The following is a guest post from momAgendaCOMM blogger Julie Meyers Pron.
There is nothing worse than the five o’clock shout “Mooooooooom. I don’t have a yellow highlighter for my homework!” That’s why it’s so helpful to prepare yourself now before the big assignments come in and you’re left running to the store through rush-hour traffic and driving through a fast-food lane for dinner (rather than serving that healthy dinner you’d planned) all because you needed a highlighter or poster board to finish a special project.
To combat that, create a homework station that’s fully loaded with nearly everything your child may need.
To start, take a look at your child’s school supply list. I usually buy extras of everything needed and keep them in a clear, plastic container with a lid. I prefer this container because it can move from area to area, depending on the child and where he or she does his homework, and cleans up easily and stashes away in a closet.
At the very least, your station should include:
- flash cards (if used by the school)
- a child’s/student dictionary
- hand-held pencil sharpener
- 10 sharpened pencils
- 2 pens (if your child’s teacher requests this)
- 2 erasers
- age-appropriate scissors
- glue stick
- small box of crayons/colored pencils/markers
- highlighters
- 10-20 sheets loose leaf paper (easily accessible, yet preserved, in a folder)
- 10-20 sheets plain white paper (easily accessible, yet preserved in a folder)
- computer (if your child has homework on the computer and you are comfortable with your child being on the computer with minimal supervision)
- headphones (if your child has homework on the computer and there are multiple work stations in the same area)
- tissues
- post-it notes
- bookmarks
Also, inside the container should be refill request pages. These are papers specifically for requesting more of a product when your children run out. Small index cards in a bright color will work just fine. Any time students are about to run out of an item in their work station container, they should complete a new sheet to request more. Visit the older elementary guide to setting the tone for homework and the younger elementary guide for setting the tone for homework at Julieverse.
Julie Meyers Pron is a suburban Philadelphia mom of 3. She is The Chief of Everything at Julieverse sharing her knowledge, lifestyle tips, business-savvy suggestions and real life stories to help readers parent confidently while remaining their stylish self.