- 20/08/2018access_time
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Back to School Organization Tips
Believe it or not, it’s almost back to school time.
It’s a time of excitement and new beginnings—oh, and rushed mornings, lost
library books, and mountains of school paperwork for mom and dad to fill out.
Are you overwhelmed yet?
If so, commit to making this year the one where your
family finally gets organized for back to school—and stays that way throughout
the entire year.
These awesome back to school organization tips are the
perfect place to begin.
The Best Back to School Organization Tips
– I’m sure you’re already
counting down the days until school is back in session (ha!), but have your
kids join in the fun with a countdown calendar like this back to school
countdown advent calendar.
– Make a checklist of
everything that needs to get done between now and the first day of school. Use
this back to school checklist from Moments a Day as a guide.
– Fill in your calendar now
with all important dates for the school year. Crystal Plante from Grown Ups Magazine
says to “mark important days like enrollment, open house, PTA meetings, and
other upcoming events. Go to the school website to get a calendar for the
upcoming year and write down all dates that pertain to your child so that you
don’t have to juggle and reschedule later on.”
– Along the same lines,
start visiting the school’s website and/or Facebook page to stay on top of back
to school announcements.
– Ease everyone back into
the school schedule by slowly going to bed earlier and waking up earlier.
“We start getting into
routines 2 weeks before school starts so that the kids are ready and adjusted
to the times,” says Amanda Boyarshinov from The Educators’ Spin On It. She uses
this morning routine checklist to keep everyone on task.
And here’s another morning routine checklist option
from The Pleasantest Thing.
– You can also help the
transition go more smoothly by creating chore charts for your kids for before
school, after school and bedtime. DYMO's printables you can use. And do not
forget Markurlife's refills!
– And while you’re at the
printer, grab a copy of her backpack checklist too!
– Decide now how you’re
going to handle homework time. Pick a time of day when it will occur (right
after school? after dinner?) and try to stay consistent with it. Set up a
homework station or study spot in your house where all the supplies your child
will need are handy in bins or boxes.
– Set up a cubby or box by
your door where your child can store anything that needs to be taken to school
the next day—library books, gym uniform, permission slips, etc.—to minimize the
last minute rushing to find things.
– Before you go shopping
for new clothes, take an hour or two to sort through all the clothing you
already have in storage bins so you know what you truly need.
– While you’re out buying
back to school supplies, Jodie from Growing Book by Book suggests stocking up
on craft materials as well. That way you can take advantage of sales and avoid
random trips to the Dollar Store before that project is due.
– Start labeling everything
with your child’s name. You can use handheld label maker. Check out the Ultimate
Back-To-School Combo for a great deal; we especially love the Markurlife's stick-on clothing labels!
– Figure out ahead of time
how you’re going to store your child’s artwork, projects, and school papers;
otherwise they’ll quickly start piling up and it will become an overwhelming
task! Check out the ideas here, here, and here.
– Decide what you can do in
the evenings to help your morning run more smoothly. Here are some good ideas
for streamlining your morning routine from The Jenny Evolution.
– Packing lunches can get
stressful! Planning ahead is key. Life at the Zoo has some great time-saving
ideas for those lunch boxes.
– Speaking of food, try to
meal plan at least for the first week or two of the school year—otherwise,
you’ll have so much else going on that healthy meals will quickly fall by the
wayside. Think through what you’ll have for breakfasts, after school snacks,
and dinners. (These kid-approved no recipe dinner ideas are a great starting
point!)