As the new school year approaches, many parents focus on the essentials: school uniform, a bag, stationery and everything else on the back-to-school list. The study space at home, however, can be easy to leave until last. Yet this is where your child may spend hours doing homework, preparing presentations, watching educational videos, joining online lessons and working with digital materials.
A well-planned desk setup can make a real difference to everyday comfort and concentration. Screen position, viewing distance and the amount of free space on the desk all affect how easily a child can settle into their work without unnecessary strain. You do not necessarily need to replace the furniture you already have. In many cases, a few simple adjustments are enough: raising the screen to a comfortable height, reducing glare and clearing more space for books, notebooks and stationery. Below, we look at how to set up your child’s desk for the start of term and which solutions can help make the screen a practical, comfortable part of the study area.
Keep the screen directly in front of your child
Start with the basics: the screen should sit in the centre of the study area, directly in front of your child. They should not need to turn their head, twist their body or sit at an angle to see the display.
To check the position, ask your child to sit at the desk as they normally would when doing homework. Their shoulders should feel relaxed, their back should stay straight and their arms should rest comfortably on the desk. From this position, the screen should be straight ahead rather than off to one side, with the top edge roughly at eye level or slightly below.
When a monitor sits to the side, children often adjust their posture around it without noticing. They may turn towards the screen, lean on one elbow or tilt their head for long periods. Over time, that can become uncomfortable and make it harder to concentrate.
A monitor arm for desk makes it easier to fine-tune the screen position. Models such as the G90-B or G50-B work well in a home study setup, with a clean, modern design that does not feel too office-like. The arm clamps to the edge of the desk or can be installed through a grommet hole, so the monitor does not need a bulky base. This helps bring the screen into the centre of the desk while keeping more surface space free for exercise books, textbooks and stationery.
Place the monitor at a comfortable distance
As a general rule, aim for a distance of around 50–70 cm between your child’s eyes and the screen. A simple way to check is to ask your child to sit upright and stretch one arm towards the monitor. Their fingertips should just about reach the screen, or come close to it.
If the monitor is too close, their eyes may tire more quickly. If it is too far away, they may start leaning forward to read text on the screen.
Being able to adjust the screen depth makes the setup much more flexible. A standard monitor stand often gives you limited control, as the screen has to stay where the base sits. A desk monitor arm lets you bring the monitor forward, push it back or angle it to suit the task. That flexibility is useful for homework, online lessons and creative projects, especially when your child switches between writing in an exercise book, watching a lesson, typing a report or preparing a presentation.
Set the screen at the right height
A screen that sits too low is one of the most common problems in a child’s study setup, especially when they use a laptop. It encourages them to look down, round their shoulders and push their neck forward, which can quickly lead to a hunched posture at the desk.
As a general rule, the top edge of the screen should be roughly at eye level or slightly below. Your child’s eyes can look slightly down towards the screen, but their head and neck should stay in a natural, relaxed position.
A more comfortable setup is to place the laptop on a stand and connect an external keyboard and mouse for typing. This brings the screen up to a better height while keeping the hands in a more natural position.
The same principle works for other home workstations too. Raise the laptop on a stand, and for longer sessions consider using an external monitor, keyboard and mouse. You can read more about different workspace setup scenarios in our article How to Organise Your Workspace: Ergonomic Desk Setup Ideas.
Reduce glare on the screen
Even a good monitor can be uncomfortable to use if it reflects a window, desk lamp or bright surface. Glare makes the screen harder to read and may lead your child to change position, tilt their head or turn up the brightness.
Where possible, place the desk so the window is to the side rather than directly in front of or behind the screen. For writing tasks, the desk lamp should usually sit on the left for a right-handed child and on the right for a left-handed child. The aim is to light the exercise book or textbook, not the display.
Of course, a child’s bedroom does not always allow for an ideal layout. The desk may already be fixed near a window, wardrobe, bed or plug sockets. An adjustable monitor arm can help in these situations, as the screen can be turned, tilted or moved back slightly to reduce reflections.
For example, the G95 monitor bracket in graphite is a practical option for fine-tuning the screen position at home. You can set the screen to a comfortable angle and adjust it again later if the room layout or study habits change. This monitor mount is also suitable for curved screens.
If your child uses two screens
Two monitors are usually more relevant for older children, especially if they use the computer for coding, design, video editing, project work, presentations, language learning or studying with several sources open at once. One screen can be used for a video lesson, while the other shows notes, a document or a browser window.
In this kind of setup, a dual monitor arm is a practical choice. It helps keep both screens at the same height, makes the desk layout feel more balanced and removes the need for two bulky monitor stands. A double screen desk mount such as the G160-B is worth considering if your child spends a lot of time studying at the computer and uses it for more than simple homework tasks.
If your child uses a TV for online lessons
In some homes, learning does not happen only at a desk monitor. A TV may also be used for online lessons, explainer videos, presentations, recorded classes or other educational content. In this case, it is worth thinking not only about where the TV stands, but also about height, viewing angle and safety.
The screen should not be mounted too high, as your child should not have to tilt their head back to watch it. If the TV is viewed from different parts of the room, such as the desk and the sofa, a full-motion TV wall bracket such as the M6L-B is a practical option. If it is watched from one fixed position, a tilting TV wall mount such as the TM5-B may be enough.
If drilling into the wall is not possible — for example, in rented accommodation — the TS1137-B mobile TV stand is another option. It allows you to position the screen without permanent installation and move it if needed. You can read more about TV placement in rented homes in our article Rented Flat: How to Set Up a TV Without Drilling the Walls.
Guide: how to choose the right solution for your child’s study setup
Choosing the right setup for your child’s study space
- For a standard monitor, a single monitor arm is usually enough. It allows you to adjust the screen height, distance and tilt, while also freeing up useful space on the desk.
- For a two-screen setup, a dual monitor desk mount is a better choice. This can be especially helpful for older children who work on projects, coding tasks, graphics, spreadsheets or several windows at the same time.
- For laptop-based study, it is worth raising the laptop on a stand and using a separate keyboard and mouse. If an external monitor is connected, make that the main screen and position it in the centre of the study area.
- For TV-based learning, ONKRON wall mounts and TV stands can help create a safer and more practical setup. A TV wall mount keeps the TV secure and saves space, while a TV stand is useful when the screen needs to be moved or drilling into the wall is not possible.
When choosing any mount or stand, check the screen size, device weight, mounting type, adjustment options and the desk or wall it will be fitted to. For monitors, it is also important to check VESA compatibility.
You can find more guidance on choosing a TV stand, wall mount or desk monitor arm in our blog.
Parent checklist before the new school year
Before term starts, ask your child to sit at the desk and check the setup:
- Make sure the screen is directly in front of them, not off to one side.
- Check that the monitor is roughly an arm’s length away.
- Make sure the top edge of the screen is at eye level or slightly below.
- Check that your child is not squinting or leaning towards the screen.
- Look for glare from windows or lamps.
- Position the lamp so it lights the exercise book, not the display.
- Make sure their elbows can rest comfortably on the desk.
- Leave enough space under the monitor for an exercise book and textbook.
- Keep cables away from the writing area.
If several of these points are not met, it is worth adjusting the study area.
FAQ
How far should a monitor be from the eyes?
Use 50–70 cm as a guide, or roughly an arm’s length. The important thing is that your child does not need to lean towards the screen or squint to read it.
Is a stand or a monitor arm better?
A stand can work well if you only need to raise the screen slightly. A monitor arm is more flexible if you want to adjust the height, swivel and tilt, or free up more space on the desk.
Can a TV be used for studying?
Yes, especially for educational videos, online lessons or presentations. The key is to place the TV at a comfortable height and secure it properly on a wall mount or TV stand.
How can I tell if the screen is in the wrong position?
Watch your child’s posture. If they slouch, lean forwards, keep changing position or complain of tiredness, check the screen height, distance and angle.
Final thoughts: a comfortable study space starts with the right screen position
Getting ready for school is not just about buying uniform, a school bag and stationery. The study space at home also plays an important role in everyday learning. It can affect how easily your child settles down to homework, how comfortable they feel at the desk and how well the setup supports reading, writing and working with digital materials.
ONKRON stands and mounts help make the screen fit the space: raising a monitor to a better height, freeing up the desktop, adjusting the viewing angle or positioning a TV safely for online lessons and educational videos. This is especially useful before the new term starts, when it is worth thinking not only about what your child needs for school, but also about where they will study at home.
The more comfortable and practical the setup is, the easier it is for your child to focus, avoid unnecessary strain and build a calmer homework routine from the start of the school year.
