Schedules, Routines, and Structure

Get Your Home Organized With This Back-to-School Checklist

The beginning of the school year is a burst of activity and mixed emotions. Spend some time creating smart systems around your home to make this transition as smooth as possible – for your kids and for yourself. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Set Up a Homework Zone
Minimize struggles over homework by setting up a homework zone stocked with all of the supplies your student will need, like notebook paper, glue and markers for special projects. A spacious desk is great for spreading out books, but if your child prefers to work at the kitchen counter, consider stocking a portable homework cart instead.

2. Give Bedrooms a Mini Makeover
If your child is making a big transition this year, it can be nice to mark the moment with a mini makeover that honors how your child has grown. It doesn’t need to be expensive to make a big impact: put up a world map or new poster, do a DIY project like repainting a chest, or swap out the bedding.

3. Record Important Dates on the Calendar
Between school holidays, birthdays and extracurricular activities, it can take some awe-inspiring mental gymnastics to keep everyone’s schedules straight. Whether you use a digital calendar or a big family wall calendar, take the time to record all of the important dates for the year ahead.

4. Make Some Meals Ahead
If you can find an hour or two to get ahead on meal planning and prep, you’ll appreciate it when life gets busy! Make a few meals to store in the freezer, write down a meal-planning calendar, or gather lunch making components in one central location.

5. Create an After-School Snack Zone
When the kids come home tired and hungry, it’s a relief to be able to point the way to a self-serve healthy-snack station. Fill a few baskets at kid height with choices like seeds, dried fruit and whole-grain crackers. Tuck a special snack basket in the fridge too, with fresh options like precut veggies, fruit, yogurt and cheeses.

6. Stash Get-Out-the-Door Essentials Where You Use Them
Think through your family’s morning routine and keep your own list of essentials (lunch money, a pen for signing permission slips, sunscreen, chapstick) in a drawer near the front door.

7. Plan Ahead for Paper Chaos
It’s amazing how quickly the paper can pile up! To help tame the chaos, create new files for school papers, and pick up a portfolio for artwork and a keepsake box for storing mementos and 3-D projects. Consider taking photos of artwork or assignments you want to remember so you don’t need to store them.

8. Create a Dedicated Space for Each Child’s Daily Gear
If you have the room, providing a separate cubby, locker, shelf or hook for each family member is a smart way to stay organized. If your entry is combined with another space (like the kitchen or living room), choose storage with doors that close so you can hide the mess. Short on space? Hang a few wall hooks for holding backpacks and place a basket on the floor to hold shoes.

Download this edition’s newsletter

Sources:

Article Source: Laura Gaskill, August 12, 2019, Houzz Contributor
https://www.houzz.com/magazine/get-your-home-organized-with-this-back-to-school-checklist-stsetivw-vs~70312301
images from: Freepik.com

Recent Posts