My husband is too sweet and patient to complain... but I'm pretty sure this is what he's thinking:
Once the weather was nice I decided to makeover the basement playroom so there would be a distinct "classroom" area. But I never got it totally organized so the kids took it back over as a play area. In fact, it has become the "construction site"and if I attempt to re-home the blocks and miscellaneous work trucks that have landed in the middle of my classroom, I am thoroughly reprimanded. Also, the kids are distracted by the play side of the room.
The living room was toy free for only the briefest of periods. I had visions a REAL living room... you know- one that looks like adults live there and we're not running some Lord of the Flies type establishment. (Full disclosure: I have started that book so many times and just can't read it).
Lately though, I've come to the realization is that homeschooling is a lifestyle and our home is inevitably going to reflect that. While the kids are young and homeschooling is new to us, convenience is going to be the main in factor in deciding the WHERE and HOW of it all. It happens to be more convenient to transition right from breakfast to an activity with a quick swipe of the dishes in the sink. It's more convenient to keep tossing toys into the messy playroom and set up lessons and more directed play in the living room. A morning circle board and the kids art will fill our walls instead of one of those gorgeous Pinterest DIY portrait galleries.
Do I wish we had a room that was solely the school room? Heck ya I do! But right now our priorities are to live within the means that will keep me home with the kids so I can learn them good... and that means making the most of our small house; which, in turn, means that any and all available space shall be put to use!
I definitely need to figure out how to best stay organized, and to do that I need to nail down my homeschool style, which I haven't quite done yet. We have good days, we have bad days. I am becoming more accepting of the very good possibility that we are un-schoolers, finding educational opportunities and teaching moments when and wherever they present themselves... yet I find plans and timetables so appealing that I haven't totally given up on trying to find a system that works for us.
Until I have all that figured out (if ever!) I will be constantly moving furniture and supplies from here to there in an attempt to create the best possible (and most fun) learning environment. In the meantime, I have a couple of great, smart, happy kids... I must be doing something right.
I love that you are going with what works for your family!
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