Should We Get My Kids a Desk?

All three of my kids have always (well, until high school) done their homework in the kitchen. Their desks are nothing more than storage spaces.

I'd say that home work should always be done in a central part of the home. This way you are in control of their actions while they are working.

They should never have an electronic device they can go online on in their room out of eyes of a parent. They need to be supervised so they won't find ways to go places they shouldn't go.

I had a desk in my room as a kid. I did not use it for homework. It was a clutter collector. I did my homework at the kitchen table. My kids do their homework at the dining room table.

Three of my four kids had or have a desk in their room. I have never seen it function as anything but a shelf.

My son has had a desk since he was about 6 years old and to this day (he is now 11) he still does his homework on the dining room table... I would wait on the desk until your child is a little older (wish I had) because now.. my son is actually a bit big for his desk..

save your money until your child is older.. Also, you may want to re-do his bedroom and you can buy a desk and possibly other furniture then..

I agree with your husband. My kids all had desks. When they were young they used them more for art work, coloring etc. But as they got older and more responsible they did their homework at the desk. We did buy desks that grew with them. Desks a teen could use. Not the undersized kids sized desks. Be sure whatever you get is something they can grow with.

My son is 10.
The kitchen table is Homework Central still...
I'd wait awhile....I'm with you.
Now if he has a LOT of space in his room and you'd like it to match...maybe.

Laptops have basically eliminated the computer desk. By the time your child graduates from high school, who knows what device we will be using.

With this in mind, think beyond homework. Would your child benefit from a table to make art or build things on? Would your child benefit from place to organize school and art supplies? Does one need a desk to house supplies, or are there other systems that can be used?

A table that faces the room rather than the wall is nicer, but requires more room space. I wouldn't bother with a desk that forced someone to face the wall, because the desk will become a shelf. If the child could move all the way around the table, he could build his own Frankenstein or other science project.

Does your child have a place where the lighting is conducive for reading? Lighting is the most ignored necessity in a house.

Where does your child like to sit? Where has he been doing his homework? When your child uses the computer to research topics of interest (and my seven-year-old does that with me), where does that happen? What position does your child sit in when he reads, writes, plays with toys, uses the computer?

Spend a month observing your child and how he uses the space in the house. Set up a card table in his room and see what he does with it. Put inexpensive and temporary lighting where he reads and a few other places and see how that space gets used, by your son and others.

Make a survey for him. Ask him all the questions I've asked you to observe. What does he say?

Furniture has to fit in size to be used by the person. Nothing is more irritating than to use a desk that is the wrong height. Sitting low and needing to raise one's wrists is uncomfortable, and sitting above a desk and bending over is also uncomfortable. At six, he is going to be growing a lot for the next 12-14 years. How does that impact this purchase decision? Do you think you can buy once and never again? Do you think you will update every few years? Could these issues be addressed with a good swivel desk chair?

My brother had a desk, which had been my father's desk when he was a kid, and I was jealous, maybe because it had a mirror on it. Can't say he used it as a desk much, but he did use it. He didn't have a light at it.

I did my HW at the kitchen table K-1 with mom, and then on my bed or the coffee table in the living room, no chair, hunched over, no light. If I had had a comfy chair in my room, I know I would have used that. I remember that my mom yearned to be able to get me a makeup table. She did want me to study, and I doubt that she would have seen the implied sexist implications of that yearning. She had never asked me, and I never had said I wanted a make up table, but I would have told he I wanted a desk if I had been asked. I had great grades and motivation to succeed despite my homework conditions.

Thanks for a fun question to deliberate.

A desk in a child's bedroom is just a place for junk to collect. Homework is done at the kitchen table.

My kids did have desks. In their rooms even, for a time. I actually had some old school desks that they begged me to get, specifically so they could do their homework in them.

They did their homework at the kitchen table, and the desks became junk/clutter magnets and space suckers.

Don't do it. Not at his age. Really. Think about the reality of him sitting doing homework. He will need you to answer questions, look over his shoulder from time to time, and fuss at him to stay on track and not get distracted playing/procrastinating. MOST moms do this while in the kitchen prepping dinner (at least that is where I always found myself), and your child is at the breakfast table. Not in their room.

My son just finished 9th grade and will turn 15 next month. He JUST started actually doing homework in his bedroom mid-way through this year. Up until then, I still had to really prod him, or he finished it at school/had none. We took the old school desks out a few years ago--after much protest on their parts--they are sentimental kids, and that makes getting rid of anything a battle and a nightmare. Spare yourself the hassle and don't do it now. Wait. Wait a lot longer. Eventually, they will really need something, and they will ask, or you will catch them lying on the floor in their room studying/writing a paper, or they will make a make-shift contraption to use instead so they can work in their room. THAT is when you know it is time.

Usually, at age 6, it is more to make the parents feel good, than for actual use. Don't wast the money or space right now. Trust me on this.

I used a desk in High School, but as long as there is a location where he can do his homework that works for all then don't bother with the desk.

I'd save your money.
Esp at his age. Maybe when he's 15.
SD has always done it at the kitchen table & never used the desk in her
room. Not even once. She's a teen now.

We started with the kitchen table, but moving school things, art things and dinner things around became a bit much. So instead of using the kitchen table, we eat on that one and use a table in our living area for school and art (and the perpetual lego construction zone). Both of my kids have their own computers because we use an online curriculum, and I like having them in the middle of things where I can check frequently on what they are doing. It works beautifully for us.

Both of my children has desks in their room which was used to hold and collect things but not do homework. When they were little they did their homework at the kitchen table. At teenagers they did most of it on the computer, at the library or kitchen table. Even when my kids did some homework in their room they did it on their bed (their desk was full of stuff) haha.

it depends totally on your family situation and house layout.
my kids did 90% of their schoolwork at the kitchen table, until we started homeschooling and then it flowed over into 'anywhere.' but i also remember how disruptive it was for me when i was a kid, trying to do homework in the living room with all of my noisy obnoxious little brothers around. i retreated to my room and did it on my bed, and would have LOVED to have a desk where i could sit comfortably and have all my supplies right there.
khairete
S.

My dd has a desk, but doesn't use it for homework. She's 10, and still does homework at the kitchen table. But she likes her desk to put some papers in, to store things in and we bought an inexpensive one at a garage sale ($15-and it was nice looking) so I let her decorate it with stickers.

I had a desk and always did my homework on it. I did art at the kitchen table.

My kids have desks.Just because its annoying to have siblings bothering you.And for us,The kitchen table just for eating.So a desk works for us when are kids has projects

Kitchen Table.

Remind your husband, kids today use a computer / laptop and you want that in the family room or kitchen where you can see what they are doing and where they are going on that computer.

It depends on what type of desk you buy. If you do buy him one, make sure it has drawers for storage. We bought my 8 year old son a metal locker desk last year, on clearance at Meijer's. It was a good purchase for us. He doesn't use it much to do homework, but he keeps all of his extra school supplies in the drawers and his laptop sits on it. I'm glad all the extra stuff isn't stuffed elsewhere.

I had a desk that got used for everything else but my homework. My homework got done on my lap sitting on the couch or lying on the floor or sitting on my bed, never on the kitchen table unless it was a big project, quite literally everywhere but my desk. I did use my desk though for other stuff.
My kids don't use desks either. We found great lap desks or they use clipboards etc.

ETA: how funny the number of people who do their homework at the kitchen table!! When I was growing up - i had a desk in my room to do my homework....
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My 13 year old has a desk in his room. he does his homework there. When he needs to access his homework via the internet, there is a shared computer in our family room.

My 10 year old has a desk in the family room with the shared computer.

My 13 year old loves that he can go to his room and close the door and not be bothered by his brother's noise and do his homework.

I would get the desk. That's me and what works for my family.

My grandchildren had desks in their rooms and did not use them. Homework was at the table so that Mom and Dad could answer questions and give encouragement. They are now 9 and 12 and still do their work in the dining area.

Both my kids have desks. They use it to throw all their junk on, therefore making it unusable to do homework on it :) They used to do their homework at the kitchen table, but now that they are older, they usually do it on the floor or their bed. I really don't care as long as it gets done and done well. They get excellent grades.

All homework should be done at the kitchen table. The desk is a waste of money.

My boys are 9 and 15, and prefer to do their homework in the kitchen. I like that, too. They like to work while I'm cooking. That way if my youngest has a question about anything, I can help, and I can chat with my oldest just to know what's going on at school.

My daughter has had a desk since she was three. She uses it for everything except homework. It's nice for her to have a work spot in her room for reading, activity books, writing, etc. It keeps all that stuff in one area and not all over the house. She will be getting a computer this year so she can keep that on her desk too.

We have 3 with daily homework, so we definitely use the kitchen table so I can be available to them all at once. It can get hectic, but I feel like its a better situation for our family, so I can help them, keep them on track (no goofing around), and also be starting dinner or whatever.

My oldest dd has a desk in her room, my youngest does not. Homework has never been done at the desk. They sit in the family room on the couch or on the floor to do homework. Sometimes oldest dd does her homework in her room but never at her desk.

I still have the same desk I had as a child...it's a nice desk. I use it now...I NEVER used it before adulthood.

My children are 8 and 3, and have a round wooden table and chair set. It's child sized, but not super small, and I don't see them outgrowing it any time soon. It gets used plenty, for eating, play, art, etc. It's also in our living room...not in their bedroom.

And on another note, I am in the camp that believes a bedroom ought to be a sanctuary for sleep and toys/desk/etc don't belong there. Beds, bookshelves, and clothes.

My son doesn't have a desk, but he does have a small entry way table from Ikea (probably about $50) that he does his homework at. I put an Ikea bookcase next to it ($30) and he keeps all his supplies there. It is a great place for him because he has a quiet place where his brothers aren't running through the whole time. He gets distracted quite easily, so his own space has been vital to him getting his homework done (and he's only in Kindergarten). We don't have it in his bedroom, but in our formal living room, where his little brothers rarely venture (since there aren't any toys in there).

I wouldn't do anything expensive, but something from Ikea or Target should work just fine.

I'm with you - I'd wait a little while. It's funny, we had a little school desk and my kids would always "play" school and use it all the time. But once they were actually IN school, they never used it and always sat at the kitchen table to do their homework. They didn't start using their desks until they were in like seventh or eighth grade; even then they would still use the kitchen table 80% of the time. Now that they're in high school, they always use their desks in their own rooms.

Just my opinion!!

Good luck!!

cute idea but not practical

Have you seen the cube desks that have the chair that folds out from under it? Maybe that could be your comprimise. My youngest is 4 and oldest is 9. The 9 and 8 year olds have desks in their rooms and do their homework at the kitchen table. They do play school and draw at their desks.
Our 9 year old has a full size loft bed with the desk attached-is that an option? she loves it and has much more floor space now.

I had a desk to do homework on. I used the dining room table for large projects when I needed lots of space to spread things out. My son has a desk in his room. It is half storage but it's primary use is for him to do his homework. I don't have an issue with monitoring what he's doing at his desk because I go and check. He also has to give me his homework to go over before he goes to bed.