Back to school can be tough on children, let alone parents. Whether its trying to keep up with back-to-school announcements and maintain Covid precautions, or the kids eagerly discussing new backpack and outfit possibilities. Maybe you still haven’t completely sorted through last year’s end-of-school clutter. Now you’re faced with the task of renegotiating new supply lists and finding a way to organize it all.
Here are some unique suggestions for simplifying the process and securing a smooth transition for you and your children!
Think Layers in Organizational Design
Consider a top-bottom approach in design. Hang hooks for jackets and backpacks at child-height, arrange a shelf for lunches and supply box storage underneath. Add visible shoe floor mats. Conceivably you’ll still have space above for your out-the-door items. Adult-height hooks, mirror and shelving need not mix inexorably with the kids’ things.
Take Stock
You’ll be surprised at the extent to which gently or unused supplies are mixed in with the hopelessly tattered notebooks and stubby pencils. Back-to-school spending is expected to rise more than 10 percent from last year, totaling over 83 billion dollars nationwide. If you look at the progressive lists of each grade in your child’s school, you’ll see the same items repeatedly cataloged as a matter of course. Keep what can be reused this year and decisively dispose of the rest.
Consider Creative Placement
You want school items to be easily door-accessible, but the front hallway is not an exclusive option. How about your garage? If you drive the kids to school or leave for work at roughly the same time, its utility will be in full swing anyway. Take advantage of this space and see what kind of options will best suit your set up. There are many garage storage options of your immediate living space.
Arrange for Now and Later
Drawer compartments and box sectionals are available in many supply stores. Or you can make them yourself to fit specific requirements. Separate roughly half your school supplies for immediate use and keep the rest in a back-drawer section for mid-year.
When cold-weather coats and boots come out, take the time to place flip-flops and light jackets elsewhere until spring. Consider boxing them up in case your children grow out of them before then!
Emphasize Information Sharing
The importance of a systematic, efficient method for recording appointments and deadlines is crucial. Your child will come home with endless required forms and announcements. You will be responsible for signing documents and, in many cases, checking assignments.
Incorporate an in-out box system and central calendar into your back-to-school routine. Calendars with lots of space in each daily slot are helpful and available to print for free. Assign a different color marker to each family member and record events appropriately. Color-coding adds visual draw and simplifies focus. Keep the pens handy and back-ups ready!
Remember to hang the calendar at a height where your children can easily view it.
Assemble Homework Station
Traditional homework desk-and-chair requirements are hopelessly outdated given today’s wireless efficiency. Children routinely complete assignments from laptops and work in groups via cyber chat rooms. The basic need for conventional office supply still exists, however, and may even have greater emphasis given a lack of fixed desk space.
Remember the Big Picture
Back-to-school organizational efforts do more than promote a smooth transition for your family while bolstering self-sanity. An overall emphasis on structure and arrangement offers a vital model for your child. The very act of keeping things in order is a primary tool necessary for skill acquisition and school success.
So, go ahead, think outside the box when considering boxing up that clutter. You’ll discover there are countless ways to achieve a singular goal and the benefits are immeasurable.
Cora’s passion is to inspire others to live a happy, healthful, and mindful life through her words on Revivalist – wholeheartedly convincing them that everyday moments are worth celebrating. Cora has spent 5+ years writing for numerous lifestyle sites – hence her sincere love for both life and the beauty of style in all things. Keep up with Cora on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.
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