Share your home office with kids? No way!
That’s what most parents would say in normal times, but we’re certainly not living in normal times right now, are we? For the first time ever, many kids are going to school remotely and studying at home alongside their parents who are working from home. Although lots of families already have a home office set up, few of these spaces are ready to accommodate the needs of kids when they are in their virtual classes and doing their homework.
Here are some ways to boost the multifunctionality of your DIY home office so that it’s a productive place for both adults and kids!
Coffee Tables Are for More Than Just Coffee
Coffee tables are great places for kids to do their schoolwork because they are low to the ground and have large surface areas. One home office design idea is to get a lift-top coffee table, like the Colby Coffee Table, so that kids can stash away their books, papers, and art supplies when they’re done, allowing the space to function as both a work surface for school as well as a place to enjoy a warm cup of coffee in the morning.
Everybody wins!
Put That Dining Room to Better Use
Full-size office desks and chairs are often too big for little ones or are occupied by the adults in the house. Sooo not fair, right?!
However, dining room tables can be ideal for kids to study at and versatile places to spread out everything they need to learn. Since these areas of the home can be noisy, make sure to pick up some noise-canceling headphones to help little ones focus while studying in close quarters. We love these JBL Tune ones for an immersive audio experience.
Creative Solutions for Supplies and Décor
Filing cabinets help you make the most of your office’s vertical space so that you don’t take up valuable floor space that needs to be used for desks and chairs. Forget what you think you know about what boring old filing cabinets look like and pick up a stylish one like the Orion Filing Cabinet. Then keep organized with work and help your kids keep their classwork separated with the help of dividers and labels!
In addition, bookcases can be used in your home office to display favorite photographs, sentimental trinkets, work-related reading materials, or anything else that inspires you and your child to study well and work hard. Not sure about you, but we can use every ounce of inspiration we can get these days!
Our top pick? We love the Stockbridge Bookcase with Five Shelves to maximize your vertical space.
Make Workspaces More Accommodating
Think any old dining room chair will suffice for a child’s workstation? Think again! Even the tiniest necks and backs can get stiff and sore from bad posture.
Seating options, like the Stuart Office Chair and Andre Office Chair, are much better than dining room chairs because they have spine support in mind to prevent stiffness and aches from long, hard days of learning new things. Proper support and comfort during learning are not only important for a child’s future posture, but also a key factor in remaining focused. And staying focused is half the battle of learning from home…am I right, parents?
Embrace Multipurpose Seating
Learning from home means more than just sitting at a desk and in front of a computer all day. For interactive lessons and play-themed learning, consider multipurpose seating for your home office, such as the Arlo Bench or the Monarch Children's Armchair. Finding new uses for classic furniture is just one of the many fun elements parents will get to embrace while working alongside their child learning online!
