Over the next few weeks children around the country will be getting ready to head back to school. Getting back in the swing of school can be a little rough sometimes for kids and for parents. These helpful little organization tips from our friends at Enviro Maids, will help you with the transition from summer vacation to the upcoming school year.
Back to School Organizing For Your Home
August is here and that means taking advantage of the last few weeks of summer by spending as much time outdoors and relishing family time with your kids before they head back to
Get on schedule now
The alarm clock probably hasn’t rung since the last day of school and your kids have happily abandoned their “early to bed, early to rise” routine. Help make the early morning transition less grueling by easing them back into a routine. During the last two weeks of summer, re-introduce them to the school year bedtime. Have them go to bed a little earlier each night until they get to the hour they’ll need to rise when school begins. Do the same for the morning; have them wake up earlier each day, so it won’t be as shocking when the alarm goes off on the first day of school.
Keep track of all your activities
Once the school year starts, you’ll be busy juggling everyone’s activities and events. Between parent-teacher conferences, music lessons, sports practice and birthday parties, your head will be spinning as you try to keep everything straight. Calm the chaos by maintaining a centralized family calendar. Find the format that works for your family whether you go digital or use the old-fashioned pen and paper method. Consider using a color-coded system where you use color to identify each family member or type of activity.
Create a filing system
If you’ve spent too many mornings searching the house for the missing permission slip, create a filing system to keep everything tucked away in one spot. Create three files: an “action” file, a “completed” file, and an “information” file. Use the “action” file to store time sensitive paperwork that requires action on your part, such as permission slips, immunization forms, etc. The “completed” file should hold the paperwork that has been filled out or signed and ready to go. Finally, the “information” file should keep important information you may need to reference throughout the year, such as the school handbook, school contacts, volunteer schedule, etc.
Another idea is to assign a large binder to each child. You can divide the binder into the same sections mentioned above as well as including a section for homework assignments, class notes, artwork and report cards.
Backpack space
Get your children out of the habit of dumping their backpacks on the floor as soon as they walk through the door. Instead of cluttering the entry area of your house, create cubby spaces where each child can store their backpacks, school supplies and shoes. You can go as fancy as using built-in units in the mud room or as simple as using a few decorative bins and hooks near the door. Each night, have your child pack his or her backpack and place it in their assigned area along with any supplies or sports gear they need to bring to school the next day.
What to wear
Mornings are hectic enough without having you or your child stand in front of their closet each morning wondering what they’ll wear. Put aside a bit of time on the weekend to pick out an outfit for each day of the coming week. Hang each outfit on a separate hanger (for each day) and hang them in the closet so they’ll be ready each morning.