Desks in bedrooms?

[rgrindle]

My boys (10.5yo starting CTC AND 9yo halfway through Bigger) have asked to have individual desks in their bedrooms so they can focus better on their independent work. We are currently using 2 separate desks in a shared living area. One child is a noise-maker (whistles, hums, talks to himself, etc.) while the other is a wiggler/tapper, so I can understand that they distract each other. But we've never done it this way. Have you ever tried this? Was it a success or failure?

[LynnH]

When I had 2 schooling they often did school in different rooms. My dd was doing high school so she did work at her desk in her bedroom often. It worked well. The challenge since yours are younger will be for you being able to keep an eye on what they are doing and making sure they are staying on task. We have a rule that the computer stays in a shared area so anything they do on the computer they do downstairs.

[StephanieU]

My kids don't have desks in their rooms (yet), but they often spread out over the house to do math, handwriting, etc. They will be sharing (girls room and boys room), but we plan on putting deals in their rooms soon so they can do semi independent and independent things there if they want. I have just learned to check on them every few minutes to make sure they are still working.

[Lynn3ggb]

It sounds like they are making a responsible decision to choose to be separate in order to concentrate better. This must mean they take their school seriously, which is a good thing. My kids also requested to have desks in separate areas to reduce distractions. It has worked well for us and they finish their work in a more timely manner. You will just need to check on them to make sure they are being diligent.

[Nealewill]

I found that my kiddos could not stay on task if they were off on their own. So we put desks in our living room. I have a single desk for my oldest in the corner and then my two younger children have a long desk they share on the other side of the room - we have a huge wall opening between our living room and dining room and I put a loveseat there, the desk lines up against the back of the love seat. I love it! I don't know how we lived without desks before. But this will be our 4th year having desks and it is so nice because it keeps everything in it's place. I love that the pencils and pens are all easily accessible. I love that their books just stay in their space. I love not having to "clean" everything up and shove it somewhere at night. Plus, I work from home and work at my dining room table. I used to get so frustrated that my kids would need for me to move my stuff so that they could have space to work LOL. Now I don't have to share

[MelInKansas]

Like Daneale, I have had problems with my kids getting even more distracted and not doing their work if they are off somewhere where I cannot see them. It is nice for them to be somewhere where there are no distractions, but in reality there are distractions everywhere. I would say it would work for short periods where there are just a few defined tasks, but not for longer periods. I like to at least be able to yell up to my daughter and ask her how it's going, what she's gotten done, she can reply really quickly and I get the sense she is on track. She is on a landing upstairs and she can still hear us, and as I said I can yell up to her to see how she's doing. That has worked okay. My 9YO is still at the dining room table while I read to others right next door in the living room.

Ultimately it could work, but just think through whether you think they would really work at those desks, whether the desks would be kept neat if they were in their rooms (this is a struggle), or if there's another way you can separate them a bit without losing them completely to another part of the house. Especially if you also have younger kids, it is probably good for them to have a separate place to work.

[twolittlebears]

My sons, 11 and 8, have always done school at a little table together. Last year my husband made two built in desks in our school room that are separated by book shelves. They are still in the same room, but a few feet apart so that they can't bother each other. It was becoming a huge problem with hem irritating each other! My oldest will actually go downstairs early in the morning alone and do his seat work in his room at his desk and bring it to me and show me, if it's work that I don't need to teach: copy work, handwriting, math he'e already learned etc. Everything else we do together. I personally see no problem with them being accountable and responsible for their seat work. You can always test it for a while and see how it goes. You might be surprised! It's all trial and error in my book. What's works for some doesn't for others, just need grace and a lot of wiggle room with homeschooling.