Routine Dreams: 5 Tips to Make Back to School a Breeze
Oh, August. Your hot, sticky days feel like the peak of summer. But here we are, just three short weeks away from lunchboxes, fresh kicks, and the big yellow bus. How are we supposed to kick back on a giant unicorn floatie when there’s so much to do?
Chillax. Our Back to School preparation checklist will get you organized before the bell rings.
Tip 1 – Group Their Outfits
If you’re on board with the KonMari method of file-folding clothes so that everything stands up, you’re already a laundry pro. Take it a step further and group entire outfits together in the drawer. Just fold everything as one bundle, and kids can grab exactly what they need quickly without tearing apart their entire dresser.
Their tidy drawers will last from laundry day to laundry day, and no one will freak out hunting for a missing sock at 8am.
Tip 2 – Pre-pack Lunch
Before kids, you probably never knew how much time you could spend looking for the perfect lunchbox. Our vote goes to Bentgo. Extra compartments encourage blossoming tastebuds. They seal, so pack hummus. And they’re available with mermaids, if that’s important in your house.
Hack your Bentgo system with extra trays. Buy four additional tray inserts on Amazon, and pack a full week of lunch at a time. The spares come with storage lids and stack up beautifully in your fridge.
Beware. Some sandwiches and cut up fruit doesn’t age well in advance, so leave yourself some flexibility. Desserts, chips, and veggies are usually safe to pack ahead.
Tip 3 – Create a Drop Zone
Save yourself a year of nagging, and create an area of your home where your kids can just drop all their things and go. Backpacks, shoes, jackets… give everything an easy spot, and it will no longer make a trail throughout your house.
Use bins or cubbies to hold each kids’ things. Big baskets work great. Mount hooks at kid level. Expect miraculous results.
Take a look at a few of our favourite Stor-X Drop Zones.
Tip 4 – Establish a Command Centre
This one is brilliant: hanging document holders, a dry erase calendar, a magnet board to organize school papers, hooks for anything, cups for everything else… someone really thought this through. Field trip forms won’t get lost. Swim class won’t get missed.
But the best thing about a Command Center is that it helps everyone share the mental load. Managing family life is a daunting task. If everything just lives in Mom’s head, Mom goes a little nuts. Get it on the wall.
Tip 5 – Set Up a Homework Station
Make a cart with pencils, pens, erasers, pencil sharpeners, markers, paper, calculator, rulers, tape and scissors. Kids can just wheel the cart over and do their homework without worrying about finding the things they need. Include timers to help keep kids on track with time.
Most kids don’t enjoy homework. Most parents don’t enjoy the battle. Do what you can in advance to organize school supplies, and you’ll be a step ahead.
Now get back out there.
It’s officially summer until September 21, so you’ll have a few weeks to ease into routines again, even after school starts. Enjoy your sun-kissed skin and the smell of freshly mowed lawn. Adopt a few new tricks, and organize for the new school year stress-free.
Can we help? We’re great at finding space where you didn’t think you had any. Book a free consultation today, and smarten up your home.
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