Oh the things that happen when I get a bug in my ear! This one sure turned out excellent though and I couldn't be more impressed with the results even in the month that it has been involved in our homeschooling.
A little over a month ago I saw an article, shared by a friend of mine, by a bio-mechanic on the benefits of living furniture free. Totally. Furniture. Free. Eating on the floor, sleeping on low beds, sitting on the floor, working on the floor etc. The article spoke about how our bodies move and how certain motions help to increase the bodies natural joint lubricants and maintain mobility and flexibility. It basically ran off of the principle we have all heard of 'a body in motion stays in motion'.
When we sit on the floor we naturally have a better posture, we move around more keeping the body active while still stationary, and the added blood flow even helps our mental focus. It looked intriguing but the lifestyle the article was discussing was certainly a drastic one. One I am not ready, nor do I know that I ever would be (Never mind my husband!) to make the change to. A life of nothing but cushions for chairs, a low dining table, beds on the floor... I give all the kutos to my friend who does indeed live this way with only a couch in one room as the only solid furniture beyond bookshelves etc. I couldn't do it. We have so many animals in the house teaching them to stay off a normal table is hard enough! If it was down low we'd have issues not only with the cats but the dogs trying to steal dinner as well!
But what the article said about mobility and things set in my mind and the bug was there. After all, I've done some serious damage to the joints in my body before; a broken collar bone, a broken rib, torn cartilage in one knee, shattered cartilage in my ankle, knee and hip in the other leg, the list goes on. I could use every advantage I can get to keep my mobility and get my joints healthier! This friend of mine only furthered the bug in my ear by sharing a video tour of her home, showing what this sort of thing looks like in a practical application. Some of it looked so comfy! Who wouldn't want to snuggle into a cozy pile of pillows with a book and tea sometimes?
Then the nail in the coffin came. I randomly fell upon another article that I've since lost to the annals of the inter-webs that went into doing homeschool furniture free. It seemed to good to be true what it was saying, but it made so much sense and aligned so well with the article by the bio-mechanic that I jumped in as an experiment. I took down the table we had up in our home school nook, put the chairs else were. I went out and bought two giant pet beds for base cushions, and went to the thrift store for a bunch of smaller pillows to make up backs. In addition to the home school area we use I made myself a little reading nook right by my big window were I've wanted a plush chair for reading. I'm now glad I went with the cushions instead.
Our little home school nook sure looked cozy now, and right away the kids loved the idea of getting to curl up in it for our reading times rather than on the couch. We've now been at this for a month and I can tell you - everything the article told me is true!
- The kids can focus on their work better when they are shifting and wiggling around in a way that they can't with chairs and a table. It keeps them surprisingly into their school work and you can see their gears shifting better.
- With my son, who is very active, it nurtures his needs to be moving at all times in order to think things through properly. He's constantly moving his legs or laying out on the floor to do his paperwork.
- The couch was great for cuddles and reading but it could be awkward and uncomfortable at times when I'd have to sit so straight and feet down to be between my children. Now we sit in those pillows and are all comfortable with our legs out and snuggled in together for reading which makes it feel so much more intimate and special, even though it's school!
- Their school work has improved and their involvement in their work and listening to the reading has all improved. Not just a little. Drastically! My struggling with Language Arts daughter has gotten two months worth of work done in the last month and Enjoyed it when it used to reduce her to tears! It almost feels like some magic formula to cracking into her little mind.
In my own floor seating section I've been at it daily, its my favorite spot in the house now! I have a body pillow wrapped around the back wall and against an end table making a little corner nook. I have my current books beside me, my devotionals, my tablet and laptop. My Tea. And even a small oil lamp for when I need some extra light and the window isn't letting in sunlight. I can feel the change in my own body just from having this spot. My knees feel less grindy and more fluid (Super technical, I know.). My back feels better from the improved posture; even when I am leaned back my shoulders are in a better position! I can even comfortably work on my laptop with my writing or just snuggle up with a book and my tea.
The one thing that both me and the children have found is that it can be difficult to write in a binder or book without a solid surface beneath it, just the legs. This was easily fixed though! You can get those breakfast in bed trays online or in many bed and bath stores for a very reasonable price. With two in our home we now have a 'desk' for each child and I can use one when I want one. A worthy investment along with the pet beds, I now consider both to be necessities for us as the pet beds are the biggest cushions we could find. I've also seen some use old discarded couch cushions for the large base as well, so this can absolutely be done on the tightest of budgets. Even on a larger budget it is very much an affordable change, far cheaper than tables and chairs with far more benefit for you and your children!
Over all I have to say this has been an amazing win. I couldn't believe the amazing results we have gotten and I highly encourage you to try the experiment too and see how it goes for you! You might just find too that homeschooling from the floor is for you.
