Where do you HE? What space in your house?

[marjproops]

We are underoccupying atm and ive been using the extra room as a classroom, all set up properly as a classroom, posters/charts on walls, a proper desk, shelves, the lot.

Now we have to downsize (bedroom tax) and wondering where Im going to put all our resources and do the HE.

Where/how do you?

We have two reception rooms and the back one is where we keep out stuff and do most things, though we also sometimes do things in the living room or outside or where ever. It is also my office and our twice weekly evening roleplaying groups room.

We don't use proper desks, we use lap desks. There is a small moveable table in the room which we use for painting and other art stuff and bigger experiments and the rest as well as board games (and us adults use it for our table-top roleplaying games...) but otherwise we use the lap desks - each one has their own, picked them up at home bargains. We have a bookcase in that room for keeping reference and educational books and bits for lessons, and a small cabinet with a computer on top that holds our art equipment (and my office supplies. We keep the printer next to that as HE is what we do most of our printing for. We put all the stuff on the wall. We have shelves that keep the dry-erase pens (and roleplaying books and models) out o reach and a small white dryerase board that tends to roam around the house (currently, it is in our front room in front of the TV stand to prevent baby attacks of wires when not in use). We have the storybooks and other books in the living room except the ones they have in their rooms. I also have posters in the hall way their rooms are (world maps, I have 3 of them in this house plus a large globe in the living room that needs repaired from snapping in half).

We used to have a table in the living room and we used that. We had all the school stuff on shelves in the corner and we put it all away at the end of each day.

We just moved to a bugger house though and now have a whole room, and tbh it has made it significantly easier for the kids to concentrate and get on with stuff now that the computer and tv and so on are in a different space.

In the kitchen, we tend to do the cooking at the same time.

Hahaha, just seen my typo! I meant bigger house!

Home ed for us happens all over the house. It's a small house, and rooms generally don't have specific purposes. I am sometimes to be found reading on the stairs, for instance. My teenager has use of the bottom bunk (where her sister sleeps at nighttime) whenever she wants a bit of space during the daytime, because her own bunk is so close to the ceiling she can't sit up on it.

Likewise, our stuff goes wherever it fits, and is scattered through all the rooms of the house. Ideally it is stored near where it will be used, but that isn't always practical. At least in a small house you never have to walk far to get things!

You might need to think about which of your things you can do without. If you are losing an entire room, my guess is that you simply cannot keep everything you have. Pay attention to what is small and what actually gets used most, as opposed to what might get used someday or what you paid the most money for. If you are deeply attached to your home ed resources, perhaps you can scale back on some of your other stuff to make way for it. For example, maybe you can reduce the amount of clothes you have by half, getting rid of those you haven't worn lately?

I don't envy you - getting rid of things is bound to be harder than not acquiring them in the first place! We are always getting offered nice stuff or finding it at the car boot sales, but have to say no to most of it!

Sorry you have to downsize, op. It sounds like you have a good set up for home ed and it's a shame you will have to lose it.

We live in a small house, so have never had a designated room for home ed. We have a large shelf in my DS1's bedroom where we keep all his books, files, etc. Every Sunday night, I carry the relevant books downstairs for work on Monday. Our dining room then becomes our home ed room. We work at the dining-room table, which becomes an unsightly mess of computers, books, papers and printer during the week. Maps are kept rolled up in DS's bedroom (he refuses to have them up on his wall ('uncool') and DH doesn't want them on our wall either!) and brought out when required.

If it's particularly cold, we work in the front room, lying on the floor in front of the log-burning stove.

I also have a box tucked away under the piano in the dining room, where I keep extra resources, such as printer paper, extra folders and so on.

It's a pain having to use the dining-room table as our work table because it means that I have to clear it every evening for dinner. Sometimes we just shove stuff over to one side to make space to eat!

We have a nice sitting room, where the DCs read but most of the work is done in the 'family room' which has actually become dining/HE room. However, although we keep HE books in here, there are books in virtually every room in the house! The computer is also in here on a nice big desk, so that when they are working on it, I can check that they are not playing games/visiting Bearville!!

it is a bit of a pain having to clear the table to eat but at least it means that stuff gets put away rather than accumulating on the table!!

Thanx for replies Banjo yes good typo!!

We dont have many clothes as it is, so do have cupboard space, its just as DCs autistic she likes to have evrything organised and in the same room/place, and books on show. and its easier for her to find things too.

I have NO idea where well be moving to, or what the room spaces will be like, I guess well just have to croos that bridge when we come to it, I like us having a proper desk and whiteboard etc etc and posters/charts up. but im thinking if we get a place with a large shed i could always insulate it and make something there!!

(puts Blue Peter hat on).

And Im also concerned about where we will do our arts and craft, messy paint and glue evrywhere!!

We tend to do arts/craft in the kitchen on an old table. But I guess if you bought a plastic tablecloth or something to put on your dining table/desk, that would work - just gather it up and shake outside when you've finished.

We recently bought some of Expedit range from IKEA. It's really handy as you can get storage boxes and drawer units to fit into some squares and use the rest for books.

ooh the expedit range looks good...good excuse to go to ikea when needs be!

Its just that DC has the learning age (shes 12) of a 5 year old and gets stuff everywhere. ATM its fine all contained in the 1 room but.....explosion in a paint factory awaits!! oh well, cant have everything and we have been lucky to have a proper classroom for at least a few months.

Sad that you have to downsize bec of bedroom tax. We HE ed in a 2 bed flat and still we live in it. We used the living room for multiple purposes. much HE was done in the living room. Books in boxes. Loads of reading was done lying on the floor or sofas, and many experiment carried out on the floor. maps, and pics were hanging from doors and walls. I even hung pics in the bath! art and experiments were in the kitchen and bath. I had bought tall packed bookcases, I used wall space because the ceiling was high. Some beds have storage space underneath and help. We hang cut out clouds as mobiles from the ceilings. Paper crafts and other things in boxes.

Dining room for us. Lots of book cases and cupboards to keep everything accessible. Ds is the most disorganised human being ever to have graced the planet so we need that kind of structure (ADHD). Plus he's working towards IGCSEs now so most of his work is done at the computer.

Fortunately he hasn't an artistic bone in his body so we don't have to accommodate lots of arty-crafty stuff that a lot of people need.

He likes to 'go up to my room to study' but that's a euphemism for faffing about on his phone or DS so if there's work to be done, it happens downstairs. He would cheerfully waste weeks at a time if left to his own devices .

streaky, I liked the dining room use . We even used the dining table and set chairs down on the floor for inclined planes. Windows were used for observation of moon and clouds and sticking artwork We had made a pinhole camera. It was mostly the kitchen sink and fridge overused for all sorts of experiments. Even the top of kitchen cupboards had stacked boxes. We had a lovely park next door and other large greens nearby for paper kite flying because many people did the same.

Stacking plastic boxes is very useful.

I like to keep a room free of 'work' stuff to relax in, and this is a small house so we pack everything home-eddy into the dining room - apart from dvds which are in the living room with the tv.

I have a large desk for the computer so stationery etc lives in there, and a couple of smaller boxes around the room. There are two sets of alcove shelves/cupboards and they take a lot of junk, but the main shelves hold everything we need access to on a daily or weekly basis.

They get a good sort out regularly as our work schemes evolve, stuff we're no longer using gets passed on or put into storage (upstairs or loft) and the next batch comes out - I've forever moving things around, but I guess that's inevitable in a small house.

The walls are wood panelled which is handy for displays as they don't mark .

I always wish we had more room but we get by .

Thing Is Id like to store stuff thats finished but the ed panel comes to check everythings being done every 6 months or so and so want to keep things accessable-dont have loft space.

God knows what theyre going to think cos Ive cleared out the classroom in anticipation of moving now!!! so we ve got stuff here there and everywhere which an autistic child and OCD mum find really helpful....not!!!

well if you can do it in smaller spaces then so can we. Thanx.

living room looking like Waterstones atm with all the books here.

streaky I liked the wood panel, must be warm to have. I also like the private room which is essential for a parent.

Outdoor learning - and pick-nicking - also is a great thing. Parks with aquatic birds.

Some people use blanket chests and shoe trunks as seats, so storage space is included. There are sofas with storage underneath the seat.

marj you could take photographs of the stuff you do so you still have it on record to view if the LA want to see it, though I'm sure you know you're not obliged to show any work if you don't want to. And surely they'll realise that you can't have everything accessible if you're mid-move.

Like saracen our stuff is pretty scattered as we have a small house. I did invest in a small bookcase which we have squeezed in and is very useful if DD remembers to put books back there which is hardly ever.

Most of our work happens in bed (because we're lazy) or in cafes. We particularly like our "cafe subjects". I did this with DD1 and have continued with DD2 now DD1 is at college. Things which take a lot of discussion, like Sociology and History, fit perfectly. A cup of tea can last us three hours . We get some odd looks, though, sitting there discussing crime or divorce!

Ooh musicposy, what a great idea!! That sounds like an excellent way to ensure you make space to focus on what you want to discuss. I mean, I'm sure you get sidetracked in your discussions sometimes, but at least you don't end up being distracted when someone comes to the door or other family members want your attention or you think, "well, we could just have a little break while I stick another load of wash on" LOL.

streaky I do that with kinetic stuff, like when DC does lego structures with what we're studying (lat thing was the car park where they found Richard lll! she made an excavation site and everything, and got her mini skeleton and everything!) I took photos and im so proud of them!!

My PWP helpers brill and understanding and came the first time the LA came and literally was putting me on a pedestal!!!!

But yes were all over the place atm with stuff.

musicposy i do that with DC (with judgy looks and comments from people wondering why shes not in school!!!!!) for observations and sociology and stuff, we talk current affairs a lot when I take her for her hot choc and my cappuccino!!

We have quite a large house with 2 rec rooms, but dh business/music takes up one room.
So we can have a lounge without too much clutter about we put most stuff away and will work in different rooms. At first we used kitchen table and this would have been good but unfortunately not practical with so many people coming and going all day. So now it all goes in cupboards, on shelves but we live with too much clutter and reading all these posts has made me realise I need to declutter badly.

marj great that you've got good support - makes LA visits so much easier!

The Richard III stuff sounds excellent - your dd has good imagination .

Formal sit down stuff is at the dining room table with a couple of bookcases nearby for dictionaries, books we use a lot and the books we write in. All other books are kept on shelves in the living room and brought in as needed.

The table is getting a bit small now - so might need to think about getting something else.

Other stuff is kept in boxes in the cupboard under the stairs. And lots also happens out in DH's workshop and in the garden.

Hi marjproops,

Not an easy situation for you, especially as your DC is autistic and likes stuff to be readily available. I imagine DC is very attached to many items and won't enjoy the whole upheaval. Although the transition to a new home will be difficult, I'm sure with your obviously excellent parental skills that DC will adjust well. It maybe a good opportunity to go through everything,and sort out what is important.

Depending on size of DCs bedroom, could you put a bookcase in there for some of the books etc, (storing heavy ones on the lower level, as don't want anything too heavy on upper shelves.) If money is an issue, try local papers for a cheap book case (or my local charity shop has a furniture section and they make deliveries for free; I know some people are sensitive about using Charity Shops, but they are excellent, its amazing what i have found there in the past.)

Maybe you could put a desk in DCs new bedroom? or do you want to keep the areas for work/play separate? Both my DDs have desks in bedrooms, (one desk is actually a dressing table but it fits the space), the desks have a little set of drawers which they love for their stationary etc.

You will need to be inventive about about storage, you mention the possibility of a garden shed, so I assume new place will at least have a garden. I have a garden storage box full of toys, balls, play tent, bottles of poster paint, craft material (chalk, sequins, buttons, pipecleaners etc). I store individual craft material in plastic boxes or ziploc plastic bags (so I can push the air out and seal the bag, it saves space) I then put these bags/boxes in a larger plastic crate which I can easily put in/out of garden store. As craft stuff is well wrapped, there hasn't been any problem with damp or mould.
It also is fun to use the garden for craft, then DC can make as much mess with paint and glue and you don't need to worry about carpet! Obviously not very practical to work outside in the winter, and last summer was pretty poor weather wise.

I use dining table for a lot of my DDs craft work, but it is a pain having to clear everything away, especially when they are the middle of a project.

Invest in a few large plastic boxes, keep a different coloured box for different activities, so DC will know where everything is, and then you can move boxes around the new house as needed. Buy the boxes before you move, then it will give you and DC a chance to sort out material, and may help DC adjust to new place better if they then already know where there things are.