Posted by
Kayla Cloete
on 19 Nov 18
Categories:
Life at Home
While November has adults stressing about end-of-year deadlines and whether we’ve done enough to make our Christmas bonuses, the month has our younger counterparts stressing about assignment due dates and exam timetables. For most concerned parents, this stress is shared. But, while you cannot take your child’s exam for them, you can do your best to ensure that your home promotes learning and retention.
“Multiple studies have shown that the learning environment has a profound effect on one’s ability to understand and retain information. Homeowners should therefore do what they can to ensure a positive learning space in their homes. For buyers with young children, I would advise that they keep this in mind when shopping for their new home,” says Regional Director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, Adrian Goslett.
So, what should your search criteria be if you’re a buyer with children of a school-going age? To start, Goslett suggests that if budget allows for it, buyers should try and find homes with a separate designated study area. In the interest of the most rested sleep, research promotes the idea that one’s bedroom should be a place of sleeping and nothing more – and yes, that does mean that the TV above your dresser technically also needs to be shown the door. Since a lack of sleep leads to lowered concentration and a reduced ability to retain information, parents can assist their child’s ability to study simply by giving them their own study space in the home.
The next factor buyers need to consider when viewing homes is the air quality, ventilation, and lighting of the space. Homes that are hidden in shadow and have small or just very few windows are the kinds of homes that ought to be avoided. Poorly lit rooms can cause strain on the eyes when reading, causing your child to grow tired of studying quicker. The brain uses about three times as much oxygen as muscles in the body do. That’s why rooms without good ventilation have been proven to reduce a child’s learning capacity.
The last thing buyers should think about is how many distractions the home in question might have. “Buyers should carefully consider the room in which their child will study and do their best to work out what distractions might exist around the space. For example, if the room has a large window that overlooks a busy street or a park, this could provide ample distraction for your child. Similarly, buyers should consider how close the living room and kitchen is situated from the allocated study area. If it is too close to the noisiest rooms in the home, then this might not be the ideal property – especially if your child suffers from any attention disorders or hyperactivity,” Goslett advises.
As a final piece of advice, Goslett suggests that homeowners do what they can to make their homes as stress-free as possible during this period. “If you are in the process of relocating, I would encourage you to do your best to set your moving date to either before or after your child finishes their exam period. Moving is a stressful and often confusing process. The last thing you want is for your child’s study notes to get lost in the transition or for his books to be accidentally packed away when he needs them for an exam the next day,” Goslett concludes.