Set the mood

So in keeping with our homeschooling theme I am going to talk about how we set the mood each day, create a relaxing and laid back area, and the difference in our school vs mainstream school. One thing I have noticed with some of my kids being in mainstream schooling that has changed so much from when I was in school is the atmosphere. Some classrooms are just what I remember from growing up, cold, hard, and strictly business. Some teachers added warmth with how wonerful they were and the love they showed us, some seemed to just be there for business. I have seen a change in many classrooms though since I was in school. There are alot of teachers who add cute little reading corners with rugs and comfortable seating. In most classrooms the desks all in rows and facing the front of the room are long gone and have been replaced by tables where 4 or more kids sit together to learn and sometimes work together. I have seen many of the teachers my kids have use diffusers and wax warmers to encourage comforting scents into their classroom instead of the stuffy, staleness that seems to automatically enter schools no matter how new or old the building is. Classrooms are just so much cuter today than they were a few decades ago. Many teachers try to bring a coziness in and give off an element of home to their rooms. I know when we used to walk into the class for meet the teacher days the first place my kids would gravitate towards was the comfy corner if there was one and the first thing I would notice was the scent of the classroom if there was one going. Even though that scent tried to cut that musty classroom smell the smell was still there but it definitely added comfort and I was more content leaving my kids in a classroom that the teacher went above and beyond to bring the comforts of home into. The thing about homeschooling is that those at home comforts are already here. When you choose homeschooling you have to decide where in your home school will happen. This truly depends on your house, do you have an extra room, extra space, where are you most comfortable teaching, how large is your curriculum, what classroom extras do you want to display, do you want to put things in a certain place each day or keep it out until your next school day. Also, you may need to look at your kids learning styles, how easily distracted they are, do you want one established area only for school in your home or are you ok with a multiuse space. So much to consider! But, no matter your home size you can make it work! We have a smallish home. Our first year homeschooling was at our old house but we worked each day in the kitchen or our little den off the kitchen. When we decided to homeschool my oldest son we had moved into our home we are in now. I set him up at the kitchen table. More and more as the school year went on we would end up on our living room sofa. That was perfect for just the two of us. When the girls joined us the following year we decided on more structure and the little kids worked at our kitchen table always and our big girls worked in their room and in my mom's room when they needed her help. She was amazing at helping me each day with the teenagers so I could focus on the little kids. The next year we would go back and forth from the kitchen to the living room and continued that up until I got pregnant with Joel. Wow, that was an interesting year! We started off in typical fashion, kitchen and living room but I ended up put on bedrest most of the pregnancy starting a few weeks after we started our second semester. Of course, we had fears on how I was going to do this. So, about a week after bedrest started both little kids curled up in my bed one afternoon to watch a movie and I realized I can do this! I certainly did, we did school right in my bed together and once the weather turned nice we would head to the front porch where I curled up on a wicker loveseat and would do our work outside in between chasing Carp who was a very busy toddler. Very interesting but probably one of our best school years! After that year all the kids started doing most of their work in their rooms to get away from the distraction of a newborn and a toddler. Three years ago after Hanni graduated out of 8th grade at the charter school she and Carp went to and since they didn't offer high school grades at the time we had to make big decisions. We decided to go back to homeschooling. Eli was still here at home doing school but Hanni decided to go to public school when I gave the kids a choice a few years prior. Since she was homeschooling we decided to go ahead and homeschool Carp that year too. Their school was 30 min away so it took alot out of our days to do the school runs and it just made the most sense to not make that drive for only 1 kid when the rest were homeschooling. We learned pretty quickly, after going overboard on supplies, school decorations, curriculum for each kid that where we were teaching wasn't going to work. Two high schoolers, one elementary schooler, and one preschooler all around our table. So many distractions! So the high schoolers went to their room, Joel and Carp would share the table while still having freedom to sit on the sofa and work. We also found ourselves in my room on some occasions. Loved that year but so unorganized. The next year we decided to clean my closet out over summer and while the rest of our home is fairly small my closet is huge but long and not very wide. We put my clothes at one end, pulled our antique sewing machine in for a desk for myself, had a desk and chair for Joel, and one of those tv dinner tables and the perfect size ottoman for Carp to sit at. I had built in shelves that worked perfectly for keeping our books and some supplies, and a hanging organizer I put between the boys desks to keep their daily supplies at easy reach. I put our white board in there and was able to decorate the walls with a nice weather and days of the week poster. I had the alphabet displayed along the top of our wall. I had my mom's old dresser in there with a tv and dvd player set up for videos and cd's to go along with some of our lessons. Book baskets on the floor for each kids were easily available. I loved this room for our schooling! We used this for almost a whole year but when Randy would work nights it got a bit sticky trying to keep the boys quiet going through my room back and forth to our "school room". It was a good organized place though for that year. We ended up back in the living room right at the end of the school year because of waking Randy too much and maybe we will go back to that room at some point but last year we just ended up in the living room doing work and that was okish. Not my favorite. This year we are still in the living area but I have a nice area set up behind our sofas by the fireplace and love this spot! I cleaned out our china cabinet and while we still have most of it used for dishes, table clothes, various other things that belong there, I have two top drawers for folders, supplies and such. I have another drawer in the table behind our sofa for some things and part of our entertainment unit the kids can store their books in when we are not in school. They curl up in front of the fireplace to do their work, how cozy that will be in winter, and I sit in my reading chair to teach them and give instruction. So we go from room to room each year. Each year we find the spot perfect for us and so far it is good. Some years we want a more formal room, like my closet that we transformed into a schoolroom and sometimes we just need comfy. Setting the mood each day has been a challenge in the past for me. Ok, I hate cleaning and straightening up. In the closet I would just shut the door and make a dash to get it ready each morning. We have had years we just leave everything out and years the kids have to put it up. I like a mix of that. Leaving it out makes for an easy, quick start each day. Putting it up is extremely nice because my house doesn't look like a tornado went through, I don't feel like we are living in a school, it helps teach the kids to put stuff away. I think the fact that we are on one side of the living area this year and I am tucked back in a corner could make it easy to just leave it all out but I am determined to put everything up each day after school. To make for an easy morning, each evening after Joel falls asleep I do a five min or so run through our whole living room and put anything left out away, pick up all his drawings and put them in a folder, if there are any clothes needing folding still I will do that and put them away, make the cushions and pillows look nice on the sofa. The big kids do dishes and either they will or Carp will wipe down counters. Eli is a gem and started setting up the coffee pot to get it ready for each morning. The kettles are filled with water for anyone who decides on oatmeal for breakfast. I love our family evening routine and it really does make our mornings so easy! We love having a cozy and comfy school day! Joel's morning chore is to put water in our diffuser and help pick the oil for the day, we will sometimes light a candle (soy or beeswax and hemp wick) or put wax in a warmer. If the kids want to lean on the hearth we will put throw pillows along the hearth. I try to keep decorated for the seasons, especially in our school area. Joel always eats first thing in the day so he will eat before touching any work, Carp is a linger a bit, eat in between things after he's woken up a bit person so he will sometimes bring his food and work and eat or just take a bit of a break. I also allow them to bring drinks to the school area and leave them on the table while they work. On cold days I will make hot cocoa, warm cider, or tea if they choose. My number one thing I have learned is if they feel comfortable they are better behaved and much more willing to listen and learn. I can't keep it too comfy though because then they get lazy. HA! I also let them wear pjs to school if they choose because many days during the cold weather I take mine off from the day before, shower, and just put fresh pjs on. They have even worn costumes and robes. The main thing I insist on is that they do wear clothes, no coming to school in just boxers and they must have a shirt on. Seriously you have to set the ground rules with boys!! Ha Ha! We do keep legos in the school area, partially because that is the best place in our living room for Joel's lego box. The other reason is because sometimes I can keep their attention longer if they have something small like legos, figit toys, playdough, stuff like that in their hands. We also have pulled them into lessons! Math with legos, fractions are best taught with them! So essentially, to set our mood right for learning time: A well organized, clean start for each day defintely helps us Joel being well fed, Carp being allowed to graze through the morning or eat while working Drinks, and in cold a nice warm drink Get our diffuser set up Sometimes other smelly comfort Pillows Being able to spral out on the floor or curl up against a pillow I love my reading chair and am very comfy in it to get ready each day Small toys for figiting as long as they don't distract A stuffed animal is allowed if it doesn't distract Remembering God is in control of our day Seasonal decorations Just being in our home with all the comforts of home Coffee for me! So there is how we set and keep our positive moods for school each day. Each family is different with different ways they school from the room they school in to what their school area looks like. We have tried just about all rooms in our home and decorated it super school like and super home like. We like home like the best but try different ways to see what works best for you and your kids!