Creating a child-friendly space within your office or working area will save you a lot of time getting up and down from your desk whenever you need to find toys and other gadgets to keep the kids busy or entertained. Assess your office and choose a spot that you can design and turn into a comfortable area for your child to use as a space to do their homework and focus, be creative, and develop good study habits. 

You don’t have to do this alone, make it more fun and get the whole family involved in this project and let your child decorate it how they want – this will give it a more personal touch and they will be more likely to sit and admire what they have created. Use these smart solutions and ideas below to create your own positive environment that will keep your children entertained while your workday is productive and professional. Here are some home office ideas for making your home office an environment that is kid friendly, feels good and promotes concentration and productivity in your own comfort.

Kid’s Mobile Desk 

Get your kids into the habit of professional manners whenever they enter into the office and promote organization by introducing a child’s desk into your workspace where your kids can play, engage in creative projects and really focus when homework needs to be done. A great space for your kids to get homework done and engage in other creative activities is on their own desk and their own space. Decorate their desk with essentials they will need to feel like part of the team, get crayons, pens, paints, books, Eva ABC + Number Mat, Black Chalk Board Set and toys to complement the look of your office.

Add Supplies  and Books

Once you’ve got the space and furniture covered, stock up on basic supplies. For younger children, purchase arts and crafts materials. For older children, include a dictionary and thesaurus and an atlas. Use jars to hold supplies, or stackable plastic cubes or even a shoebox for a more portable option.

If you have extra room, why not create a mini-library for your child’s enjoyment? This can be a mix of nonfiction texts relevant to their studies and fiction books or graphic novels they’re reading for class. Having a variety of books on hand for when your child wants to open one will ensure they stay engaged in reading.

Create a Separate Space

To avoid distractions while getting your work done, whether it be kids running through or the hanging laundry on your couch that is still to be folded, get into a separate room that will get your mind fixed on the work that you need to do. Working from home means more meetings will be taking place between your clients or colleagues. Getting a separate space where you can have phone meetings without worrying your colleagues will overhear everything your children are doing or be disturbed by any background noises is important. There are many other benefits to getting a separate space such as getting your child to understand the separation of roles and boundaries: when the door is closed, it’s time for Mommy or Daddy to work.

If you are lucky enough and have the luxury of a large home office, dedicate one side of the room for work and the other side for play. The two different spaces help to establish boundaries within the home, for example: if you are having a meeting and the door to your side is closed, your child knows what that signals and they will learn to behave accordingly and give you the space that you need. Some kids will want to spend time with their parents while getting work done and this can be a challenge if you’re not well prepared. Design one side of the room to cater to your child’s needs and don’t be shy to furnish it with toys and playmats so your child can play safely while you work.

Use a Dining Table as a Workspace

Choose a rectangular dining table that fits the style of your space to give you enough width and consider keeping one side against the wall to free up space for two to four chairs.

Organized and make it Personal

Two essentials for your child’s workspace are a large enough work surface and comfortable seating. Get good lighting to ensure your child can read comfortably and doesn’t struggle with seeing their work. A combination of ambient lighting, like a ceiling fixture, and task lighting, like a desk lamp, is ideal.

Personalize it

Get your child involved in personalizing their study space so they’ll feel cozy and be less likely to think of homework as a chore. Your child might feel supported by having their favorite stuffed animal beside them to “help” study spelling words, for example.

Protect Your Equipment

Take any kid to an office space and you will see disaster! Office and kids simply do not mix. The office area is full of hazards and unfriendly items like staplers, scissors, electric pencil sharpeners and all everything that small children want to play with and will reach for if left out and unattended. Use most of your shelves and cabinets to lock away anything that is dangerous and create a boundary to your computer equipment.