Back to School Organizing
It’s mid- September so you know what that means…time for back to school organizing! It’s important to get your organizing systems and routines set up early in the year so you set your family (and yourself) up for a successful school year. Keep reading to find out our favorite ways to start your year off on the right foot!
Set up a work station
Set your student up for success with a designated work station. A consistent area allows you to have all of your tools in one place, minimizing distractions.
We suggest using a Stash to contain pens, pencils, scissors, rulers, stapler, etc. If you’re short on surface space it can also be mounted to the wall!
Have the area be personalized to the student and fun to work at! This Pen Pot is a great way to brighten up any work station.
If you’re struggling to store a lot of incoming or outgoing paperwork, add a file wall to store paper. Sort and label each file so it’s easy to keep your paper organized rather than turning it into a large collection of miscellaneous paper.
Purge old supplies
One of my favorite back to school activities was organizing all my school supplies. Whether you’re purchasing new supplies or reusing what you have, take inventory of what you have and what’s leftover. If you have duplicates that are no longer necessary, find out if your child’s teacher wants to use them in their classroom.
Store archived work
Regardless of what grade your kiddo is in, they’re going to be bringing work home. We suggest marking a time in your calendar, perhaps quarterly, to empty work that is no longer current and see what needs to be kept versus purged. Depending on the size of the schoolwork, it can be hole punched and added to a yearly binder, or if it’s larger artwork, we suggest storing it in a portfolio like this labeled with your kid’s name and grade. Once the school year is complete, do a bigger purge and decide what you want to keep from that year.
Time Timer
Is your handworker easily distracted? Check out the Time Timer. The Time Timer is a visual timer (great for kids and people of all ages) that allows you to stay on track by limiting the amount of time allotted per task.
Set up a family calendar
We love a shared family calendar! Unsure of when tests are occurring or projects are due? At the beginning of each month, or quarter, have your child add all upcoming exams and projects to your shared calendar. Having upcoming events scheduled are a great way so insure that they aren’t forgotten at the last minute. Include any after school activities or events (ie. field trips) to the calendar as well.
Outfit Planning
Does it take an extra 10, 15, 20 minutes to get your kid out the door because they’re trying to decide which outfit to wear? Have your kid lay out their outfits (either for the next day or the whole week) ahead of time to minimize last minute decisions. Not only is picking out your outfit ahead of time a lifelong skill, it also allows you to properly prepare for the weather (which if you’re in New England can be extremely erratic at any time of year).
Start your school year off with success by implementing these simple suggestions. It’s never too early to get organized whether they’re off to Pre-K or college. These tips will help you maximize your potential and leave time for extracurricular activities and whatever is most important to you and your child.