Have you finally accepted that your kids will likely be doing a lot of virtual learning for the foreseeable future? It looks like virtual learning, at least part time, will be here to stay.

While a lot of parents muddled through the first round of at-home school when things shut down in March, now might be a good time to set up an on-purpose learning station in your home.

For those of us who work in an office we know how important it is to have a dedicated workstation. We’d have a hard time if we had to sit at a different desk every day or if someone else was always putting their stuff on our desk when we weren’t there. It wouldn’t go well if we didn’t have the supplies we needed or if someone was always watching TV in the background.

With that in mind, we should set our kids up to be as successful as possible in this less-than-ideal schooling environment. Here are some ideas that could help.

Set up a dedicated space

If you have the room for it, the best option is a desk in a quiet area of the home that is just for your child. It might not be immediately obvious where a good location is, so think outside the box:

• A guest room

• A storage closet (a small desk with shelves above)

• Under the stairs

• The space under a loft bed

Ideally, you’ll find a space with limited distractions. When possible, avoid setting them up in a high-traffic area of the house where people and pets are frequently passing by. It’s also helpful to avoid putting their desk directly in front of a window where passersby outside will pull your child’s attention away from their work.

Create a “learning box”

If you’re unable, due to space or other limitations, to set up a space that is all theirs, a portable learning box is a great solution for making sure they have what they need. Consider a milk carton or file box with handles. Make sure it’s an appropriate size for your child to carry on their own. Have all the things they might need for the day, including pens, pencils, rulers, notebooks, scrap paper, calculators, etc. Use small containers such as cups and tupperware to hold the smaller items within the larger box. They can bring the box to the family’s shared computer desk or kitchen table and then it can be packed up at the end of the school day so you can resume using the space for it’s intended purpose.

Even if you have the space for a dedicated workstation, this portable school box could be useful for some children with ADHD who do better with being able to get up and change scenery occasionally throughout the day. If you find your child has trouble sitting at the same desk all day, give this a try.

Keep it clear

Too much visual stimulation is distracting, whether we realize it at the time or not. Don’t set up their learning station with too many objects. It’s not a bad idea to have a couple personal objects (like a plant, favorite toy, or photo) but try not to over do it. This also means that if they’re working in a family common-area the space should be cleared of other items to make a clear space for school.

Tidy up at the end of the day

If your child is learning from a dedicated space, encourage (or demand) that they do a less-than-five-minute tidy before leaving school behind for the day. Starting with a clean slate the next school day will help them be more relaxed and less stressed. If you’re working with a learning box then this should be part of the routine anyway, so that their school things aren’t scattered and in the way of eating dinner or other family activities.

I’m sure that there are positives and negatives to any learning situation your family is currently dealing with. You can make the best of the situation by proactively planning how to best set up your child’s physical learning environment to give them the best chance for success this upcoming school year.