Back to school time is upon us. (Where did the summer go?) If you’re wondering how to get organised for this exciting and occasionally stressful time, then good news.
A Good Moment Company is a professional home organisation company and we have you covered.
Back to school organisation
There’s something about September.
For many of us it signals a fresh start and for our little ones it’s the start of a brand new chapter as they totter off to the school gates with freshly sharpened pencils and box-fresh school shoes.
As a parent you’ll know that none of this happens by accident. Getting your little ones ready for a new school year takes proper organisation and planning.
You’ll also know that to navigate the getting-out-the-door morning school run madness and the flurry of activity every evening brings (Dinner, homeworks, bathtime!) you need proper systems in place.
Never fear. In this guide, we’re sharing our back-to-school organisation tips to ensure your home is calm, clutter-free, and sets the whole family up for success.
Check last year’s supplies
Tatty school bags that are beyond repair, old pencils that have been sharpened right down to the nub, shoes that no longer fit…
The first step in getting ready for back to school season is looking at last year’s supplies and assessing what’s no longer needed.
Pull out everything you have and place it all in one spot where you can see it. (Make sure to have some black bin bags at the ready!)
Next, organise the supplies into piles, like ‘Keep’, ‘Get Rid’, ‘Donate’, and ‘Repair’. As you go along, you might like to make a list of replacements you’ll need to buy.
Once you’re finished, take everything in your ‘Keep’ pile and find a home for it, making sure to group similar items together.
Create a homework station
A designated space where your child completes their homework can make the arduous task of homework less of a chore for both of you.
Pick a space in your home and let everyone know that during a set time every evening it will be used for homework. A quiet, distraction-free zone with good lighting and a comfortable place to sit is best.
Organisng the supplies your child needs is key. Make sure to organise items like laptops, pencil cases, and workbooks into storage boxes (it’s a good idea to label these), caddies, or empty drawers.
You could use this as a teaching moment. Get your child involved in the process of setting up their homework station and ask them how they would like to organise their space.
Be sure to encourage them to put everything back in its place when homework time is finished too.
Have a proper home for your children’s uniforms
Do your little ones come home, get changed and just toss their uniforms on the floor? This back-to-school season is the perfect time to nip that habit in the bud.
It starts with giving school uniforms a designated space. Once you’ve purchased all of items on the school’s uniform list (Don’t forget the PE kit!) give their uniforms separate sections in the wardrobe.
Be sure to hang each item up and place them somewhere prominent and within easy reach for your little one.
Create a zone for school bags and shoes
We’ve all been there, right? You’re rushing out the door, already late for the school run, and suddenly your child announces that they can’t find their shoes.
A mad panic ensues and before you know it you’ve turned the house upside down. A drop zone for shoes and school bags can save you so much stress.
All you need is a cupboard, caddy or storage unit – ideally near your front door – where your kids can drop their bags and shoes as soon as they get home from school.
When they are ready to leave in the morning again, they’ll be able to grab these items and go – no desperate hunt required!
Re-organise lunch boxes
Every parent of school-aged children knows that lunch boxes take up a lot of space – and why is it the lids always seem to go missing?
Drawer dividers will be your best friends when it comes to keeping lunch boxes organised. Consider creating separate sections for lids and containers and stack similar-sized containers on top of one another to save space.
You could also use tension rods inside your drawers to keep lids upright.
Most importantly, have a dedicated drawer or cupboard for your children’s lunchboxes, and encourage them to use the lids-here-containers-there system to keep things neat and in control.
Don’t forget about yourself!
Back-to-school organisation is often focused on your little ones, but it can be a stressful time for you too.
If there’s a room in your home that feels particularly cluttered or chaotic at the moment, now’s a good time to tackle it. (Read our expert home organisation tips here to find out how)
By organising, you’ll lead by example. If you’re happy calm and clear-headed, your kids are more likely to be too.
Want to get your home ready for back to school? Have a fresh start this September with A Good Moment Company. With us, back to school can be calm rather than chaotic.