Asalamu alaykum ladies, hope you’re having a relaxing afternoon.  It’s been raining the air feels so fresh and crisp, alhamdulillah!
Today’s post is something I personally feel has become a concern for many new homeschool moms in particular. The issue of needing a dedicated school space and figuring out just how much space do we need to homeschool.

I think the prevalence in concern is largely due to social media whereby it’s usual to say pictures and tours of beautiful, bright, big homeschool spaces, Allahumma barik, that some families are blessed with.  Whilst they are certainly wonderful, sometimes it can paint a fixated image of what homeschooling needs to look like.

But do we really need an entire room dedicated for homeschooling? The simple is is

No, not at all.

I can vouch for this personally, as we spare room in our previous home and since it was unused I did turn it into our homeschool room.  However when we moved there was no spare room and our living room now houses our school ‘space’.  And I can honestly say I prefer our school space.  In fact, I’d go as fas as to say I don’t think I would dedicate a room for homeschool time again!  

In my experience, when we had the homeschool room, homeschooling would often feel a little rigid and imposed at times, especially when our tablework would end.  It was as if subconsciously this translated as ‘learning is over’, not just for my kids but also me.  I also didn’t like the fact that planning meant I had to isolate myself to that particular space since that is where I had access to all the curricula.  I say isolated because literally, my kids would hardly go in there after tablework was done, and eventually we abandoned the schoolroom altogether.  For sure, having a homeschool room is not a negative thing, this is just my personal experience.  But undoubtedly it’s not necessary either.

I know many Mamas, especially those living in the UK where houses are generally smaller, often struggle with space.  But actually small spaces can be just as wonderful.  In fact, having a small space can be dare I say it advantageous.  Some families don’t even have a homeschool space and also do just fine but I prefer the middle ground to help keep things a little more organised and this Mama sane.

So here are some benefits of having a smaller homeschool area.
You can easily see when you have too much (a constant struggle for us homeschool moms).
Clutter stays minimal because there isn’t the luxury of extra bookshelves and cupboards.
A smaller space is easier to maintain and keep organised.
Kids find it easier to put things back where they belong and also take things out when they want to work on something in their own time, since everything is easily accessible.
You use everything; no more curriculums gathering dust!
Planning for the week ahead is easier.
School and home merge a little better (in my opinon).
It keeps things cozy!  I actually have found my kids read more because the space of learning is the same place of relaxation hence there’s a much more gracious atmosphere.  This is the same for my youngest who tends to not play in dedicated ‘play room’. 
I can keep an eye on the kids whilst I do other things. This is especially useful for when you have toddlers and babies and are homeschooling multiple grades.

So can we successfully homeschool without a homeschool room – YES!
And small spaces can be just as beautiful too.