Ok, I just now got our homeschool room set up how I want it. That being said, summer is here and it the temperature gets quite steamy being upstairs. I am considering renovating a section of the basement (which is only partially finished, where I would have a significantly larger space. I hestitated to do this before, because while our basement is a walk out with a patio, the rest of the windows are "basement/limited lighting" windows. What would you do if you were me? I really could use the space, but am pretty comfy in my office/school room upstairs..... pro's and con's to both areas.
I used our homeschool room for about a year before I gave up on the whole idea. Now it's just a place to organize our materials and house my desk and computer (but I never use my computer since the software I need for school is on DH's.. which is in the dining room). Point: I would love to help you choose, but if it were me I'd just plop them at the kitchen table and call it good. lol.
I can't help you choose either. We went the route of having a designated area, desks, posters on the walls, etc. It lasted a few weeks.. if that, and then we went back to working at the dining room table or the sofa or a bed or the floor or out on the deck or out in the woods or where ever we wanted to be at that moment. We have bookshelves all over the house, because homeschooling for us isn't school at home, it's our lifestyle and we love to have it in every part of our lives.
We do not have a schoolroom so I can't really help. I guess it comes down to whether or not you think you can handle the heat. I am in the desert of Cali and our summers get hot too. I personally wouldn't be able to school for hours at a time in a hot room.
If it was up to me I would choose a cooler place during the hot months. But if I had a preference I would be on the main level with air conditioning.
We were doing our work out of the main floor office, and kitchen table. But recently moved downstairs to the basement craft room. We are getting much less done, b/c no one wants to be down there without Mom. Mom has too much to do in the kitchen and around the house upstairs to be down there the whole time! I'm not sure how we'll work it in September. I have a beautiful space set up down there, but they just like being on the main floor. I think I may do our structured group time downstairs, but work books and reading upstairs. I share your dilemma, but I don't have the work to do to prep for the change. Hope you are able to discern what will work best for your family!
okay I would use both, I would set up half the day in one area, one that does not need so much lighting could be down stairs, that which needs mroe light upstairs.. its simple! You are blessed!
I have a room that we set up all our stuff and it is wonderful to have it all organized, but that doesn't mean we actually work in there. We go in to get what we need for the day and then work wherever we want. Usually we are on the couch or the kitchen table. Don't feel like you are trapped by any one space in your home. Set up the stuff where it is easy to access and then just work wherever you guys are most comfortable that day.
I would probably keep the upstairs room if it works ok for ya. We have a classroom, but I have a feeling it will be MOSTLY for organizational purposes. I'm sure we'll use it more the 1st couple years, with a younger child around, so the older child has a quite, distraction free place to work, but once they are both doing 'schoolwork" I honestly doubt we use it that much. My main purpose for having a classroom is to keep everything together and organized and I'd like to keep messy crafts in there so I don't have to clean glue and paint and tiny paper scraps up off the kitchen and dining room tables. So crafts can be walked away from and it's okay to leave them there cause they aren't in the way.
