Summer seems to get shorter and shorter every year. Transitioning from slower summer days to the busy school year can be tough. Get ahead of the curve by setting you and your family up for success once it’s time to go back to school. Here are some areas to organize NOW to prepare your home and make back to school easy breezy.
Kids clothes and shoes
Take some time to purge clothes that no longer fit your children. Check the sizing of their school uniforms and see what fits. If you’re saving clothes for your younger children to grow into, place them in a bin with a size label for easy finding. Set aside old uniforms to donate back to your child’s school when they have a uniform swap. As you’re purging clothes that no longer fit, make a shopping list so you know exactly what is needed at the store.
School supplies
Gather all of the school supplies in your home and place them together on a table. Sort them into categories and take inventory of what items you already have and what you will need to purchase. Find a home for school supplies to live that is easily accessible for your kids. Show them where the supplies are so they can grab what is needed.
Don’t forget about backpacks and lunchboxes. Do they need to be replaced? Toss or donate old backpacks and lunchboxes to make space for your new ones!
Entryway/mudroom
For busy families, this is always a tricky area. Think about what items need to be easily accessible on the way out the door. What are you always looking for when trying to leave for drop-off? Create a space for it! Each child should have space for their backpack, lunchbox, and school shoes. Don’t have a mudroom? Create one! Free standing hall trees or even simple books and a storage bench can work.
School papers
Have you tackled that pile of school papers from last year? Set up a system now of how you will deal with the influx of paperwork from your child’s school. We love creating file boxes for our client’s children so that their artwork and keepsakes have a home. Have a space for important memos or school calendars to hang. Decide if you’re going to purge papers daily, weekly, or monthly. Set calendar reminders now! Get paper trays or magazine holders for each child so they have a place to store their papers until you can look through them.
Need some ideas on what to do with all those art projects? Check out my blog post “7 Things to Do with Your Child’s Artwork” or need help with paper clutter in general? Check out “Conquer Paper Clutter in 4 Easy Steps”