For months I've been trying to convince my husband to allow me to transform this room into a "LOS", or learning only space. Why not? My oldest daughter is away at law school and won't return home until later this summer after she takes the Bar Exam. Meanwhile, the room remains an empty place that harbors folded, sorted, and hung laundry. In my opinion, that's not an efficient use of space.
Little, who is 13 months old, is not quite at an age where she can pick up, organize, and tidy things. She’s also not at the point where she can focus long enough to play with one activity and place it back on the shelf before moving to another one. Therefore, her little shelves can wreak havoc on the family living area and her bedroom pretty quickly.
Little, who is 13 months old, is not quite at an age where she can pick up, organize, and tidy things. She’s also not at the point where she can focus long enough to play with one activity and place it back on the shelf before moving to another one. Therefore, her little shelves can wreak havoc on the family living area and her bedroom pretty quickly.
Living Room Shelf-work--notice that each activity sits on a tray. Trays allow the child to easily transport items from the shelf to their work area.
My mind works best when I can categorize things. So, designating a different area of the house that's solely for Little's learning activities seems logical. However, my husband had reservations especially since he was there every step along the way during the planning and design of her "montessori-inspired" nursery. I have to admit, I went overboard, but hey it had been twenty years since I'd had a baby and I knew that after Little there would be no more "littles" for us. So, the sky was the limit, within reason of course.
Little's Montessori Inspired Nursery
After that experience, he felt that anything associated with the word "room" translated to dollar signs. With increased expenses, and a cut to our family's income, splurging was just not a smart thing to do. So, once I promised him the LOS would be extremely economical, he immediately gave his blessing. Yayyy! I'm planning and designing along the way.
The first thing I knew I'd need was a shelf and I debated whether I should use the Expedit in Little's closet or buy something new. I decided to buy something new. I know that you're probably thinking my money spending thoughts went out of control, but nope! I carefully kept my promise which is evident in the fact that I sent my husband to Wal-Mart for the most inexpensive shelving option available. Woo hoo! He was quite pleased.
I couldn't wait to start, so this week I haven't gotten much sleep at night. Though, ideally such a room would have a wooden shelf, I don't care that it doesn't because this mama's on a tight budget and I've waited too long for this opportunity to focus on decor. Besides, it's only a temporary arrangement because my oldest will be moving back home this summer. I'm absolutely thrilled to have the LOS for as long as it lasts. Little and I have such happy hearts and minds, you'd think our LOS was designed and stocked by Niehaus himself!
The first thing I knew I'd need was a shelf and I debated whether I should use the Expedit in Little's closet or buy something new. I decided to buy something new. I know that you're probably thinking my money spending thoughts went out of control, but nope! I carefully kept my promise which is evident in the fact that I sent my husband to Wal-Mart for the most inexpensive shelving option available. Woo hoo! He was quite pleased.
I couldn't wait to start, so this week I haven't gotten much sleep at night. Though, ideally such a room would have a wooden shelf, I don't care that it doesn't because this mama's on a tight budget and I've waited too long for this opportunity to focus on decor. Besides, it's only a temporary arrangement because my oldest will be moving back home this summer. I'm absolutely thrilled to have the LOS for as long as it lasts. Little and I have such happy hearts and minds, you'd think our LOS was designed and stocked by Niehaus himself!
I loved this set-up. It was very economical. The shelves cost less than $30 and were the perfect size for her age.
It's still a work in progress, but it's coming along wonderfully. One of the major challenges is keeping everything portable as I can only use this particular room for the next 4 months. On the upside, I've found the secret to getting a nod of approval, a job well done and continued support from my husband. So from here on I think simplicity, reasonable spending, well thought out plans , and results to show wiIl keep hubby onboard. I look forward to posting updates about Little's LOS activities including the discoveries I make along the way
