Here are some simple tips to get your house organized and ready for school so you’ll have a place to pack kid lunches and store back-to-school supplies.
When it’s back-to-school time, you try to get your child as organized as possible. You give them a pencil case to store all their pencils, pens, erasers etc. They have planners and binders to keep track of assignments and to store notes and other documents.
And, that’s all great. It’s obviously necessary to have those things. But, what about getting your house organized for when school starts back?
Organizing your home for when your kids return to school will save you so much time, stress and even money.
Your kids need a lot of stuff and all of those supplies have to go somewhere. Organizing school supplies at home means you won’t waste time hunting for things you know you have because you can’t remember where you put them. And, you won’t waste money buying supplies you forgot you already own. When it’s time to get ready for school on mornings, you can just grab what you need and be out the door.
See where I’m going with this?
So, today let’s talk about some back-to-school preparation tips for your house.
How to Get Your Home Ready For School
School Paper Organization
The flood of paperwork that comes home from school can be overwhelming so be ready for it. Have a visible area where you store all the papers that need your attention—school forms, reports etc. so you don’t forget about them.
Then, there’s all the other papers—artwork, old school notes that the kids may need to refer back to at some point… The list goes on. Here are some ideas for how to store kids’ artwork. You can utilize folders or even portable filing boxes for other types of paperwork.
Have a Command Center
Creating a family command center is a great way to get your house ready for school. It’s a good place to keep track of your kids’ various activities, appointments, school contact information and any other pertinent details you’ll need to have handy.
Keep a large calendar there so you can write down appointments and make notes of important dates. You can also use the calendar for meal planning which can really help to ease the chaos when your kids get back to school.
Create a Lunch Packing Station
A lunch packing station is a great way to make sure you have everything you need to give your kids a tasty and nutritious lunch all in one place. And, it’s really simple to put together!
Pick a spot in your refrigerator and another in the pantry, in a cupboard or drawer where you’ll keep all the snacks, food items and drinks that your kids will take to school. Obviously foods and drinks that need refrigeration will go inside the fridge and snacks that are kept at room temperature can be stored where you choose. Put everything in two separate bins for easy grab-and-go access.
Keep other necessities in the room-temperature storage area too. So, let’s say you dedicate one cupboard to these supplies. In addition to snacks, store all of your kids’ water bottles, lunch bags, Ziploc bags, foil, cutlery and any other supplies needed to pack lunch. That way, you don’t have to run around to different areas of the kitchen to get things.
Make sure that whichever spot you choose is easily accessible by your children. It’s a great way to let them help themselves to snacks and drinks while they’re at home. And, if your kids are old enough, they can even pack their own lunches!
Backpack Drop Zone
Instead of letting your kids drop their school bags anywhere, set up a drop zone for them. You can easily create a space using some simple (strong) hooks on a wall.
I would suggest placing this dropzone near to where your kids do homework (more on that in a moment). That way, if they need any supplies or notebooks out of their bags, they’re close-by.
Here’s some great inspiration for you to set up your own backpack storage area.
Homework Station
School plus kids equals homework, right? You carry the one and add five… I’m kidding!
That means they’ll need a spot to do homework.
Pick somewhere quiet for your children to get their work done with no distractions like the T.V. or anything else that might ruin your kids’ concentration. It’s also important to know your children. Can they be trusted to work on their own in their rooms or do you need to keep an eye on them?
So, what else will you need when setting up the homework station?
Well, you’ll definitely want a roomy desk with a comfy chair and good lighting. With technology playing such a big role these days, you will also need a computer. Finally, stash pencils, pens, rulers, erasers, paper and whatever other supplies they’ll need to do homework there.
Keep it all organized using stationery organizers like these and label where everything goes so it actually stays organized.
School Supplies Storage
For short time, when my nephew was much younger, we had to give him a new pencil almost everyday! I started to wonder if he was throwing them away or something. Turns out, he was lending them to other kids at school who didn’t have and never got them back. Sweet of him, but costly for us in the long run.
When you have children in school, it’s always a good idea to buy school supplies in bulk. They lose things or just need lots of certain stationery like printer paper. It’s much cheaper to buy these items in large quantities.
Of course, that means you need to find a space to store these bulk items too. A simple storage bin close to the homework area would be perfect. Place all the extra school supplies in there so you and your children know just where to go when they’ve lost a pencil or need anything else.
Plan Outfits for the Next Day
You probably know from personal experience how difficult it can be to choose clothes to wear. And, that’s as an adult not a child trying to impress their friends with the latest gear in their wardrobes. If your kids wear their own clothes to school instead of a uniform, then they’ll go through that same mental anguish. Yep… anguish. I don’t think I’m being overly dramatic at all.
To avoid letting this all unfold in the morning when you’re trying to get them out the door for school on time, let them decide the night before what they’ll wear the next day. Either hang a hook somewhere in their rooms or leave a space at the front of their closets where they can place their selections.
This is such a small thing but it will make a huge difference. It does when I do it myself, that’s for sure!
Getting your house ready for school can make a big impact on your day-to-day stress levels. You’ll feel so much more in control when your kids return to school and your home is organized with everything they need.
