Every parent knows that getting your kids motivated to do their homework is much more of a chore for the parents than it is for the children to just sit down and do it. What can help this sometimes-impossible situation is creating a study area for your child that sparks creativity and eliminates distraction, but unfortunately, we’re not all blessed with the luxury of a spare room our homes that can be converted into a study.
Turning your child’s bedroom into a study space can prove an ultimately rewarding experience and will benefit them much more later in life. Here are some steps you can take to ensure that your kids can get the most out of studying in their bedroom.
Invest in a good desk
There is nothing worse than sitting at an uncomfortable desk – it makes you not want to go back to it. Sometimes there simply isn’t enough space in your child’s bedroom to fit a desk as well as everything else, but there is a way around this. A mid sleeper bed that is elevated from the ground, such as a dreams cabin bed, will help you to optimise the space within your child’s room while also providing a desk to the side of it!
Remove the distractions
One of the main issues when it comes to your child studying is the possibility of them getting distracted. Let’s face it, nobody particularly enjoys doing their homework and when they’re surrounded by things that are far more entertaining it’ll disturb their concentration. Taking the television and mobile phones out of your child’s room can really help this, although a less drastic tactic would be to place their desk facing the wall or the window.
Recognise the importance of colour
While some of you may roll your eyes at the thought of colour influencing your child’s conduct, there have been multiple studies to show the effects they can have on people’s behaviour. The best colours to paint the room are blue (which is linked to feelings of calm/concentration) or yellow (which promotes creativity and productivity). If you are too busy to paint your entire room, perhaps simply paint a feature wall on the side of the room your child’s desk faces.
Everything in its proper place
It’s impossible to study in a space that is cluttered, it just doesn’t facilitate concentration at all. Equally, it is also just as hard for your child to study when they don’t know where all of their stationary lives. To fix both of these issues, use a smart system of storage that properly organises all of your child’s study equipment. A bookshelf would also be extremely useful so your child has somewhere to put all their reading material instead of book pyramids littering the room.
Pay attention to temperature
If their room is either too hot or too cold, then this will not facilitate your child’s mood to study in any way. In the winter months, make sure you keep the thermostat at room temperature so they aren’t shivering at their desk. In the summer, open the windows to cool the room down or if it’s too hot for that then get them a fan for their desk. If they aren’t comfortable, then they’ll be thinking about that rather than the work they have to do.
Strike a balance of light
There needs to be a balance of natural and artificial light in your child’s bedroom. Natural lighting is healthier for your child as it contributes to their vitamin D levels, while also helping to keep your energy bills down. Artificial light in the form of a desk light helps to bring attention to whatever is in front of them and can brighten up a room when natural light is nowhere to be seen.
*Guest post
