Today’s Family Man -Playing
Office with the Kids
By Gregory Keer
As a writer and teacher, I work at
home on various afternoons, evenings, and weekends. So, my sons see me
slogging away at articles and marking essays. Often, they not only
wonder what I’m doing, they want to imitate me.
While I was grading finals last year,
my six-year-old offered to help me. “I’ll tell you the answers and you
write down if they’re right,” he said. So he did, reading off the
letters to the multiple-choice questions. It actually saved me a lot of
time.
My two-year-old recently got in on the
action, asking, “Can I have a paper? Will you open this pen?”
He then scribbled away on Post-Its or
printer paper, copying the actions of his busy daddy. His pen did manage
to scratch up the floor, which was a major distraction, but (once I
stopped stressing about the cost of fixing a wood plank) I realized that
the home office thing was mutually beneficial. I got to be around my
sons and they got to learn my (few) good working habits.
The concept of a home office is one
that can translate to a young student as well. And as the school year
shifts into higher gear, dads and moms may want to help their kids
outfit their own working environment. Making it like an office invites a
sense of both play at being an adult and the concept of actual
responsibility.
Here are some tips to creating a
productive space:
1.
Pick a location
free from distractions. A corner of a bedroom or den, perhaps.
2.
If you haven’t already,
buy a desk or table and chair that’s the right height for your
child. Choose a desk that’s inviting for your kid. It can be blue or
pink or something simple, as long as your child is involved in the
choice. Also, make sure it has plenty of space on the desk and good
lighting.
If your child has a computer, be
sure the desk can accommodate both the computer and additional workspace
for workbooks and other supplies.
3.
Now dress up the
area like an office. Make up a shopping list and go to a school
or office supply store and buy the essentials: pens, pencils, papers,
etc. There are many styles and colors to choose from. Let your child
express his- or herself. Old Navy and even Staples have some cool school
supplies.
4.
Part of the dressing up
is getting the right organizational tools. Buy baskets or
bins for the writing and other handheld tools.
But also consider a calendar, a
bulletin board, and a chalk or eraser board. With the calendar,
you can help keep lists of assignments, after-school activities, and
birthdays. On the board, make the lists short and easy to check
off to give your child a sense of accomplishment.
You might also want to try and in and
out tray so you can check the homework in the outbox.
File folders
for different school subjects are great, especially when kept in small
cardboard file boxes.
Also, consider a paper or electronic
rolodex for phone numbers and file folders for different subjects.
5.
Provide a bookshelf or
small area for reference books or CD programs. You can purchase a
book version of a thesaurus or a dictionary or get something like the
Franklin Bookman Electronic Dictionary and Thesaurus.
Of course, the Internet offers some
wonderful resources, including Britannica.com for an online encyclopedia
To with all those materials for
the home office, here are some tips to encourage your student gets a lot
of use out of them:
1.
Regular time
for studying, either right after school or after dinner, before any TV
or other Internet usage. Get them to study before they get too tired.
2.
As I alluded to before,
consider doing your own work, whether it’s office work or bill
playing, at the same time as your child. This shows solidarity and cuts
down on the thoughts of what the child is “missing” if your TV is
blaring in the background.
At least, you should read a book for
some of that time, but not in the same room as your child, if possible.
3.
Check their homework
when it’s done.
4.
Keep stress to a
minimum. If your child is
doing most of what they should do, keep encouraging. Their classroom
success will come.
5.
Reward
your child for getting their homework done. With all the distractions
kids have, their diligence is something to be praised. The reward rounds
out the home office concept by showing that good work is well
compensated. The reward could be anything from a special dinner to an
allowance of some kind.
Whether your child
has 15 minutes or 4 hours of homework, the home office will make them
feel comfortable and as grown-up as dad or mom. Doing some work with
them adds the extra bonding element too that can help them both
establish good habit as well as provide bonus bonding time for you and
your child.
Helpful Links
www.smarterkids.com
www.britannica.com
www.organizedstudent.com
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Gregory Keer is a syndicated columnist, teacher, and on-air
expert on fatherhood. His Family Man ™ column appears in
publications across the country, including L.A. Parent,
Boston Parents’ Paper, Bay Area Parent, Long Island
Parenting News, Metro Augusta Parent, and Sydney’s Child in
Australia. Keer's concurrent column, Today's Family Man, is
found at his online fatherhood magazine,
www.FamilyManOnline.com. He also writes for Parenting
magazine, the Parents' Choice Foundation, and Parenthood.com.
On television, Keer has appeared on morning shows and cable
specials. He is the father of two (with one on the way) and
husband to Wendy, a professor in child-development. |
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