Your children might be missing their friends, teachers, and schools, but there are a few things that you can do to help them adjust to the massive amount of change that they are dealing with this year.

First, it’s important as a parent and teacher-by-proxy to understand that the classroom environment is much more than cute wall designs, thoughtful quotes written in fun, colorful fonts, and good organization. Those things all have a place, but the best place to start is by understanding how the classroom environment is composed.

The classroom environment is a physical space.

The physical classroom might be the first image that your mind goes to when thinking of creating a nice school environment for your kids, but it’s not the only part. In fact, it makes up about half of what’s really important. Breathe a sigh of relief! There is no need to go spend money on classroom-like art, fancy desks and accessories, and stylish spaces. Less is more! You don’t need to feel the pressure to make a space in your home feel like a room in a school building.

In fact, it’s important that you don’t do this – for the sanity of your family and yourself. Just like the adage says that the bedroom is for sleeping and sex only (not for TV, work, eating, etc.), the classroom is for learning. The home is for, well, being at home. But we’re all in a pickle now, aren’t we – how do we have functionally operating spaces that are so siloed in purpose without blending the spaces too much and making it feel like we’re living in a school or doing school in a bedroom? The frustration is very valid.

• Have your kids use the exact same space every day. If you live in a small home and have to make it up daily, like me, let your kids set up the space each day (don’t do it yourself – read below for the “why”). 
• Make sure your kids have a reasonably comfortable chair. They don’t need designer swivel chairs and you don’t need to buy new furniture. In my experience, some of the best classroom seating I had was on little Ikea stools. The kids loved them!
• On that note: do not let your kids work on the couch, in/on a bed, or on the floor. They likely wouldn’t do this at school, and it will serve them well to draw boundaries even between “home” and “school” furniture. 
• Provide a tabletop space where your child’s screen and mouse can sit while they’re working. Then, make sure that there is a place to tidy these items (a basket) once their school day is over.
• Provide a tabletop space where they can write. They will easily become frustrated if they have to keep moving devices around and this can needlessly detract from instructional time. This space should remain clear of all items at all times unless they are actually using it to write. 
• Provide tabletop space for classroom items, like a pencil, eraser, glue stick, and workbooks or spirals. This is a dedicated space for this purpose only. Use painter’s tape or red yarn to delineate this space for your kids. 
• If your child uses a laptop, provide a stack of books, a yoga block, or a stand to raise their screen higher. This is important for their neck and back. If you are able, invest in a Bluetooth mouse so that they have more functionality with their devices and a little more space.
• Bathroom, snack, and stretch breaks are essential! I strongly advise against any screen time during breaks. Your kids will benefit from about 3-5 minutes of stretch or exercise (any non-screen release of the cognitive load) for every 30 minutes of instruction.
• Limit or eliminate screen time beyond instructional hours. This probably goes without saying, but there is no better time than this specific present to get your kids into physical books, physical play, the outdoors, and simply just reduced cognitive strain on the brain that comes with spending too much time on the screen.
• When the school day is over, have your child clean up their space. Every time has a home, and every item should go back to it’s “school home” for the day. 

The classroom environment is a socio-emotional space.

Now that we’ve tackled some of the physical constraints, it’s important to remember the second key element of the classroom environment. In some ways, this is arguably more important than physical space. There are some physical space limitations that you can’t control, but you can control every part of the socio-emotional side of the classroom.

Aim for set school hours and stick to them. They’d arrive in their classroom at a standard time each morning, and they’d hop on the bus at the same time every afternoon. 

Explicitly communicate what your role is to your kids during the school day. Write it down on a notecard and tape it to their table. “You may call for mom when XYZ. Otherwise, ask your teacher!”

Establish with your child a routine for using the restroom and other physical spaces in which they usually “roam free.” Write these routines down! Have your kids draw them in stick figures and tape them to their table.

Create a plan for the start of the morning. Write it down and post it clearly for your kids to see. Every day, we start school by 8:05. At that time, we are seated at our table, our materials are all in the right place, we’ve already had breakfast, and we’re ready to learn! Every afternoon, we log-off, pack all materials away and in their proper place, and we don’t touch it again until the next day. 

Help create an understanding with your kids that while the home usually is theirs to roam, it isn’t during the school day. If they need to use the bathroom, they ask the teacher, ask you, or whatever your protocol is. 

Try to eliminate as many background distractions as possible. During time when your child is working off the computer, turn on some fun jazz music for exposure while they do their classwork. Set the tone for a peaceful environment. Less is more!

Set a timer for certain necessities such as using the restroom (2-6 minutes), eating lunch (15-18 minutes if at home), and taking breaks (3-5 minutes each). Every teacher uses at least one-timer at any given time, and you might be surprised at the things they’re used for! Using a timer helps provide context and consistency for kids, which is a very good thing. 

Once you have established reliable routines that your kids subconsciously can depend on, they will thrive.

This is so critical, and it’s worth the work and time that it takes to build predictability. It is worth it to feel like you can live and work in the same space, even if in silos. The same goes for your kids, and they will enjoy the homeschooling experience so much more.