was perfect. The adjustable chair was a hit…because it spins. The magnetic whiteboard was $20 at Walmart. Score!

I needed a shelf for all the curriculum and I needed it to be easily accessible throughout the school day. This 2×4 Kallax with baskets, drawers and doors was perfect.

Lil’Bro gets his own area to discover new things and play. As you can see I’ve got some work to do here. My goal is to rotate different activities in and out each week so things don’t get old. (Fingers crossed it works.)

The wood shelf is leftover from my husband’s college years. We’ll probably upgrade to a shelf with doors in the future. This momma likes organization and I don’t like my messes out for everyone to see. For now the Kallax 1×4 shelf has our handwriting curriculum and other odds and ends.

That’s it! That’s our little school room. I’m excited to have a dedicated space for school…and that we don’t have to put everything away just to eat lunch. We still have some work to do, but so far so good.

The downside? Our guests will be sleeping on a pullout couch bed instead of our traditional queen pillow top. We aren’t trying to compete with Hilton, but I’d like to have somewhere nice for our guests to stay when they come. My husband says that the 7-10 nights a year we have guests doesn’t warrant having a bedroom take up half of our lower level. I guess he’s right. Sorry guests.

Where do you do school?

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