Back 2 School Szn
As the school year approaches, we face the task of preparing our homes for the inevitable rush of routines, schedules, and school supplies. An organized home can greatly contribute to a smooth transition and alleviate unnecessary stress.
Today, we'll explore practical organization hacks for key areas of the home, including the drop zones, study spaces, and storage areas. We’re also going to look at effective strategies to streamline your routines, master your schedules, and establish efficient systems that will help you stay organized throughout the back-to-school season.
Let’s start with our physical homes.
Drop Zones: The drop zone is the first stop when entering and leaving the house, making it a prime area for organization. Our front entryway serves as our main drop zone for the kids. Practically this means we are wearing our shoes in the house until they get taken off at the front but this works well for us. We use two baskets (that I’ve had for forever but they’re in great shape) for each of the kids' stuff. Their backpacks go in here along with any folders that they may bring home. These get dumped and cleaned out every 6 weeks. They’re required to give me their take home folders and unpack their lunch kits every day when they get home so those get taken care of separately. We keep this super simple. The different hooks and wall pockets were not sustainable for our family, and to be honest, I hate seeing the paperwork on the wall.
Study Space Optimization: We do have a homework cart in our dining room that has supplies for them to complete their homework. We’ve got flashcards for math, paper, pencils, colored pencils, pens, crayons… all of it. It all goes in this cart I got from Amazon like 2 years ago. It’s available for the kids to use at the dining table or they can work at the countertop. Practically this works because I can be cleaning out lunch boxes and prepping for supper while they’re wrapping up with homework. And they have access to everything they need upstairs and if we need to restock something then we can go to the basement and grab what we need to restock.
Storage Solutions: For our family, we will have the homework cart upstairs and then we have the cabinets downstairs. Those cabinets are stocked with art/ school supplies for us to use throughout the year. We love having this available because it’s helpful to not have to run to the store. I will usually re-evaluate this at the beginning and middle of the year. This way I’m not overwhelmed with having to shop for both school and home supplies at once and I can space out these purchases as needed. Of course I have my own organizing system at home where the kids know where the supplies are. They can’t reach all of them (for good reason) and the ones that they need to have access to, they can have easily.
Mealtime Planning and Organization: Streamlining mealtime can be a game-changer for us during the school year. This is something that never stops to be honest. Without a plan, we tend to eat like junk and then I feel like junk and then and then and then… it just leads to a cascade of crap. Back on the Peaceful Spaces podcast, I did an episode called “Plans, Preps, and Progress” where I talked about having an A,B,C week of meal plans. This way your family isn’t totally bored by your meals and you can have a ready stocked pantry for when it’s lunch making time or supper making time. I’ll be sharing more on meal planning and organization in another episode in our Back2School Szn series of how to help engage your kiddos in the meal prep process and spoiler, you get to work on your heart before hand. Haha.
Okay, so we did a whirlwind on our physical homes… let’s touch on streamlining our schedules.
Create a Master Schedule: The first step towards a well-organized back-to-school routine is to create a master schedule. Gather all the important dates, such as school orientations, open houses, and extracurricular activities, and create a centralized calendar or use a digital scheduling app to keep track of everything. Make sure to involve your children in the process, as it helps them develop a sense of ownership and responsibility.
Establish a Daily Routine: Consistency is key when it comes to managing a busy family schedule. Establishing a daily routine can provide structure and help everyone stay on track. Set regular wake-up and bedtime schedules, allocate specific times for meals and homework, and ensure that there is dedicated time for relaxation and family bonding. Remember, flexibility is important, but having a routine as a baseline will greatly reduce chaos and stress.
Delegate and Collaborate: Running a household requires teamwork. Delegate age-appropriate tasks to your children, such as packing their own lunches, organizing their backpacks, or helping with meal prep. This not only lightens your load but also teaches them responsibility and important life skills. Additionally, consider establishing a carpool system or sharing responsibilities with other parents for school drop-offs and pickups to save time and effort.
With the right strategies and a little planning, busy parents can conquer the back-to-school season with ease. By creating a master schedule, establishing routines, streamlining morning and evening tasks, simplifying meal planning, delegating responsibilities, and optimizing home organization, you'll set the stage for a successful and stress-free school year. Remember, organization is a journey, so be patient with yourself and your family as you implement these tips.
