Unschooling in a small home and/or with a toddler
K
Hi again.
My children are 7, 4 and 1 year. We live in a very small home where mess accumulates quickly, especially with the 1 year old who is very tactile and *loves* up-ending things :). We are moving soon, into another small home, slightly bigger. I don't mind cleaning up the messes at all, but the thing that I'm wondering about is how to manage mess better so I can be with my kids more. Any tips? I often feel sorry for the older kids because I'm leaving our activity to pack up whatever the toddler has left behind. Our floor play spaces are also walkways so stuff needs to go away quickly or we're tripping over it. Also, we only have the space for one table in the house- and we use this table all the time, from eating meals, to puzzles, to craft. If someone wants to do a different activity to what's on the table, they need to do it on their bed or on the floor. I know that it's important to have free space available for kids to spontaneously pull out/begin a project for unschooling to work well, and Im feeling bad that we have such little space and only one table.
If anyone has a toddler at home- how do you still provide richness and keep things organised for the older kids? And anyone living in a small space, how do you maximise the use of it? Thanks.
My children are 7, 4 and 1 year. We live in a very small home where mess accumulates quickly, especially with the 1 year old who is very tactile and *loves* up-ending things :). We are moving soon, into another small home, slightly bigger. I don't mind cleaning up the messes at all, but the thing that I'm wondering about is how to manage mess better so I can be with my kids more. Any tips? I often feel sorry for the older kids because I'm leaving our activity to pack up whatever the toddler has left behind. Our floor play spaces are also walkways so stuff needs to go away quickly or we're tripping over it. Also, we only have the space for one table in the house- and we use this table all the time, from eating meals, to puzzles, to craft. If someone wants to do a different activity to what's on the table, they need to do it on their bed or on the floor. I know that it's important to have free space available for kids to spontaneously pull out/begin a project for unschooling to work well, and Im feeling bad that we have such little space and only one table.
If anyone has a toddler at home- how do you still provide richness and keep things organised for the older kids? And anyone living in a small space, how do you maximise the use of it? Thanks.
Sandra Dodd
Plastic bins or laundry baskets that could be stacked when they're empty, and kind of stacked when they're full, might help! We used to use Xerox boxes and Xerox box lids, but they're not as easy to find now as they once were.
If I had it to do again, I would buy a bunch of these. I have one and I love it:
http://www.basequipment.com/Bus-Tubs-Trays-s/3727.htm I have the second kind, but not from that company, from a local restaurant supply store where I went to buy eggs in bulk. :-)
They're ony about $5.
Marty lives out of the small square launry baskets from Target. He has about five in his room all the time—some with dirty clothes, some with clean. It's a system only he understands. :-)
A stack of plastic containers is only as big as one container when they're empty, pretty much. And even if you got 20 of them, it's cheaper than a new piece of storage furniture.
If I had it to do again, I would buy a bunch of these. I have one and I love it:
http://www.basequipment.com/Bus-Tubs-Trays-s/3727.htm I have the second kind, but not from that company, from a local restaurant supply store where I went to buy eggs in bulk. :-)
They're ony about $5.
Marty lives out of the small square launry baskets from Target. He has about five in his room all the time—some with dirty clothes, some with clean. It's a system only he understands. :-)
A stack of plastic containers is only as big as one container when they're empty, pretty much. And even if you got 20 of them, it's cheaper than a new piece of storage furniture.
Christine Milne
You can use trays for lots of activities, have all the bits on a tray that can slide on top of a bookshelf/under a sofa when not in use or can be put on a lap. You can buy ‘leaf’ tables that are super narrow when down but can be made bigger when needed. Hang things off the walls, in bags or specially made storage hangers. String a hammock above a bed for light things such as stuffed toys. Take board games out of boxes and store the bits in plastic zip lock bags. Lay a blanket out for the toddler to play on so if it needs to be tidied in a hurry you can just pick up the four corners of the blanket and move the whole thing.
Generally, the best way for me is, ‘a place for everything and everything in it’s place’. If everything has a clear and practical place to go, it is very easy to tidy up quickly...plus the children always know exactly where to find what they need. Shelves and boxes and baskets, utilise every bit of space you have, right up to the ceiling if you need to. Could any of the children’s beds be swapped for ‘cabin’ beds, the sort that are a high bed with a desk/space/den underneath?
Christine
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Generally, the best way for me is, ‘a place for everything and everything in it’s place’. If everything has a clear and practical place to go, it is very easy to tidy up quickly...plus the children always know exactly where to find what they need. Shelves and boxes and baskets, utilise every bit of space you have, right up to the ceiling if you need to. Could any of the children’s beds be swapped for ‘cabin’ beds, the sort that are a high bed with a desk/space/den underneath?
Christine
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Meredith
"K" <keznco@...> wrote:
It also helps - especially as you're moving - to look at the way you can arrange your home with kids in mind. For instance, for years we had the living room furniture arranged in a way that wasn't really accommodating for guests, but great for keeping all the legos in one corner. Look at bedrooms and closets in terms of possible play areas and don't get locked into ideas about which room is the living/family room.
The big thing is to remember that you don't need once-and-for-all solutions, just for-now solutions.
---Meredith
>we only have the space for one table in the houseUse other things as tables - a board over a trash can, a chair with a flat bottom, a plastic bin with a lid. You might also look for small plastic tables - the kind people use outdoors. Or plastic steps-stools can make good tiny tables And you can lay a board over several for a bigger table. We've used all those at various times - in fact, when the kids were younger I packed up my lovely big dining table in favor of small tables, benches, and more flexibility in our tiny home (and we got more space, too - it was huge!).
>Our floor play spaces are also walkways so stuff needs to go away quicklyPut down a cloth so you can bundle everything up in one fell swoop. That works on a table too - or on a bed or couch for that matter.
It also helps - especially as you're moving - to look at the way you can arrange your home with kids in mind. For instance, for years we had the living room furniture arranged in a way that wasn't really accommodating for guests, but great for keeping all the legos in one corner. Look at bedrooms and closets in terms of possible play areas and don't get locked into ideas about which room is the living/family room.
The big thing is to remember that you don't need once-and-for-all solutions, just for-now solutions.
---Meredith
Glenda
===anyone living in a small space, how do you maximise the use of it?===
We live in a smallish space and what's worked well for us in our common areas is having less big furniture, like armoires and bookshelves and other furniture that has a bigger footprint -- instead, we have more open space, more floor space, and less space-eating furniture. Right now all of our board games are stacked in one corner. At various points in time, we've had video games, books, dvds, bins of Pokemon action figures/Legos/blocks/arts & crafts supplies/assorted toy guns, and so forth stacked against / pushed up against the walls. When my son was younger, I often used laundry baskets to contain toys, and it was easy to shove those out of the way up against the wall, plus it was easy to stack 2 of them (when it could be done without being a hazard, such as when filled with stuffed animals).
We also made use of folding tables of various sizes. If we had a project we wanted to keep set up, we set it up on a folding table and then shoved the table against the wall when we needed the middle-of-the-room space -- the laundry baskets with toys, bins of blocks, and puzzles could easily be pushed underneath those folding tables. If we had company and needed the space, it was easy to fold up the tables and temporarily slide them behind the couch or armchair. TV tables are good for smaller projects (and for eating on if the dining room table is being used for other than eating!).
If there's room underneath your kids' beds, you can get some pieces of plywood cut into easy-to-manage sizes and use those as work surfaces, then slide them with projects intact right under the bed. My son's bed is low, but I found some shallow lidded plastic bins that will fit under his bed. Lids wouldn't be needed if the bins contained things your kids wanted to access often. Bed trays (they look like mini-TV trays) provide a good stable surface and don't take up a lot of space when set up -- plus they're easy to tote from one room to another.
My son's bedroom has a shelf way up high on one end of the room and we store things up there that he rarely uses anymore, but isn't quite ready to let go of. Same thing in his closet. Those up-high shelves free up more easily accessible room.
Glenda
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
We live in a smallish space and what's worked well for us in our common areas is having less big furniture, like armoires and bookshelves and other furniture that has a bigger footprint -- instead, we have more open space, more floor space, and less space-eating furniture. Right now all of our board games are stacked in one corner. At various points in time, we've had video games, books, dvds, bins of Pokemon action figures/Legos/blocks/arts & crafts supplies/assorted toy guns, and so forth stacked against / pushed up against the walls. When my son was younger, I often used laundry baskets to contain toys, and it was easy to shove those out of the way up against the wall, plus it was easy to stack 2 of them (when it could be done without being a hazard, such as when filled with stuffed animals).
We also made use of folding tables of various sizes. If we had a project we wanted to keep set up, we set it up on a folding table and then shoved the table against the wall when we needed the middle-of-the-room space -- the laundry baskets with toys, bins of blocks, and puzzles could easily be pushed underneath those folding tables. If we had company and needed the space, it was easy to fold up the tables and temporarily slide them behind the couch or armchair. TV tables are good for smaller projects (and for eating on if the dining room table is being used for other than eating!).
If there's room underneath your kids' beds, you can get some pieces of plywood cut into easy-to-manage sizes and use those as work surfaces, then slide them with projects intact right under the bed. My son's bed is low, but I found some shallow lidded plastic bins that will fit under his bed. Lids wouldn't be needed if the bins contained things your kids wanted to access often. Bed trays (they look like mini-TV trays) provide a good stable surface and don't take up a lot of space when set up -- plus they're easy to tote from one room to another.
My son's bedroom has a shelf way up high on one end of the room and we store things up there that he rarely uses anymore, but isn't quite ready to let go of. Same thing in his closet. Those up-high shelves free up more easily accessible room.
Glenda
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tanya garment
===we only have the space for one table in the house- and we use this
table all the time, from eating meals, to puzzles, to craft. If
someone wants to do a different activity to what's on the table, they
need to do it on their bed or on the floor. ===
Ikea sells three different wall-mounted drop-leaf tables. The Norbo
($29) is the least expensive and also the one that can be shortened,
if you have a jig saw. The other two are called Bjursta and Norberg
($39 each).
Hay Needle sells coffee tables that convert to desk height (from
$149). Go to Hayneedle.com, and search "lift top coffee table", on the
sight.
The Container Store sells a lap desk that has storage within. It's
called SmartLap Lap Desk ($24.99). This works well on the floor with a
stadium seat. Both fold flat enough to slide under or behind a couch.
Target sells a Coleman Red Stadium Seat ($15.49).
The following's a pricy one. We have a tiny apartment, so it was worth
it for us.
Inova and Resource Furniture sell murphy beds that convert to tables
or desks. If you live in a city, you may be able to find one second
hand, on Craig's List. I got a queen sized Inova table bed second
hand, here in New York City, for $1,200. My bedroom converts to our
dining room. All of my clothes and personal things are in a large
ceiling height Ikea Pax cabinet with sliding doors. One half of the
cabinet is mine (behind one of the doors), the other half holds fun
stuff that we use at the table. This unit takes up an entire wall, so
actually feels more like the wall itself, rather than bulky furniture.
Let me know if you want me to send pictures of the room.
Tanya
table all the time, from eating meals, to puzzles, to craft. If
someone wants to do a different activity to what's on the table, they
need to do it on their bed or on the floor. ===
Ikea sells three different wall-mounted drop-leaf tables. The Norbo
($29) is the least expensive and also the one that can be shortened,
if you have a jig saw. The other two are called Bjursta and Norberg
($39 each).
Hay Needle sells coffee tables that convert to desk height (from
$149). Go to Hayneedle.com, and search "lift top coffee table", on the
sight.
The Container Store sells a lap desk that has storage within. It's
called SmartLap Lap Desk ($24.99). This works well on the floor with a
stadium seat. Both fold flat enough to slide under or behind a couch.
Target sells a Coleman Red Stadium Seat ($15.49).
The following's a pricy one. We have a tiny apartment, so it was worth
it for us.
Inova and Resource Furniture sell murphy beds that convert to tables
or desks. If you live in a city, you may be able to find one second
hand, on Craig's List. I got a queen sized Inova table bed second
hand, here in New York City, for $1,200. My bedroom converts to our
dining room. All of my clothes and personal things are in a large
ceiling height Ikea Pax cabinet with sliding doors. One half of the
cabinet is mine (behind one of the doors), the other half holds fun
stuff that we use at the table. This unit takes up an entire wall, so
actually feels more like the wall itself, rather than bulky furniture.
Let me know if you want me to send pictures of the room.
Tanya
Juliet Kemp
On Tue, May 14, 2013 at 01:49:44AM -0400, tanya garment wrote:
system. It does take up space but it's very flexible (lots of different
heights, lots of different drawer sizes to slide into the same slots to
fit your needs). It's lightweight enough that kids can slide the drawers
in and out themselves, which makes it much easier for them to put stuff
away. (My son at 14 months isn't old enough yet to help much, but my
(g)oddson, who's 2.5, is quite good at helping throw things into the
drawers.) You can have a little drawer for flat craft things, a big deep
one for Legos, etc. I think it's also lightweight enough to be moved
around, although perhaps not when the drawers are full if they're full
of heavy things!
Also it occurs to me that you could use them as a support for a board as
other people have suggested, to make it a table (or a sometimes-table?)
as well as storage.
(We currently just use cardboard boxes on shelves, but will be going to
Ikea for Trofast stuff before Leon's next birthday.)
Juliet
>The other Ikea option that every parent I know swears by is the Trofast
> Ikea sells three different wall-mounted drop-leaf tables. The Norbo
> ($29) is the least expensive and also the one that can be shortened,
> if you have a jig saw. The other two are called Bjursta and Norberg
> ($39 each).
system. It does take up space but it's very flexible (lots of different
heights, lots of different drawer sizes to slide into the same slots to
fit your needs). It's lightweight enough that kids can slide the drawers
in and out themselves, which makes it much easier for them to put stuff
away. (My son at 14 months isn't old enough yet to help much, but my
(g)oddson, who's 2.5, is quite good at helping throw things into the
drawers.) You can have a little drawer for flat craft things, a big deep
one for Legos, etc. I think it's also lightweight enough to be moved
around, although perhaps not when the drawers are full if they're full
of heavy things!
Also it occurs to me that you could use them as a support for a board as
other people have suggested, to make it a table (or a sometimes-table?)
as well as storage.
(We currently just use cardboard boxes on shelves, but will be going to
Ikea for Trofast stuff before Leon's next birthday.)
Juliet
Mette G.
===we only have the space for one table in the house- and we use this
table all the time, from eating meals, to puzzles, to craft. If
someone wants to do a different activity to what's on the table, they
need to do it on their bed or on the floor. ===
Our appartment is roughly 700feet, so I recognize the need to get very creative with space!
For extra table space, you can place a small desk OVER the end of a bed, but sideways (so it kind of makes a right angle with the bed). This allows for the table and the projects on it to stay in place and it doesn't matter for the feet to be sleeping under a table :)Mette
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
table all the time, from eating meals, to puzzles, to craft. If
someone wants to do a different activity to what's on the table, they
need to do it on their bed or on the floor. ===
Our appartment is roughly 700feet, so I recognize the need to get very creative with space!
For extra table space, you can place a small desk OVER the end of a bed, but sideways (so it kind of makes a right angle with the bed). This allows for the table and the projects on it to stay in place and it doesn't matter for the feet to be sleeping under a table :)Mette
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
K
Thank you for all the ideas! They are fantastic. I live in Australia so unfortunately can't access some of the American homeware & furniture stores that were mentioned but we do have Ikea! We are renting and have a very small income, but I can still search for Ikea storage furniture on EBay & I can check with my landlord whether I would be allowed to fix some small hooks to the roof for a soft toy hammock. My daughter adores her large collection of soft toys, they take up a lot of space though (currently in large laundry bins) so a hammock over her bed would be great. Those plastic tubs are a brilliant idea- the lidded ones on wheels for under the bed are good too and cheap. A similar idea I saw on Pinterest today was to salvage drawers from old ruined dressers, put castors on the bottom and roll them under things (I know of someone who is about to throw a couple of dressers out too- perfect!) I love the sheet idea for activities with lots of small pieces. I don't feel so limited now. Kerrie.
tania
do you have outside space? or places to go outside? my little one (8
months) is crawling very fast, pulls things from the table and seems to
be everywhere at the same time. outside - in a cigarette butt and dog
shit free area at least - i can concentrate much better on the older
one. for undisturbed play at home we have a high bed. we sleep all in
the family bed (wooden structure on the floor) but the highbed provides
at least for still a while a room for the older one where the small one
cannot interfere. because we have a garden, big messes are mostly done
outside (clay, glue, woodworks, water, fire and so on).
we shortly lived in a big home - and ended up ALL THE TIME in the very
same room. so for another few years we are ok with the little space we
have. when kids are older and want space for them we are going to build
them houses in the garden.
tania, italy, with two sons, 4 years and 8 months
months) is crawling very fast, pulls things from the table and seems to
be everywhere at the same time. outside - in a cigarette butt and dog
shit free area at least - i can concentrate much better on the older
one. for undisturbed play at home we have a high bed. we sleep all in
the family bed (wooden structure on the floor) but the highbed provides
at least for still a while a room for the older one where the small one
cannot interfere. because we have a garden, big messes are mostly done
outside (clay, glue, woodworks, water, fire and so on).
we shortly lived in a big home - and ended up ALL THE TIME in the very
same room. so for another few years we are ok with the little space we
have. when kids are older and want space for them we are going to build
them houses in the garden.
tania, italy, with two sons, 4 years and 8 months