As a new school year approaches, it’s the perfect time to start getting your home and life more organized. After spending the summer enjoying the outdoors, I know I’m more than ready to start focusing on the inside of my home. These smart back to school tips are helping me on my journey to a more organized home, and I hope they can be helpful to you, too!
Before settling in for the fall and winter, I like to start off the school year on the right foot with a tidy house and some semblance of a system in place. This will help give me peace of mind by cutting down on clutter and disorganization. With my daughter headed into third grade, I need to step up my game to ensure a smooth start to the school year for all of us.
Shop early for back to school supplies
As soon as we saw the back to school supplies displayed in Walmart, we got out our list and started to shop! I didn’t want to wait until things become more picked over in the stores.
By shopping at the end of July, we were able to grab everything that my daughter needs, as well as a cute new school bag and lunch box. We avoided the crowds and were able to shop from fully-stocked displays.
Don’t wait to get your kid’s school supplies. Save yourself the hassle, and as soon as you get the supply list from their teacher, start picking up the necessary items when you see a good price.
Compare a few stores to see who has the better deals. Both Target and Walmart were offering great, low prices on everything that we needed this year.
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Do a kid’s bedroom purge
Help your child to feel more organized by doing a bedroom purge. I’m lucky that my daughter is now really good about letting go of old toys and random junk that she no longer plays with, but it’s been a struggle in the past. Kids tend to have a hard time letting go, and as every parent knows, they’re very possessive about their toys!
By including my daughter in our bedroom clean-up sessions, I think I’ve helped her to understand the value of donating and trashing unwanted things. Too much clutter and too many toys can overwhelm kids, just like it can overwhelm us adults.
When they have too many options, they don’t even know what to play with. Help make it easier for them by downsizing.
Make their bedroom a comfortable and fun place to play and relax by doing a big clean up before school starts. It may take a few hours, or even a few days to get it all done. You can break it down into sections and sessions.
Closet Clean Up
One way to ensure that weekday mornings run more smoothly during the school year is by having your child’s outfit ready for each day. Unless your child wears a uniform, picking out outfits can be a hassle.
Get their closet clean and organized so that choosing clothes to wear is a breeze. You can pick outfits for each day of the week and have them on hangers and ready to go.
Start a closet clean up by going through and removing all of the clothing that they’ve outgrown. You may have to have them try things on to see what no longer fits, so plan to spend a little time on this. Once you’ve gotten rid of all the outgrown clothes, you can organize the items that remain, as well as their brand new school clothes.
Go to the dollar store, Walmart, or Target, and pick up a bunch of white plastic hangers for just a few bucks. Having all of the same hangers in the closet helps it to look more neat and orderly.
Set up a (home)work station
Once you have your child’s bedroom neat and organized, choose a spot in the room or another area of the home for a homework station. This should be a comfortable place for your kiddo to sit down and focus on their schoolwork each evening. It may be in the dining room, their bedroom, a home office, kitchen, or even the main living area.
Grab some small bins from the dollar store to keep sharpened pencils, crayons, scissors, and paper. Find a home for these items near the homework station so that they’re easily accessible.
By creating a dedicated workspace for kids to do their work, they’ll feel more motivated to get down to business each day. It’ll help everyone stick to a daily routine.
Make the start of school as smooth and simple as possible by implementing these smart back to school tips. You’ll feel more organized and less stressed, even as your schedule becomes more chaotic in the months ahead.
