3 Simple Home Organization Tips for Back to School
Back-to-school can be a challenging time for families. Getting kids back on a schedule with decent bedtimes, early wake-ups, and all the afterschool activities in addition to their long school days is a struggle. Not to mention making sure our kids have all the things they'll need: backpacks, lunch boxes, bus passes, sneakers without holes in them, and of course—all those school supplies! It isn’t always easy for parents to get back on a schedule either, even though many of us crave the routine that the school year brings (me, me, me!).
Preparing your home for the new school year can help you feel in control of everything the school year will throw your way. Family's days start and end at home. Hence, an organized kitchen and entryway will help you prepare for your day and leave the house on time (hopefully without pulling back into the driveway three times for the forgotten soccer cleats, lunch boxes, or laptop bag). Here are 3 of our favorite back-to-school organization tips…
1. Organize an Orderly & Optimal Entryway
Whether you have a tiny entryway with no coat closet or a sprawling entry and mudroom combo, an organized space is essential. Kids will do whatever is easiest when putting their stuff away (and sometimes, they won't even do that). Set up your entry in a way that makes dropping their things at the end of the day super easy, yet contained, and easily accessible for the next day.
This means designated zones for coats, backpacks, and shoes. If you have a coat closet, you can use that, but even better are hooks hung outside of the coat closet at your child's height since this means one less step for them. You can also utilize the hooks for backpacks, and ask them to immediately unpack them so they're empty for the next day—someone, please remind my sons of this - thanks :) Try hooks on walls (at two different levels) and the backs of any doors.
The same goes for shoes. A simple bin or drying mat quickly designates where to leave the shoes if they're not making it into a closet or other shoe rack. Side tip: when my kids were little, and we had a 3rd floor at home, I moved all of their socks to the entryway with their shoes, and it was a game changer when it came to leaving the house quickly.
Sports equipment (space permitting) should also have a designated zone or store it in the garage instead. You may be able to fit cleats and shinguards or a bag for dance in your entry but a large hockey bag or baseball equipment…maybe not so much. Other things to consider placing in your entryway are a mirror, a lint roller, a hair brush, sunglasses, hats, sunscreen, and a clock.
All of these ideas are helpful for adult's belongings as well as kids, so I would be remiss if I didn't say you better have a hook or a simple tray on the console to collect those car and house keys and maybe your wallet and sunglasses if that makes sense for you. The more functional your entryway is, the less likely you are to scramble for items when trying to leave the house.
2. Create Dedicated Self-Service Spaces
Let's talk about the kitchen. You'll want to have a few areas of your kitchen organized with your kids in mind. If you create zones for your kids to reach for their things, then they can become more self-sufficient (and then they can empty the dishwasher, too!).
I recommend having a designated drawer or cabinet where kids can reach their own dishes, utensils, water bottles, and lunch boxes. This way, they can help prepare their meals and fill their bottles and lunch boxes for school or before after-school activities. I find packing lunches to be one of the dreaded parts of motherhood, so if you have your kids buy lunch often—I get it! You'll still need a good spot for reusable water bottles for school and sports.
In the pantry, I recommend having shelves at your kid's heights with items they can access (and the stuff you don’t want them to access goes up higher). For example, I store cereal boxes, oatmeal, and simple bins organized by snack types, such as bags of chips, muffins, protein bars, or beef jerky. Clean the refrigerator out regularly so that they have easy access to current, fresh foods. A little food prep each week will ensure a variety of stocked snacks. Place food bins with washed and cut fruit and veggies at their level and have another container for small items like cheese and yogurts.
3. Find & Install a Family Command Center
In your home, consider setting up a “command center” or a “home hub” as I also like to call it. This is a place where everyone in your family can find the mail, current documents like the spirit week schedule, a homework assignment or special invitation, a calendar or a list of sports and school events, and maybe a meal plan for the week if that's how you roll.
This home hub can be in your entryway if it's large enough or in your kitchen area since that is often the heart of the home. It should be visible and designed nicely to complement your home’s decor. This will also make you want to keep it relevant and neat. You can create home hubs in many ways, using bulletin or magnetic boards for hanging papers, photos, and menus. You can use dry-erase boards or chalkboards to write important notes and reminders or create calendars. Even if you are a die-hard digital calendar user, it's sometimes nice to see it on the wall too. Other options include free-standing shelves, hooks, and magazine-style organizers to hold school books and piles of papers such as mail to sort. Remember to include pens, pencils, scissors, post-its, and glue in a nearby drawer or a rolling cart that holds other school and craft essentials.
Finding the Perfect Home Hub
There are a billion options when it comes to creating your own unique command center. My favorite items come from Pottery Barn. Simply search "wall organization," and you'll find beautiful sets to choose from, or you can piece them together and customize it to your needs. I have installed these in my own home and my client's homes. You can also find components at Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Target, office supply stores, and Amazon. I created a home hub in my newest home using The Container Store's “Elfa” system. It has two wide magnetic boards with hooks, a pencil cup, and a small shelf. On the walls adjacent to it, I placed simple folder-style organizers on the walls for additional papers.
Easier school days
Implementing these organizing tips will bring peace, clearheadedness, and ease to your daily life during the upcoming school year. When you assign things a place in your home and make them easy and accessible to the people using them, everybody feels more in control of their things and responsibilities. With organizing, a little preparation up front will save you more time later. Remember to periodically go through your entryway, kitchen pantry, and command center to eliminate unnecessary clutter and to help keep it all neat and current.
Don't worry if you can't pull off all this organizing by the start of the school year, which is soon for so many of us, at least in Colorado. Implementing it at any point during the school year as you get a better grip on the routine and identify your family's specific needs will still benefit you for the rest of the school year!
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Sending you organized vibes,
Meg
