5 BACK TO SCHOOL TIPS FROM A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER
I’ve put together my top strategies to help simplify your weekday routines and minimize the back-to-school stress this Fall. These small but impactful changes can result in some big results!
Below are my 5 tips for getting organized for back-to-school, so you can save time, energy and frustration this Fall.
Tip 1 SCHOOL PAPERS
Back to school means all those papers are about to start coming home with your child everyday. School notices, calendars, completed schoolwork, workbook pages, art….
so. many. papers.
So what do you do with them all?!?
Don’t panic. We’re going to make a plan and you’re going to take control of those incoming papers once and for all.
Before we break down your options for containing them, let’s all agree to do this ONE task everyday. Doing this will make a huge difference in staying on top of all the papers coming in, and will make your mornings so much easier.
RULE #1: Empty backpacks right when you get home from school.
Make this part of the routine when you get home. If your child is old enough, give them the responsibility to empty everything that doesn’t need to stay in the bag for the next day: papers, lunch box, water bottle, trash, dirty masks, bruised apple, opened bag of chips, or anything that needs to stay at home.
Ok, now let's talk about what they do with the papers they take out of their backpacks…
Hopefully you have a “drop zone” or entryway where they keep their backpack (see tip #3 below!)...Put a basket, bin, empty a drawer, or other some kind of container nearby, so they can put the daily papers they want and/or need to keep. Hopefully if there’s any important things that need your attention, they will give it to you, or put it in the family Command Center (see tip #3 again). If not, take a quick look through the papers. Be mindful not to keep EVERY piece of school work and art project. This is the time to be decisive about purging right away, when you know you won’t be keeping it longterm.
Now...what do we do with the papers we do decide to keep long term?
Option 1: Hanging files
Use hanging files to separate papers by school year, child, or subject (school work, art, memorabilia, school pictures, etc). This approach is easy to add to as the year progresses. If you use a bin or basket to hold the files, you can move it around as needed.
Option 2: Binder
This is another way to separate their papers by using different tabs. Just slip their papers into page protectors and they will be easy to flip through. This is a great space saving option. However, you’ll probably need another container to keep art projects.
Option 3: Large storage containers with lid
Want a quick and easy way to keep all the papers from cluttering your home? This is the option for you! Grab a large container with a lid and as the papers and art comes home, you drop it in the bin. Keep layering as the year goes on. At the end of the year, you can go through it and purge everything you don’t want to keep long term. This might not sound the most “organized” option, but I’ve honestly used this system for many years. Just do whatever you think you can maintain throughout the year.
Art work
What to do with all the art? I’ll admit, I’ve kept way too much of my daughter's art over the years. I have the storage space to keep it, so I haven’t forced myself to really purge in a while. However, the way I purge is to create keepsake books with photos of their art. This way I don’t have to keep the actual art that takes up way too much space, but we can still enjoy the work when we flip through the book. Two companies that I know who do this are Artkive and Chatbooks. You send in the art or a photo of your child holding it, and they create beautiful keepsake books. Check them out and let me know what you think!
PRO TIP: Add an empty folder to your child’s backpack so they can put any loose papers in it. No more crumpled and ripped school notices.
Tip 2 routines, routines, routines
Back-to-school means no more sleeping in and lazy Summer days :( The only way we can function on weekday mornings is to have routines and systems to help our mornings go as smoothly as possible and run on auto-pilot until the coffee kicks in.
A great morning actually starts with a solid nighttime routine. For example, laying out clothes the night before alleviates any of the last minute “mom, I can’t find my shirt” moments. Prepping lunches and putting everything you need by the front door at night will be one last thing to worry about in the morning.
Regarding a morning routine, what I’ve come to realize as my daughter is about to turn 10...sometimes it’s helpful to structure your routine to their specific needs, personality and developmental stage. Over the years we’ve done checklists, alarms, me telling her what to do, and me stepping back and letting her sink or swim...which means she doesn’t want me reminding her to do all the things. Sometimes that results in her forgetting to do something, but I guess that’s part of the process.
As you start a new year, think about what’s going to make for a positive, happy and stress-free morning. Does your child want to try a new alarm, can they finally start making their own lunch, or can you create a simple checklist for them to use? This year we’ve decided to use our Alexa to give us a 10 min warning before we have to walk out the door. Wish me luck! ;)
PRO TIP: Plan out the whole week’s outfits on Sunday night. Use bins, drawers or a hanging clothing storage unit to put each day’s outfit.
This is a genius idea from Graceful Spaces. Label each hanger with the days of the week!
This one from Amazon is specifically made for this hack! Grab it here!
Tip 3 CREATE ZONES
The best way to keep up with those routines, is to create systems that will make it easier to maintain consistency. Creating “zones” in your home will save you time and energy by having everything in one place.
“Drop Zone”
Who’s children walk in the house, kick off their shoes, throw their bag on the floor and toss their jacket on the furniture? Ohhhh good, it’s not just mine.
The key to managing the inevitable clutter around the front door is to create a specific space for all the things that end up on the floor or out of place. If you don’t have a mud room (that’s hard to come by here in Los Angeles), you can use a coat closet, garage area, or entryway wall.
We use these lockers by our front door. Everyone has a space to hang their stuff and knows where to put things away.
PRO TIP: Use hooks and baskets to get things off the floor. Utilize vertical space by adding hooks for bags, hats, and jackets. Baskets are great when you don’t need (or want) to see what’s inside (those dirty shoes, for example). Baskets and bins are great to store seasonal items like scarves, sunscreen and equipment for extra-circular activities.
Homework + Art Area
Create a dedicated area where your child can focus on their homework, and has all the tools to set them up for success.
Here are some things to consider when creating this space:
Good lighting
Clear workspace/desk area
Chargers for devices
Basket or bin for work in progress
Here are some supplies to have accessible, so they don’t have to break their concentration to get up and find them: pencils, pens, markers, pencil sharpener, ruler, calculator, plain paper, lined paper, glue, scissors, index cards, and post-its.
PRO TIP: If you’re tight on space and don’t have room for a dedicated desk area, using a cart with wheels is a great option. You can easily keep all the supplies needed for arts and crafts or homework time, and your child can move it around to whatever table or space is available.
Check out A Night Owl blog, where Kimberly shows you step-by-step instructions on how she setup her Homework Cart
I love this one from The Container Store. Grab one here!
Command Center
Create a central area accessible to the whole family, where you can keep track of all important papers, mail, and reminders. Have pens and a pad of paper or post-its, so you can jot down any quick notes or reminders when you’re on the go. This is where you can also keep your meal planning, calendars, papers to return to school, invitations and other important papers.
When you bring in your mail everyday, it should fall into one of these categories:
(a) trash - throw it out right away! I’m looking at you junk mail, coupons you’ll never use and catalogs you’ll never read.
(b) action now - take care of it right away, then toss or file the paper if needed
(c) action later - have someplace specific in the Command Center for these pending items. Refer back to it once a week so you don’t over look anything timely.
PRO TIP: I use a clear acrylic tray in my kitchen for my “pending” papers. If I use a folder or bin that I can’t see into, or put them in a room I hardly go into, I’ll forget or ignore them. (I’m an “out of sight, out of mind” type of person). If you’re the same, try having your Command Center in a high-traffic area and use containers that you can see into.
Check out Reset Your Nest’s blog on exactly how to set up the perfect command center!
Here is a cute clear container from Etsy!
Lunch Prep Zone
Having everything you need in one place will make packing lunches streamlined and dare I say...easy??
Use a designated cabinet or drawer for lunch boxes, bags, tupperware containers, water bottles, napkins, ziplock bags, sharpies, and anything else you use during lunch prep.
Include a “snack zone” for another layer or organization. This will help with lunch prep AND after school, when everyone comes home wanting all the snacks. Empty out the snacks from their original containers. This way the kids can easily see what their options are, and you know what you need to restock.
PRO TIP: Use cabinets and drawers that are accessible to your child, so they can help in preparing their lunches. Bottom cabinets or the lower shelves in the pantry are great spots to keep snacks and lunch prep necessities.
This snack zone from The Sunny Side Up Blog is perfect!
Medicine, Vitamin and First-Aid Zone
Have all your medications and first aid supplies easily accessible. Because nothing is worse than needing to rummage through everything when you really need what you’re looking for.
Dedicate a cabinet or a couple shelves in a closet to store all of your medications. Group them in categories, so it’s easy to find exactly what you’re looking for. Depending on the amount you have, you can either group them into “adult” and “children” medicine or you can group them by type - stomach, pain, allergy, cold, etc.
Everyday vitamins and supplements might want to live in an area where you’ll remember to take them. We keep ours near the coffee machine, since we’re guaranteed to see them during our mandatory morning coffee.
PRO TIP: Keep the band-aids in a spot where anyone in the family can access. When you’re littles need a band-aid for that tiny little scratch, they can go help themselves, instead of needing you to immediately stop what your doing to grab it.
Tip 4 declutter
This is the key to success in any attempt at getting or staying organized. As we start this new school year, it’s a great time to hit the “reset” button and do a little decluttering around the whole house. When life gets busy, kids are back in school, parents are working and the holidays are just around the corner (YUP!), making sure your home is free of physical and visual clutter could mean the difference between a smooth morning and a chaotic start to the day.
Take an afternoon to go through each room to do a quick decluttering session.
Step 1: Remove all trash - anything that is broken, doesn’t work, or isn’t used anymore.
Step 2: Do you love it, use it or need it? If not, decide if it should be donated or tossed.
Step 3: Be mindful of clutter coming into the house as the year progresses. Does your child need to keep the little plastic toys from a birthday gift bag? Hint: the answer is no.
PRO TIP: Check out my blog post 51 THINGS YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY TOSS OUT TODAY TO DECLUTTER AND ORGANIZE YOUR HOME AND LIFE for some easy ways to kick your decluttering into high gear.
Check out this blog post on The Spruce for some great tips on decluttering.
Tip 5 schedule a weekly “Reset”
Now that you’ve decluttered and set up routines and systems, how do you keep it up and not fall off the rails by Halloween? Listen closely friends, because here is how you keep it up THE WHOLE YEAR…you schedule in a weekly “reset”.
For us, this is on Sundays. We do the shopping, meal/lunch prep, finish the laundry, put away things that got out of place during the week, clean out the cars, straighten up our “zones” and restock household items. Doing it all on one day, means you aren’t constantly playing catch-up all week long. Without doing a weekly reset, it will be hard to stay consistent with all the great systems you’ve implemented. Get the whole family on board, and you’ll see how this weekly habit will keep you all on track throughout the whole year.
PRO TIP: Schedule a Monthly Reset at the start of each month to do things around the house like: sanitize the washing machine and dishwasher, wipe down light fixtures, clean vacuum filters, or other tasks that you typically only do once a month. This way you aren’t halfway through a month and think…”when was the last time I did (insert that thing you never remember to do)?”
