Last updated on August 15, 2024
Back-to-school season doesn't have to be chaotic! With a little preparation, you can set the stage for a smooth transition into the new school year. Use these tips to help you prepare your home for back-to-school:
Studies show that we tend to be more productive and less stressed when our work has its own space. This improves our concentration and helps us maintain a routine. So, separate work from leisure! Give your children their own space to study and do their homework.
Home offices are fantastic, but if you have limited space, designate a corner of the bedroom, living room, or kitchen with a desk and chair. Fill the area with essential supplies like pens, pencils, and other stationery. Adding a laptop stand and a place to organize charging cords can improve the functionality of the space. You can even use chalkboard paint on the wall for your kids to write and erase notes and math problems.
Clean the refrigerator and pantry.
Make room for pre-made school lunches and after-school snacks! Create a small grab-and-go section in your fridge or pantry for busy mornings. Leave room for healthy, pre-made meals to ensure your kids have nutritious options on hand. You can even add a whiteboard to the fridge to jot down notes for your grocery list or lunch and dinner schedule.
Organize school supplies and backpacks
Avoid chaotic mornings by organizing school supplies and backpacks ahead of time. Utilize the hallway with labeled bins and designated spots for school supplies, such as backpacks and extracurricular activity equipment/materials that could easily be forgotten. You can install backpack hooks by the door to have bags ready to grab on the way out. Keeping everything organized by the door will reduce the risk of forgotten items!
Organizing bedrooms and closets
Does your child's room look like it's been through a tornado? Do you have clothes strewn across the floor and unread books piled up on the dresser? It's time to get their rooms in order. An effective way to decide what's worth keeping is to organize items into a “keep,” “donate,” or “throw away” system using different labeled bins. You can then organize the items into your “keep” pile and toss the rest.
If your kids love to read, add a bookshelf and a pouf in a corner of the room to create a cozy reading nook. This will keep your readers happy and their books will be where they belong.
Next, tackle your closet. Having your school uniforms or outfits on hand will make mornings much smoother. Get rid of clothes you no longer need to free up space in your closet. Sort clothes by type, season, or day of the week to make outfit selection quick and easy.
Add a schedule
It can be difficult to establish a back-to-school routine after a long summer of fun and games. If you have multiple kids going back to school, it's hard to remember who has what extracurricular activity on what day, what science fair project is due, and who's in charge of chores. Adding a dry-erase board to your refrigerator with a weekly or monthly schedule is beneficial to keep the whole family informed!
Set up a charging station for devices
Don't send your child to school with a dead laptop! It's important to have a designated area for charging school-related devices such as tablets, laptops, and phones. Organize cords to keep the area tidy, and make sure all devices are plugged in so they're ready for the school day.
Add an achievement wall
Let your kids know you're proud of them! Recognizing their accomplishments will boost their self-esteem and motivate them to keep doing well. Designate a space on the refrigerator, a corkboard, or better yet, an entire wall to display your kids' accomplishments. You can hang awards, stellar school projects, and artwork to make your kids feel confident!
Pencils, pens, markers, and glue sticks are likely to run out or get lost as the school year progresses. Take care of that problem now by creating a shelf to replenish supplies! Designate a shelf in your home that holds a large supply of supplies for when your family needs them. You can add drawers to hold different colored construction paper and a rotating organizer for pencils, pens, and craft supplies. When that blue marker goes missing, you'll be set!
A successful, stress-free school year starts at home. If you take the time to organize, declutter, and create functional spaces, you're setting your family up for success!
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