How to Ace Back-to-School Organizing

It's easy to become so focused on all the things we need to do and buy to prepare our kids for the new school year that we sometimes forget to spend time preparing our homes. But back-to-school organizing doesn’t have to feel like a pop quiz you forgot to study for. With a few systems in place, your home can run smoother than a kid sliding into recess. So grab your organizing hall pass and get ready to give yourself a gold star, because you’re about to get schooled on how to organize for school.

Create Your Show and Tell Headquarters

School is a great producer of knowledge, but it can also be the great producer of paper in our homes. Before you’re buried in artwork, assignments, newsletters, and permission slips, create a designated drop zone to manage the chaos. Post a family calendar with activities, events, and important dates. Add an inbox and outbox for papers to review, sign, save, or shred. Maintain a binder (or your very own parental Trapper Keeper) to store documents you’ll need regular and easy access to. Designate a rotating spot to show off the latest and greatest artwork. And get your kids involved! It’s never too early to teach organizing skills.

Perform Regular Backpack Checks

You never know what’s lurking behind all those zippers on your kid's backpack. Whatever you do, don't let the mystery build for too long. Create a routine to empty and review the contents from all those individual pockets. Place a bin nearby for kids to use themselves. You might just rescue a permission slip, birthday invite, or a forgotten sandwich from last week.

Dedicate a Homework Home Room (Earn Extra Credit For Extra Supplies)

Whether it’s the dining table or a cozy corner, set up a space where your child can focus, spread out, and tackle assignments. Stock it with the essentials to make completing assignments even easier (for everyone). And keep a stash of last-minute project supplies, like poster board, glue sticks, construction paper, and markers. Whether or not to include messy glitter is up to you.

Host a Closet Prep Rally and Keep Spirits High

Kids grow fast and often without much warning. A new school year is the perfect time to review what fits, what’s in style, and what needs to go. Empty drawers and closets, and sort everything together. Determine with your kids what to keep, donate, or pass along to those younger sibs. Don't forget to set aside some options for spirit week, giving those unmatched socks one last moment to shine on wacky wardrobe day. And if you can, plan outfits for the week in advance to avoid winding up on the morning struggle bus.

Become More Lunch-able (and Watch Those After School Special Snacks)

Stock your kitchen with easy breakfast options and grab-and-go school snacks to simplify busy mornings. Pre-pack lunches or organize lunch supplies in a dedicated drawer so kids can assemble their own meals with minimal guidance. Consider creating a weekly meal plan to reduce decision fatigue and make grocery shopping more efficient. And keep a little emergency lunch money stash set aside for when you need a break from lunch duty.

Staff Your Nurses Station

Kids are cute, but they can also be a magnet for the latest and greatest colds and flu. Keep your home, yourself, and your kid safe by stocking up on kid-friendly vitamins, a digital thermometer that hasn’t mysteriously vanished right when you need it, a stash of cold meds approved by your pediatrician, and some nose-friendly tissues. Don't forget to keep some first-aid essentials on hand for those playground mishaps. And ease into bedtime routines a week early to give those immune systems a fighting chance.

Avoid the Lost & Found by Labeling...Everything...Even Your Kid (Kidding, Kind Of)

From backpacks to water bottles to shoes, if it's expensive to replace and your kid might set it down, forget it, or mix it up with a friend, then it doesn't hurt to add a label with your kid's name and phone number. A label maker works great, but permanent marker or masking tape will do in a pinch.

Give Yourself a Hall Pass and Avoid the Principle's Office

There is no perfect or one size fits all system. Create one that is manageable for you and your family. The most important thing to remember is that a system can always be refined over time. But not having one is a recipe for disaster.

Happy Organizing!