Getting Organized For Going Back To School
We’re excited to continue talking about getting organized for going back to school! Hopefully, you’ve already sorted through clothing and supplies, updated wardrobes and have school snacks in the cupboard. If you don’t plan and organize now, your child will be wondering where their planner went. And you’ll be scratching your head about how an entire box of pencils went missing.
Last time, we talked about creating routines for back to school organizing, especially routines that would help your kids get on board and see the benefits of getting organized for going back to school. This time, we’re going to talk about tools, routines, and organization tips at home and at school that can help you and your children manage time better. When you feel more in control of your day, you experience less stress.
Whether your school is fully in-person or hybrid, or you’ve decided to gamble that they’ll all be learning from home again anyway, the stores are happy to remind you about needing to stock up on school supplies with all those back-to-school sales. But there is so much more to being prepared than having all the pens you need! Here are our favorite tips for getting organized for going back to school:
ROUTINES RULE
As we wrote about in the last blog, routines help minimize the chaos – and there are two times when routines make all the difference. Back to school routines can be the difference between a happy morning and a stressful morning. Get your start this year by trying out some of the Maniac’s favorite tips for setting your family up for success.
The Morning Routine
Don’t underestimate the power of a morning routine and schedule. Too many people trying to brush their teeth at once always spells disaster. Have a set order of events for each person in the morning so that everyone can get ready, fed, and out the door in time for their day. Stagger wake-up and bathroom times if you can, which is especially helpful if you all are leaving the house at the same time.
The After-School Routine
This prevents that after-school disaster that is usually a combination of art projects, homework, half-eaten lunches, backpacks, and shoes strewn around the house. Establish a process for walking in the door, just as you have a routine for walking out. Cubbies and hooks at the front door will offer a space for backpacks, jackets, and shoes. You can even create a homework station or “inbox” that will catch important papers as kids come home. With a designated space for homework, and a bonus snack station for after-school fuel, kids can learn to be responsible for themselves.
A SUCCESSFUL MORNING STARTS THE NIGHT BEFORE
Yes, you read that right. If you want to streamline your morning and avoid last-minute searching for things or yelling at everyone that you’re running late, start preparing for your day the night before.
Pack as much of your kids lunches as you can – anything not requiring refrigeration should go straight in the lunch bag. This includes filling up a water bottle and remembering any utensils they might need.
Check the weather and find your stuff before bed. If you’re going to need a raincoat or umbrella, find it after dinner and put it by the door. This will avoid a frantic rush to find it in the morning when time is already tight and people are sleepy and not at their best.
Prepare anything your kids need for special classes such as music or PE. Grab those flutes, music stands, PE clothes, or project and put it by the door, ready to go.
Having as much prepared ahead of time as possible cuts down on the number of surprises that should arise in the morning. Having a nightly checklist of what needs to be prepared is a great strategy to implement as well because it not only takes the pressure off of parents to remember what needs to be done each night, but it allows kids to be a part of the process and start to develop strong organization skills they can carry with them throughout life.
THE FAMILY BULLETIN BOARD ORGANIZES YOUR TIME
This is a school-year essential, especially if you have multiple kids with rotating extracurricular activities. It’s important that everyone have a visual of the week’s events so that nothing gets forgotten. This gives you time to plan accordingly, whether it’s scheduling rides or prepping meals. It also helps your kids be responsible for their own schedule, instead of having to constantly remind them to grab their cleats or their music lessons.
GETTING ORGANIZED FOR GOING BACK TO SCHOOL MEANS MANAGING SCHOOL SUPPLIES
With school swinging back into season, you don’t want to neglect the school supplies. Most teachers are helpful enough to provide lists. What you don’t want to neglect is the extra school supplies you should have at home. A hanging door shoe caddy is a great option for pens, highlighters, index cards, and other small supplies. For larger items, like notebooks and extra paper, baskets with separate compartments can be placed at the homework station.
Both you and your kids can be organized for the upcoming school year with these back-to-school organizing ideas. These tips will help keep everyone on track. It can be a whirlwind, but it doesn’t have to be stressful!
ORGANIZING THE SCHOOL LOCKER
Experienced parents know that your child’s locker is like the Bermuda Triangle. Things go in, but then they’re never seen again. It can quickly become a haven for lost homework, missing pens, and permission slips you needed to sign a month ago. So, start the school year off right with these tips to help your child with organizing the school locker. Keeping the locker organized will help you and your student stay calm and prepared, regardless of the assignments that you’ll have to tackle.
Locker Shelves
These are an easy fix for heavy books that won’t all cram into the top shelf of a locker. This also offers a partition to smaller lockers that don’t even offer any shelving at all. They can be found at almost any retailer. In addition, they are sturdy enough to take a beating all school-year long.
Magnetic Boxes
These magnetic mesh boxes are another fantastic tool for organizing the school locker. Depending on the size of the box, they can hold anything from pencils to post-it notes to calculators. Your child will always have a pencil on hand, and they won’t have to worry about digging in the bottom of their locker to find one.
Hanging Organizers
These are a great alternative if you need to store loose items. Pencils, pens, scissors, highlighters, and more can easily hang on the door of the locker. They won’t be in the way of jackets or backpacks.
Miniature White Board
This is a great organization tool for organizing the school locker (and the child using it). It can be customized over and over again. Have your student write down important assignments, when to get the bus home, or what day P.E. is. This way, they don’t forget their clothes again. The information is right there whenever they open their locker. It offers a regular reminder of what is on the schedule.
Back to school can be a fun and challenging time. Getting organized for going back to school is the best way to help your student be successful while you save stress. Getting organized for going back to school can help make the start of a new school year more fun and exciting – but start now before the chaos sets in.
Do you have any tips to add that help you keep the school year from becoming chaotic and stressful? We’d love to hear them.