5 Ways to Get Organized This Back to School Season
In the midst of back to school season, we wanted to get the ball rolling with our top tips and tricks for getting prepared and organized as summer comes to an end. This can be quite the turnaround for families, with schedules changing, extra-curriculars starting up, and lots to think about. We hope that these ideas help inspire and get you in the school spirit, while also taking some tasks off of your plate with our go-to organizing recommendations. Remember: It’s truly never too early to get your family and home prepared for sending the kiddos off to school!
1: Get your lunch zone ready to go. There is nothing more tedious than prepping lunches during the school year. Having food storage containers without lids or lids that don’t match any containers can be such a headache. You can save yourself so much time by going through your lunch packing materials before the school year starts and taking inventory of what you can purge and what you might need to add to your collection. We’ve linked some of our favorite lunch packing essentials below for you to browse, shop, and get inspo!
LIJ Tip: Create a lunch packing zone in your kitchen where all of your lunch necessities are stored, so you’ve got a single prep space where everything is in reach.
2: Create a homework station. Having a designated spot for homework in your home is a great way to build smart habits with your kids, and incentivise them to do their work. Having a routine where they know exactly where to do their schoolwork helps create structure and consistency starting at a young age. This area can be anywhere in your home that you’d like, preferably away from distractions like the TV. Wherever you choose, building a homework station with all necessary tools, workspace, and gadgets prior to the start of the school year will help set both you and your kids up for success. Below are some homework station must-haves for you to take a peak at.
3: File away! Having a space to keep all important school announcements, upcoming events, test grades, report cards, medical paperwork and more is a gamechanger during the school year. There’s nothing better than when you’re rushing out the door to an appointment, meeting, or event and being able to locate the paperwork you need to bring right when you need it. This will bring ease into your day, and will save you the time it would take to find that random field trip permission slip. We’ve put together a few of our most commonly used filing products to keep you organized throughout the year.
4: Add in structure. With the leisurely days of summer coming to an end, encouraging structure in your little one’s days is a great way to prepare for the school year. Creating a daily routine that can transfer over into weekdays with school helps teach time management and healthy life habits. Little tasks like making their bed when they wake up, getting ready for the day, and little chores throughout the day will help lead your child into the school year with a little more self discipline and preparedness. Maintaining a schedule in a visible area during the year with little rewards for completing tasks, like homework time, will build on these habits for the future! Below are our top picks for calendars and daily schedules for families.
5: Plan ahead. Doing as much prep for your future self as you can is truly the way to go during the school year. Picking a day to do all of your meal planning for the week will help take lots of time and thinking off of your plate on weeknights. Considering the recipes you plan to make for the week and going to the grocery store with these in mind will help you shop for exactly what you need and will prevent over or under-buying! Going into each week with a meal plan knocks one more thing off of your to-do list, so that you can spend evenings doing and thinking about more things in the present. Below are a few grocery and meal prep essentials that we love!
If you loved these tips and are looking for more ways to prepare for the school year, be sure to check out our Classroom Organization 101 blog for all the school organizational systems, and don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter for bonus back to school and insider organizing content! Remember that life is about progress over perfection, and that every family has unique needs. This is simply a jumping off point to inspire and support :) Happy back to school season!