With the start of a new school year, that also means homework will be starting very soon!  Do you have a designated study zone in your home?  For older kids, it might be a desk space in their bedroom or in your home office.  For younger kids, we recommend having a study zone in a common area of the home like the kitchen.  There are so many great organizing products available today that you can create a portable study zone with a few simple products.  Here are 3 ideas to keep in mind when creating an efficient and organized study zone for your home:

1.)  Keep all supplies needed close by.  For those with a desk in a bedroom, we recommend having a few simple products on the desk top such as pencils, pens, a stapeler, a notepad and maybe a desktop file holder.   Also, you can use drawer dividers to organize other supplies in a top drawer like paperclips, extra staples, tape, glue, a calculator, etc.  Be sure to have a trash can and a recycle bin at an arms reach away as well.  For younger kids whose study zone may be the kitchen table, we recommend purchasing a plastic tote of some sort that will hold all supplies needed.  You can store this in a cabinet and pull it out each day during homework time.  This way the kitchen table remains free of clutter for most of the day, but will also be very functional as a study zone.

2.)  Always clear off your work space when you have completed your homework for the day.  This will help you stay organized and prodcutive!  When you have proper “homes” for all of your supplies, it is a breeze to put things away.  Take the few extra seconds or minutes each afternoon/evening to tidy up your space so that when you sit down to start your homework the next day, you have a clear work space, which will in turn help you be able to focus better.

3.)  If distraction can be an issue for you or your kids, try setting a timer for 30 minutes and focus on your top priority task until the timer beeps.  After 30 minutes of hard work, take a break…grab a snack and play outside for a few minutes.  Then if you still have more homework to do, sit back down and get to work.  Another great idea for those of us with younger kids, is to work parallel with your kids.  For example, while your child is reading or doing homework, you can be paying your bills, making to-do lists, meal planning, working on a project for your business, etc.  This way you are being productive, but you are still available to help with homework or help keep your child on task if needed. You can also “model” for them strategies for staying focused and working “smart”.

What one essential item does your study zone have to have?  We would love to hear from you!