Here are some great back to school tips from our friend, Laurie Palau of SBO. Please make sure to check out her site and her Facebook, they are both filled with TONS of great organizing ideas.
As a mom, I know only too well about making the transition from beach bags to back packs. Avoid added stress by enlisting everyone to follow these simple tips:
- 1. Have a home for backpacks. If your kids are like mine, when they come home from school the first thing they do is strip off their backpack and drop it on the floor (and if you’re anything like me that drives you NUTS!). SOLUTION: Designate an area near where the kids enter and exit (whether it’s through the front door, garage, or mudroom) and install hooks/bins or lockers for them to house their school items. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive or elaborate. The key is making sure that it is within their reach. Remember, you want to teach them responsibility and respect for their belongings and their home.
- 2. Have a central family calendar. Between after school activities, doctor appointments, play dates and who knows what else, it is next to impossible to keep everyone’s schedule straight. Choose a calendar large enough to write multiple events on the same day. Want to take it a step further? Color Code each person in the family making it easy to identify who is going to be where. I use Google Cal because it syncs with all my devices including ical, yet I can access it from both Mac and PC.
- 3. Read and recycle. Prepare to be infiltrated with papers! You know its coming and I know you’re dreading it as much as I am. In my house, the rule is to empty backpacks right away and immediately sort through “Action Items”: what needs to be completed (ie: homework, permission slips that need to be signed, etc) versus what can be read and recycled (ie: completed homework, info from the school, etc). Choose wisely which items you want to keep. And just like mail, don’t let it pile up.
Staying one step ahead of the clutter will eliminate unnecessary chaos and help this year be your best one yet!
