Mom's viral work station for kids is the perfect homeschooling hack
A Kentucky mom has created a DIY solution to keep her kids focused and inspired as they dive into remote learning amid the pandemic.
Angelina Harper, a special education teacher from Louisville, crafted work stations for each of her children, Aubrie, 8 and twins Paige and Peyton, 6. The mother of three shared photos of her hack on Facebook where it garnered 126,000 likes and 29,000 shares.
"I think it's something so many families can relate to," Harper told "Good Morning America." "I'm trying to figure out what's going to work in our home. Some families might say, 'We have limited space, limited resources.'"
Both Harper and her husband Adrian are working from home. When Harper realized her kids would likely remotely learn for the 2020-2021 school year, she started brainstorming on how to help them get through the day with limited distractions.
Harper went to the store, bought tripod foam boards and cut them in half. Each work station has a child's name, a pouch to keep their daily schedule, a light, a calendar and a hook for hanging headphones.
On each station Harper added words of affirmation like "you can do this," "take a break," or "we love you."
"It's mobile, affordable and it's flexible," Harper said. "If my son said, 'I'm going to sit on the floor today instead of at the table,' he could do that. It's so multi-purpose, yet so simple."
Harper said it cost her under $20 to execute one learn-from-home station. She bought many of the materials at a dollar store.
Parents have been thanking Harper for sharing her creation online, especially when so many are adapting to this new normal.
"If it helps someone else -- a student, child, another parent -- I think that's so much more than a like or a share," Harper said. "That's where my heart is."
