Five Tips for the Most Practical Big Kid Desk

I'm thrilled that school is back in session. I love summers and its relaxed daily living, but I am a creature of habit and returning to a routine does wonders for my productivity. Little Miss A started school yesterday and it was very exciting to start a new school year. This is not just any new school year but a very special school year as she starts first grade. First grade, in our case, translates to: new building, new classes (like Chinese!), lunches at the cafeteria (no more lunchboxes, thank you!), timed tests and most importantly... HOMEWORK. We take schoolwork very seriously around here and so I wanted to organize a cute and comfortable big girl desk for Little Miss A so that she would love sitting in it. It has to be comfortable enough so she can stay focused, and functional enough so that the set-up could work for many years to come. Here are my five tips to create the most practical "big kid desk"

1 || Good Lighting. We placed her desk in front of a window and also added a pretty tablelamp.

2 || Add Supplementary Storage. Since kids usually have so many art supplies I opted for an adjoining leveled table where she could keep her markers, paper, crayons, scissors, glue and other valuables without taking away from her desk workspace. This way she has everything within arm's reach and has no reason to get up from her desk.

3 || Comfortable Seating. Kids need to be comfortable to make it easier to study and concentrate. I thought the Ikea sheep skin would add coziness and cushion to her chair. Once she becomes a seasoned student I would definitely splurge on a higher quality desk chair.

4 || Have a clear workspace. Minimize the amount of items on the actual desk so your child can really layout all the books and workbooks freely.

5 || Make it theirs. Let them decorate and organize their own desk so they feel this is theirs. They need to be proud of moving up to a desk from their playtables. Chances are your kids have already seen you working at your desk and this is their opportunity to mimic and learn from you. You may not agree with all their decorative choices (cue in the tacky zebra tape dispenser), but just like you, they want to be surrounded by all the things they like and treasure.

Here is what we came up with-

If you had not gathered from the above photos she loves tchotchkes. I wonder why? hmmmm

What do you love most about back to school and do you have any other ideas for making a desk a better workspace for a kid?

[all photos by AC]