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It’s hard to believe that we’re already approaching back-to-school season! While we love the summer's long, hot, and relaxing days, there’s something calming and exciting about entering the Fall and having the kids go back to school. That is if you and your home are prepared.
Over the next few weeks, you’ll probably be focused on shopping and getting your little ones ready for the upcoming school year. However, we want to remind you that a prepared and “school-ready” home will also make the season a lot less stressful as well. So, if you’re looking to prevent chaos in your household, especially for the first week of school, then we have you covered. Here are our essential home hacks that will get your space organized and ready for school in no time!
Prepare Your Entryway or MudRoom
Clutter creates chaos, which is something we’re trying to avoid this year. Instead of having the kids put their backpacks, shoes, and books all throughout your home, try elevating and organizing your entryway or mudroom.
By installing hooks, cubbies, and shelving, your little ones will have a designated space to put all of their school gear. This will not only prevent things from getting lost, but it will also allow school mornings to go easier, given that no one will be running around the house looking for their backpack or shoes when it’s time to leave.
Organize Your Kid's Closets
Getting ready for school can be quick and easy, that is if your child’s closet is organized and ready to go! Have them work with you to go through and organize their closet. Items that are too small or no longer needed can go in the donation bin, while everything else can get nicely folded and stored away.
If your children know exactly where their clothes are and have an organized space, getting ready in the morning should be a lot less hectic for everyone.
Create Designated Work Spaces in Your Home
School means homework! As we’ve seen over the past 2 years, it really helps to have a set, designated space at home for everyone to do their work. Look over your home and decide where your young one’s homework space will be.
If you have a large enough space, you can go as far as decorating, and adding pictures, shelving, and cubbies to keep it organized. But, if space is a little tight, then try transforming your dining room into the set homework area between certain hours. This will help keep everyone organized and will allow the homework to get done.
Organize and Store Your School Supplies
From pencils and pens to blank sheets of paper, school supplies can get a little messy, which leads to items getting lost and homework being put on hold. Before the school season starts, go through your at-home school supplies to make sure you have everything you and your family need.
Once you have all your essentials prepared and ready to go, find an organized area for them to be stored. We recommend purchasing storage drawers or cubbies to keep everything in one place, where your kids can easily find and have access to them.
Get the Kids Bathroom Ready to Go and Organized
Again, we want to try and make the morning routine as easy, streamlined, and as quick as possible. So, in addition to your kid's closets being organized, their bathroom or bathroom area should be prepared as well.
This means that all accessories and essentials are in-stock and in their appropriate places so they are easy to find in the morning. After all, the last thing you want to be doing is running around trying to find a toothbrush or a hairclip when it’s time to be headed out the door.
Tip: Allow your kids to work with you to organize their closet and bathroom space, or have them do it alone if they are old enough. This will ensure they know where everything is located, and they can take pride in having created their own organized space.
Snack Station? Breakfast Table?
In addition to getting ready in the morning, preparing breakfast and lunches can be a timely and overwhelming task. If you are still preparing this for your kids, then make sure you have a spot in your home that is used to store their lunch bags and a place where they know to eat breakfast.
If your kids are old enough to feed themselves and are preparing their own lunches, then it’s important to ensure that all areas, from the cereal cupboard to the reusable container drawer, are stocked up and ready to go.
Tip: Use a cubby in the front hallway to store lunch boxes once emptied after school. This will help you or your kids find it in the morning easily.
Get the Calendar Ready
School season also often means the start of sports and recreational activities as well. This can be a lot to manage and keep track of for a family! We recommend having a certain area of the home that is used as a communications zone. This can include a calendar, whiteboard, or cork board that can help keep track of everything.
Use this space wisely to ensure that everyone knows when soccer practice is, or when the next school field trip is coming up. It can also be used to hold important school newsletters or permission slips. It might take a little time to set this up, but once you have it, you’ll feel a lot more organized and less stressed.
School season is a fun and exciting time, but it can also be stressful if you’re unprepared. These few tips will help you, your little ones, and your home to feel ready, allowing the school year to go by easily. We know it may take a little work, in the beginning, but once everything is set up and good to go, you’ll be sure glad you did it. With that, we wish everyone a great start to the new school year!
