156: Back to School Blitz – Part 2 – Homework Station w/Homework Hack for ADHD Kids!

Back to School Blitz, Part Two: Building a Homework Zone That Actually Gets Used

Yesterday was the mudroom. Today it’s homework, plus a hack at the end that works for any kid, ADHD or not.

Stop fighting where they actually want to work

The typical advice is to set up a quiet desk in a bedroom or dedicated space, free of distractions, supplies within reach. That works great for certain kids. But be realistic, just like a playroom nobody plays in, you’ll likely end up with a desk where no homework ever actually happens. Most kids, especially ADHD kids, want to be near you while they work, and it’s not just about convenience. Your presence gives them built-in accountability, even if it’s the version where you’re periodically nudging them back on task, and it gives them access to encouragement right when they need it, since a lot of kids second-guess themselves even when they’re doing everything correctly. As a former teacher, I’ll say this clearly: the ideal parent role isn’t taking over the homework, it’s being available to redirect gently and reassure them when they’re on the right track.

Design the space around where they’ll actually sit

If your kid gravitates toward the kitchen table or counter, work with that instead of against it. Look around your kitchen or living space for underused real estate, an empty drawer, a built-in cabinet holding things you rarely use, and repurpose it as homework storage. You’ll get far more mileage out of that drawer as a homework station than as a home for a cake pan shaped like a horseshoe you use once a year. A rolling three-tier cart, sold everywhere this time of year, is another option, since it can live in a closet and just get wheeled out when it’s needed.

Keep the caddy simple: two categories, not everything

Whether you’re using a drawer, a cabinet, or a cart, a small handled caddy or cleaning bucket works well to organize what actually gets used. The first category is writing utensils, pens, pencils, colored pencils, markers, crayons, highlighters, just the main colors, not a giant multipack, plus a pencil sharpener. Red Solo cups or rubber-banded toilet paper tubes stuck into the caddy work fine to keep types separated. The second category is the extras: a ruler, calculator, a good eraser, glue stick, stapler, maybe rubber bands, and a hole punch if your kid brings home worksheets that need to go in a binder. Keep bulkier supplies like notebook paper, spare folders, and poster board stored elsewhere, in a closet or home office, for the occasional bigger project, rather than cluttering the everyday caddy.

A real example of this in action

One of my virtual clients had two kids and an empty drawer nearby. We used the top of a rolling cart for the little cup system of writing supplies, the middle tier for multipurpose bins holding spare paper and notebooks, and left the bottom tier empty so they could quickly sweep everything off the table into it when dinner needed the space, then pull it right back out afterward.

Bonus hack: gamify getting started

For a kid who gets overwhelmed figuring out where to even begin after a long school day, try this. Grab a small whiteboard or plain paper, whiteboard markers, a die, and a stack of Post-its, and keep them in the caddy too. Write the numbers one through six across the top. Together, list out each homework task, one Post-it per assignment, spelling, math problems, a reading chapter, and so on, and place them under the numbers. If there are fewer than six tasks, fill remaining slots with a few minutes of free time, or split a big task like math problems into two rounds if breaks tend to lose your kid entirely. They roll the die and tackle whatever number comes up, set a short timer per subject, about fifteen minutes is usually enough to keep things moving without dragging. When they finish a task, they rip up that Post-it and toss it, which feels great on its own. Rolling a number they’ve already completed just means roll again. Switch up the format every so often, whiteboard one week, color-coded Post-its the next, since repeating the exact same game eventually loses its spark.

Your practical, actionable step

Find one underused drawer, cabinet, or cart-worthy corner near wherever your kid naturally does homework, and stock it with just the two categories: everyday writing tools and a small set of extras. Add the Post-it and die hack if getting started is the hardest part of the routine.

Until next time, continue to choose joy.