Thank you to HomeLight for sponsoring this post!
With so many families working and schooling from home, many are reevaluating how they use their space. Perhaps you need a quiet spot to take Zoom calls, or your kids need a dedicated homeschooling space. Here are a few tips for creating the perfect workspace.
Reevaluate your home
The pandemic has not only changed how we go about our daily lives, but it’s also changed the way people use their homes. With more time spent at home, families across the nation are reconfiguring their setups for entertainment, virtual schooling, and remote work.
Real estate referral company, HomeLight, conducted a third-quarter survey of more than 1,000 top agents across the nation to get a feel for market conditions. Almost half of the agents report families turning bedrooms and playrooms into homeschool spaces, and three-quarters of them say that remodeling has been on the rise in their markets since the start of the pandemic. Simply put, families are creating new spaces in their homes to adapt to their new way of life.
What space to use
If you’re lucky enough to have a bonus room – a room that’s not designated as a bedroom – this is the most obvious choice for your virtual workspace. If your spare room has been used as a storage area, the first thing you need to do is go through the contents. Be discriminating and purge those items you know you won’t use again. While you’re sorting through items, have boxes at the ready to neatly pack away items you’re not currently using and either place in the room’s closet, corner, or another area in the house.
Finally, add a desk or table and some bookcases to your repurposed room. If your budget is really tight, you may need to get creative about your work surface. If you’re solely using a laptop, an ironing board can function as a sit/stand desk, or consider a tv tray for a laptop stand. Storage crates and a piece of plywood can stand in as a desk with shelving – even simple lap tables are a cost-conscious alternative to a desk. Get creative!
Creative use of spaces
Your creativity doesn’t stop with brainstorming desk alternatives. Depending on how many people in your household work from home, one extra room may not suffice. In this case, you need to get creative about the space you do have in your home. If you have a finished basement, consider dedicating a corner as a workspace, outfitting it with a small table on which to work.
An unused closet can function as a work nook or reading space and give the user a bit of privacy. If complete privacy isn’t a concern, consider making space in your foyer, mudroom, sunroom, or long hallway. In many cases, all you need is a desk space to hold your laptop and a chair, so get creative with your staging.
Combine resources
When schooling went completely virtual, it sent families across the nation scrambling. The result was the creation of learning pods, either with small groups of friends with children or in neighborhoods. Perhaps you can alternate days, or maybe you can find a pod in someone else’s home that’s outfitted with workspaces.
Consider remodeling or moving
While it may seem extreme, many families are moving to accommodate home offices and homeschooling. Contrary to belief, the real estate market is incredibly strong, and it’s a great time to sell. If you’re in an area with available inventory, low-interest rates make it an excellent time to buy a home. And those who wish to stay put are opting to remodel their homes to fit their new lifestyles; 76 percent of real estate agents report remodeling on the rise in their markets.
Suffice it to say, adapting our living spaces has become a part of the new normal. However, if you’re creative, you’ll be able to transform your home to accommodate your remote school and work lives. Have fun with it!
p.s. Related posts:
Activities and Learning Resources for #KidLitQuarantine
My Remote Learning Plan for My High School Sophomore
Back To School or Distance Learning?
FREE Immersive History Game about WWII Japanese Americans
Learn at Home Curriculum for Gamers
Homeschool Room Setup Tips and Tricks
Electronic Organization Tools for Moms
Best Electronic Organization for Team Sports
My Shelter-in-Place Coping Strategies
Read Remotely with Relatives: HomeTeam App(TM)
Helpful Books for Kids during COVID
How To Get Recruited to Play Sports in College During COVID-19
To examine any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Children’s Book Activities on Pinterest.
My books:
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me
