shanvan Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 related to homeschooling? I was looking at this thread on the k-8 board (yes, after I posted yesterday that I don't visit there much). I have always wanted to do something like this, but I can't take the cluttered look. If I used a school room, maybe I could do it, but we don't have schoolroom. Every room in our house is either a common room or a bedroom. The only place I could have a school room is in our basement which is unfinished, cold and dark. Somehow I don't think it would work for us. We school everywhere! Just wondering if anyone else has issues with school type clutter? I also do not like plastic office type organizers visible in public areas of the house. Even if they are extremely functional. Instead of plastic crates for book storage, years ago I went to target and bought my kids each baskets shaped like cubes. I just can't stand the plastic look. Again, if I had a schoolroom, I'd be fine with plastic crates and I use them for storage in my basement, just not where I can see them on a daily basis. I'm even considering taking down the huge world map that has hung in the kitchen for 9 years and re-painting. I'm starting to look at that as clutter too and wanting my kitchen to be, well, just a kitchen. Maybe this is part of my midlife crisis? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 The current school things are in my kids' bedrooms. We use the dining table occasionally to work, but then put everything away, so there is no homeschool clutter in the living area. Materials not currently in use are stored in the basement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 I don't like lots of clutter and it would drive me nuts. If I perhaps had a separate school room maybe. Then again anything that required tons of holes in the wall would be out, that drives dh nuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 I don't like plastic things, but I have a lot of office looking things. However, they are all in the classroom. Instead of plastic I use silver metal for files, I have frosted magazine holders for some books, a trunk from Hobby Lobby that holds extra supplies, photo boxes for dvds and misc stuff. Our pencil cups are pewter goblets I got at a thrift store. I need to take some updated pictures. It's kind of a mess right now though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share Posted August 31, 2012 I don't like plastic things, but I have a lot of office looking things. However, they are all in the classroom. Instead of plastic I use silver metal for files, I have frosted magazine holders for some books, a trunk from Hobby Lobby that holds extra supplies, photo boxes for dvds and misc stuff. Our pencil cups are pewter goblets I got at a thrift store. I need to take some updated pictures. It's kind of a mess right now though. You think like me! Now I'm going to start considering metal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suppleasthewind Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 I'm like you. I don't mind clutter if it is aesthetically pleasing. I have a lot of pretty boxes and baskets around with school stuff. I like to collect things from nature (shells, gourds, pine cones, peacock feather, pussy willows, rocks, etc) and I don't mind if they clutter up spaces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassy Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Well, I'm having a mid-life crisis too, but I don't mind school clutter. We have posters everywhere, books piled on tables in the kitchen and dining room, a steadily increasing number of plastic drawer units, I even have all our RightStart math manipulatives in the box they arrived in on the floor in my dining room. I think I like the kids to be surrounded with reminders of what they're learning. Maybe I also need constant reminders that we're a homeschool now, I'm supposed to be teaching :tongue_smilie:! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share Posted August 31, 2012 Well, I'm having a mid-life crisis too, but I don't mind school clutter. We have posters everywhere, books piled on tables in the kitchen and dining room, a steadily increasing number of plastic drawer units, I even have all our RightStart math manipulatives in the box they arrived in on the floor in my dining room. I think I like the kids to be surrounded with reminders of what they're learning. Maybe I also need constant reminders that we're a homeschool now, I'm supposed to be teaching :tongue_smilie:! Book clutter doesn't count. I'm okay with books (mostly). Posters I can deal with for a little while, then they have to go. For some reason plastic drawers and such in homes that are not mine do not bother me. In fact, when I see other moms who organize with them, I sort of wish I could be more like them. I guess I feel like I'm a little too obsessive about it. ETA: I can deal with a cluttered fridge for a little while, and even a bulletin board with a lot of papers too--though these have been bothering me a bit lately too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linders Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 I can understand. We don't have a dedicated schoolroom and use the common rooms to do our work. Between books, binders, tools, and posters, there's so much stuff! And I also don't like the plastic crate look. We ended up getting a very nice hutch for the breakfast nook. Below it has 2 shelves with sliding doors where we can hide the "messy" stuff - projects in prgress, containers of pencils, art supplies, etc. Above are 2 open shelves where less messy stuff (books) can go. I tuck posters behind the hutch to bring out during school time. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassy Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Book clutter doesn't count. I'm okay with books (mostly). Posters I can deal with for a little while, then they have to go. For some reason plastic drawers and such in homes that are not mine do not bother me. In fact, when I see other moms who organize with them, I sort of wish I could be more like them. I guess I feel like I'm a little too obsessive about it. ETA: I can deal with a cluttered fridge for a little while, and even a bulletin board with a lot of papers too--though these have been bothering me a bit lately too. Mmm ... I diagnose someone who has been struggling for some weeks with getting organised for the upcoming school year ... and now has got to the point that organising everything is beginning to obsess them ... yes? (I haven't been following your threads at all during the past few weeks, honest, well maybe just a little ... ) :D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share Posted August 31, 2012 Mmm ... I diagnose someone who has been struggling for some weeks with getting organised for the upcoming school year ... and now has got to the point that organising everything is beginning to obsess them ... yes? (I haven't been following your threads at all during the past few weeks, honest, well maybe just a little ... ) :D. :lol::lol: Are you going to charge for this diagnoses? I suppose the cure is to just get it done. But, is it ever really done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historically accurate Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 We just redid our living room floor, so I had to move everything out of the room. When I reloaded the room, I took over the foyer coat closet and slid a bookcase in there, and that's where all of the school books/plastic tubs/etc. live. I slide the All About Spelling whiteboard in there also at the end of the school day. I didn't know how I'd like it, but I love not having to look at school stuff every day, all day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 I'm okay with organized homeschool books and materials being visible in our living room & dining room areas. We have large bookshelves in each room & they are organized according to topics. In the dining room, I have see-through plastic bins labeled with names of items they contain, as well as a wall map, a number line, and two dry erase boards. So, nope, it doesn't bother me, as long as it's neatly stored.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Aside from bookshelves in the living room, our binders, organizers and stuff are in a little office which is visible from the living area but is designed to look like its own room. It's the best I can do with such a small house. The room has very nice furniture along with two cream-colored short filing cabinets that hold two printers. I hate clutter too, but I realize I must accept some of it if I want to school like I want to, and my boys' education is more important than my perfect house. Our kitchen has a bulletin/white board which holds reminders and such. There are clips on the board for when I want to hang up a map. Don'g get me wrong, I live in a near constant state of jealousy over what I don't have, but it's not overwhelming -- it's sort of like background noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 Only Children Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 (edited) I rearranged everything a couple of weeks ago and came up with the idea of using square baskets for each subject. Math basket includes workbooks, dvd's, flashcards and anything else I would need to teach math. I made one for all the little extra things that are just for fun too. When we are done with that subject we can just put it all back in and it makes for a quick clean up. I found some sturdy wicker looking ones at Target that look nice as we use our dining room for everything but art and science which we do in the basement. Edited September 6, 2012 by 3 Only Children Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 I need to take some updated pictures. It's kind of a mess right now though. :lol: I keep herding things back into the school room, once a week do a decent sort, and twice a month a big dust and sort. I coped with the wall map by putting it in a hallway. I just have to walk by it, not stand and scrub the fry pan looking at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 We have a tiny house (1000 sq ft.) and school stuff just won't work in their rooms. I do have a plastic cube in a corner of the kitchen that holds our school stuff. Some stuff is also in a cabinet of the entertainment center, so it's not seen (other stuff is on the bookshelf in a corner of the hall). I just really don't care about the look of the school stuff in the kitchen. It is the only place that works for us, and keeping it in there means it gets put away daily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbug Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 I hate, hate, hate visual clutter (great phrase!). Our schoolroom is nothing but. Open shelving so that the little ones can access things. I don't mind shelves of books, but the games and toys (I have littles) don't look too pretty. As long as we are in this house I refuse to pay one cent toward beautifying this room. We are renting and I will not spend any money until we are in our own place. I just can't spend the money on great cabinets that might not work in the next house. So, visual clutter it is! I try to ignore it. Everything about this house is an eyesore anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoot Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 I hate visual clutter and feel the same as you. If I had a school room, it would be fine. However, in my house, where I LIVE, no, I can't deal with the level of clutter that a lot of homeschoolers allow. The majority of our homeschooling stuff is in the office. Everything is on a bookshelf (or two) and we use magazine files for workboxes. The only thing that is downstairs and visible would be DS's laptop and math workbox in the dining room. We don't use the dining room though and everything is tidied up nicely on the bottom shelf of a curio cabinet so it isn't out for all the world to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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