Now for something really controversial, do your kids use their desks to study?

[Plucky]

My kids do not use their desks to draw, write, or even do any schoolwork. When I bought the desks years ago it was with the idea that my kids would never want for a creative space. Well, all they do is pile their stuff on it. They do their writing, drawing, and schoolwork in the main area, which is fine. I just had different ideas of the uses for the desks.

[Carrie12345]

:lol::lol::lol:

 

Here, desks are for piling things and playing Littlest Pet Shops. And we have 6 desks!

[Karen in CO]

Mine don't have desks. They do their school work on their flying turtles and pile thier stuff on my desk, but I have two so it's not that bad.

[Mrs Mungo]

My eldest often does. My youngers usually lie on the floor.

[Heather in WI]

My boys use their desks for most of their schoolwork.

[Elizabeth in WA]

They are supposed to have desks?

 

Seriously though, we do have a couple desks for computers... but non computer work is generally done on the table or on clipboards or even a book while sitting on the couch or lying on the floor.

[ocelotmom]

DS's desk is a total pile. They do their schoolwork on the dining table, which is probably good, because it can't become a pile if we want to eat on it, which we do.

[2_girls_mommy]

Yes, my 3rd grader does all of her independent work on her little school desk. My 1st grader has a little table that is her desk for school in the kitchen, so that she can work at it when I am in the kitchen. It does not get used often. She mostly works at the dining room table next to me sitting with her.

[Plucky]

My boys use their desks for most of their schoolwork.

 

Wow, is it in there rooms or a schoolroom?

[*Jessica*]

I wish they didn't, because I would love to get rid of them and have more room in the living room! Nik chooses to sit at his desk to do almost all of his schoolwork. It's lunch break right now, and he spent an extra 20 minutes sitting there reading a comic book. I asked him why he wasn't sitting on the comfy couch to read and he said he likes his desk better. Nate uses his to stuff all of his papers in, and the top is always covered in toys. He does like to use it to sit at and draw, though.

[Mejane]

Only if they're studying laundry piles. :glare:

[MamaT]

I bought desks when we first started homeschooling 15 years ago. I was only schooling two at the time, and they did use their desks. That ended after the first year and we eventually got rid of the desks.

 

Most of our schoolwork happens in the living room, except for my oldest who does his schoolwork on another floor for the quiet. It is our "boy cave" downstairs. Sometimes one of the kids will use the desk in our library or go to the dining room, but mostly it is on the floor or turned upside down in a chair. :001_smile:

[Lovedtodeath]

For us, it is about location. We only used the desks for storage. I moved the desks away from the wall and put them in the middle of the room and viola! We use them now.

[Plucky]

I bought desks when we first started homeschooling 15 years ago. I was only schooling two at the time, and they did use their desks. That ended after the first year and we eventually got rid of the desks.

 

Most of our schoolwork happens in the living room, except for my oldest who does his schoolwork on another floor for the quiet. It is our "boy cave" downstairs. Sometimes one of the kids will use the desk in our library or go to the dining room, but mostly it is on the floor or turned upside down in a chair. :001_smile:

 

Oh, yes. LOL They are really good when making a fort.

[athena1277]

Dd has a desk in her room and uses it for independent work in the mornings and sometimes in the afternoon for stuff she didn't get done while ds was napping (and quiet).

[Mrs Mungo]

Okay, keep in mind that we are still in the process of getting our house together, but here is our new schoolroom.

 

In pic 1 you can see the giant Expedit bookcase and the desk the kids have the option of using. I have school desks, but they don't like them so I left them out of the room this time. The dining room is nearby too, if they need more space. Pic 2 shows more bookcases and my desk. Pic 3 shows the "Harry Potter closet" under the stairs; it houses a lot of our school stuff.

[ChemMommy]

Oldest: never

Next Oldest: some

Third one: is there a desk buried under all that stuff?

Fourth one: what's a desk for?

[ChristusG]

Desks and tables seem to be catch alls for the kids toys. They use every empty surface in the house to set up their houses, villages, and people! So now, we just use the train table as their school desk....they'd rather be on their knees anyways.

[Heather in WI]

Wow, is it in there rooms or a schoolroom?

 

We have a schoolroom. :)

[justamouse]

what's a desk? :001_smile:

 

I have two dining room tables (one is in the school room), and an office desk which holds the computer. But that is the only desk in the house.

Edited March 28, 2011 by justamouse

[Starr]

Occasionally now they are in high school. :)

[laurad1125]

Mine do use their desks for individual work. We do work with mom or group work at the kitchen table. I require individual work to be done at desks so I can monitor what they are doing and help them stay on task. I'm usually doing my paid work in the office, which is where their desks are, at the same time. I also require the desks to be cleaned off during both morning and afternoon chores to prevent them becoming just a place to pile stuff.

[felicity]

Yes and no. They do most of their work on the other side of my big table so I can keep an eye on them. But if they can't concentrate because of other people or they are just too wiggly they'll go in a bedroom to finish. They also do most of their reading on their beds or on the floor.

[eternalknot]

I have a desk somewhere under these piles of papers and books and pens and paperclips and random Lego pieces. The kids, however, do not own desks. We do schoolwork on the kitchen table (ideally) or on our bellies on the floor (typically).

[Ellie]

No, they never did. We just always ended up at the kitchen table.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Yes.

[sewpeaceful]

Right now, I am the only one with a desk. My kids share a work table. I have been seriously considering desks for each kid though so this thread has been super helpful! Maybe I just need a bigger table, especially with them getting older and Lil' Miss joining us to "do school"... Lol. :)

[KidsHappen]

One dd uses hers as a vanity table and the other uses hers as a TV stand. School work is done at the large plastic work table in mom's room or on the living room or bedroom floor. Of course, I bought my dd's desks back in the day, when most computers were desktop models that actually required a desk. Now, everyone has laptops so not so much need for desks anymore.

[keptwoman]

Ours have desks in their rooms that they use sometimes. Mostly though, DD uses a little table in the living room and C uses the coffee table.

[Audrey]

My kids do not use their desks to draw, write, or even do any schoolwork. When I bought the desks years ago it was with the idea that my kids would never want for a creative space. Well, all they do is pile their stuff on it. They do their writing, drawing, and schoolwork in the main area, which is fine. I just had different ideas of the uses for the desks.

 

 

They're supposed to have desks? Cr*p! There goes my nomination to the Homeschool Queenie Awards.

 

And, I already bought a dress and everything. :crying:

[Koerarmoca]

we don't have desks. We planned to use our dinning room table but it actually fell apart tonight as we moved it to mop under it. I was on its last leg (pun intended) I am thinking bean bag chairs and clip boards might be the new solution. I don't want them to feel tied to a desk :D

[Tree House Academy]

Each of my kids have a full (kitchen sized) table in the school room to work on and they use them exclusively. They can sprawl out easily on those. :)

[mhgillil]

I have some "homeschooled kids" perspective on this topic as DH and I were both homeschooled (me, K-12, DH K-7 and then again for 12). My mom always had me either at a desk or the dining table to do the majority of my work. DH's mom never used a desk with him and he did most of his work on the floor, on his bed, or basically any non-traditional place. Today, I can work easily pretty much anywhere. DH, on the other hand, had a terrible time adjusting to traditional schooling and dealing with college courses because he had never been trained to sit and work at a desk or desk-like structure. Therefore, based on our experiences as homeschool graduates, I think that training kids to work comfortably and effectively at a desk or table is extremely important.

[ange]

yes. I actually have 2 desks for each older child...one in the schoolroom and one in their bedroom (when they need quiet study). My social butterfly daughter refuses to use the desk in her room (other than for playing dollhouse or littlest pet shop), she wants to be with people. She always uses her desk in the schoolroom. My 2 younger boys always want to use their desks. My oldest I had moved both desks into his room (the schoolroom was getting crowded and I assumed he would need the most quiet). But he only uses one; he prefers to use a desk. The only exception is when he has a project going on his desk and does not want to disturb it, then I find him on the floor. :001_smile: I remind him he has the 2nd desk but that ones stays buried in clutter. Thanks to all who posted pics...I'm looking for how I can "reconfigure" things.

[lllll]

...

[Lizzie in Ma]

9th grader does all her work at her desk.

4th grader does some at her desk, some on the couch.

[Frontier Mom]

I have one that does and three that don't. My oldest uses his similar to a honing device for his books. He piles them on, inside and around the desk so he has a general idea where his books are at any moment;-) He uses the entire dining room table to actually do his work.

 

My dd uses hers for crafts so there is no room left for books. She usually works on the bed or in the den. This is why we made our "learning room" a multi-purpose room for them this Christmas. The desks have now been moved into their individual bedrooms since they didn't work on them much anyway. Also, they couldn't work very well all together in one room.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

we just got zach a new computer/study desk...we've had it about 3 days I guess-today was the first day he did any homework on it--I'm hoping it will be a place where he can do work on his own (like handwriting-drawing-math)---most of the time he either does it in the recliner or we pile up on my bed and do studies....depends what kind of mood we're in....

[happypamama]

Desk, like a desk in their room, away from the main flow of the house? No. DD has a desk in her room that matches her other furniture; it's for storing her doll stuff, though, so that toddlers can't get into it, not for schoolwork at this point.

 

Now, otoh, we do have desks in the schoolroom. I have a huge old desk that holds all of our books, workbaskets, and the computer. This, I use daily. I do move around the room, or sit in an armchair for some reading, but often, I just sit at the desk (with the toddler on my lap). The boys don't have a desk; they have a table with a couple of chairs (because often the toddler insists on doing schoolwork too, preferably alongside his big brother). There is also an art table. I try to keep it fairly tidy, but it does sometimes get piled up with art projects. Art projects are generally kept off of the school table though. DD has a desk in the schoolroom, tucked into a little alcove, because she gets distracted easily; it was her suggestion -- she likes to be able to have her back to everyone, but still be near enough to get help as needed.

[Impish]

Crap. We're supposed to give them desks?!:lol:

[ecj98]

Yes, DS does his work at his desk. He is too short to work well at the dining room table and too tall to work at the small kid-sized table that we have.

[Hwin]

To study? No, he doesn't study yet. He does sit at his desk to do writing or coloring. He's still a little kid and doesn't fit at the big table.

 

He likes to read and listen to stories in all kinds of places, though.

[TheApprentice]

We have a table that I usually work with my youngest on for math and cursive, but we can be all over the house on any given day.;)

[jenL]

Ds1 has a desk in his bedroom which currently houses many of his Lego creations. So, currently, it is not in use for school work. Some school work is done on the couch or laying on his bed with a lap desk. Some is done at our kitchen table. I never used a desk growing up aside from having to sit at one in my classes at school. Dh used his desk all the time, and he cannot understand why our son doesn't want to sit at his to do school work. I feel a desk is too constraining; hence, why I have always held jobs that allow me to move around, and why dh can happily sit in a cubicle all day! :tongue_smilie: