Homework Headquarters and Helpful Tips

Sometimes Happy Homes struggle to keep the ‘Happy’ when the dreaded hour of homework rears its ugly head.

Would you believe that often all it takes is just a few magical ideas to change the tune of your Happy Home’s afternoon?

Here are some excellent inspirations!

First, choose a space in your Happy Home that’s least likely to distract your Happy Buddy.

Keep the homework area neat and clutter free, as this promotes focus!

I love this Homework Station from Mommy Minded!

She even keeps snacks nearby for hungry workers.

I am OBSESSED with this Closet-Turned-Homework Station found HERE!

What a creative use of space!

The gal who did this reports that her Happy Buddy now begs to do his homework.

Mission accomplished if you ask me! 🙂

You could put all homework materials in a cute Homework Caddy (transformed from an inexpensive utensil caddy found at Target) like this one from I Heart Organizing.

That way everything your Happy Buddy may need is right there!

No more racing around the house searching for pencils or sharpeners or other supplies.

Keep a clock nearby to help your Happy Buddy stay on task.

I like this Time Timer because it shows elapsed time in red – a great visual for time management!

Teach your Happy Buddy to stay on top of assignments (no more midnight runs to Wal-Mart the night before the big Science Fair Project is due!  Wootwoot!) by posting a monthly calendar or Homework Planner like the above FREE Printable from Creative Mamma.

I love the idea of having ‘In’ and ‘Out’ Boxes (or buckets like these from BHG) for organizing school papers.

Every Happy Buddy needs a little encouragement, so tack up some of his best graded papers, art work, and inspiring words/notes from you in his Homework Station area.

You could even ask your Happy Buddy’s teacher to jot down a quick word to spark the flame of perseverance during homework time.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” Philippians 4:13

This is a really ingenious idea for those that might not have extra room for a specific homework area.

Raising Tomorrow’s Men used an idea from Family Fun to create a personalized Fold-Up Homework Station out of a display board!

Y’all know I am a gigundo enormous astronomical huge fan of fairies, 🙂 so this next idea totally rang my bell!

There will definitely be days when getting your Happy Buddy to do his work will be more challenging than others.

This is when you will need the Homework Fairy.

Apparently the Homework Fairy loves to reward ongoing scholastic endeavors, so flutter over HERE for the whole scoop as well as some FREE Printables. 🙂

And, finally, when I was teaching 2nd grade, here are a few ideas I gave my students’ parents to keep homework as exciting as it could possibly be.

*Call or Skype with an out-of-town relative and work on math facts, read out loud, or practice spelling words with them.

*Sometimes having a parent just sit with their Happy Buddy during homework time is helpful.  It’s nice to have a buddy while you’re working.

*Do homework at the same time every day.

*As much as a consistent homework work space is important, mixing it up every once and awhile can provide fresh enthusiasm to finish a task.  Who wouldn’t love doing their homework in the bath tub or under the dining room table or outside in a tent?

Want more??

Check out this article for more tips on making homework fun (I especially like the stamping idea – or you could simply use a fun hole punch!).

I hope you found some great homework inspiration to keep your Happy Home happy during homework time!

Happy Homework-ing! 🙂

*Please see the sidebar for a list of amazing sites where this post will be partying!*