How to carve out a place for your child to attend school at home

Families are turning their homes into multifunctional spaces to account for everything from playtime to mealtime, family time and now school time.

One issue coming up, aside from ongoing connectivity challenges, is space.

With many moms and dad working from home during the pandemic, the once-quiet office setup is now being used as a place to teach a child, and often more than one.

Jannicke Ramso is a Southern Nevada designer and owner of Tiny Little Pads in downtown Las Vegas. She has seen a larger-than-normal demand for her services since changes to the school year were announced. She said parents are trying to figure out how to best use their space. She offered tips to maximize the tools in your home without breaking the bank.

Space is relative

“It doesn’t matter what kind of space you have. What matters is that you can find a space that separates living spaces from learning spaces.” Ramso said.

“Kids are like us,” she said. “It needs to be a rhythm and a decent space that is truly allocated to what they are doing.”

While some families might think that they need an overabundance of space to accommodate a packed house, Ramso said that is not the case. Finding a space that is dedicated to your student is key, instead of playing the shuffling game and constantly moving them from the kitchen table to the living room and back. That is not a solution if home schooling is to continue in the long run.

For families lacking an extra room to dedicate as a learning space, Ramso’s tip is to think outside the box.

“It doesn’t need to be a big area, but try to get it out of the pathway of the main area,” she said. “It can be a closet, a coat closet or even a walk-in closet you transform. It can be a landing at the top of the stairs or even a space under the stairs. Maximize every inch of space in your home.”

Ditch the desk

Who would have thought we would have a desk shortage in 2020? In the weeks leading up to school starting, there was a scramble to get desks.

Forgetting the usual must-haves of glue, pencils and backpacks, parents flocked to stores and online in search of any desk, with most online retailers posting out-of-stock messages.

Ramso says that the perfect desk might already be in the home.

“Start by taking a tour of your own home. It doesn’t need to be labeled a desk to work as one. It can be an armoire, it can be a nightstand, it can be multiple things you have around your house. You can even put two nightstands together — you can make these pieces yourself.”

Personalization station

Even with students in different grade levels, if they are to be together in the same room or same space, there is a way to make it easier to separate home time from school time.

“Try to separate the spaces, even if it’s two chairs and one desk. One part of the desk should have their name on it and be decorated with their favorite colors or stickers,” Ramso said. “Still make it their space so they know what part of the desk is theirs and which part is their sibling’s.”

Also, get creative using room dividers or drapery to make more of a separation in a common area to help minimize distractions.

You don’t need to do a full redecorating project throughout your home to make it work.