Organize Your Home for Back to School

It is back to school time. The time of the year for many families when schedules get crazy and life becomes disorganized. Organize your life and time in a few simple steps. Get your children out the door in the morning without pain or stress and get your evenings to run more smoothly with a few easy steps.

Mornings

1.) Set a morning routine. Make sure that everyone has a time that they will be in the bathroom to limit any stress sharing a bathroom may cause.

2.) Breakfast: Offer healthy and quick choices for the days when you are on the run. Fruit and cereal bars are good for these days. A basket of granola and cereal bars on the kitchen counter are good for the days when you seem to be in a rush. Cereal bowls and cereal can be left on the table the night before so that kids can pour themselves bowls of cereal in the morning.

3.) Gear: Have a basket near the door for each child and yourself. These baskets can hold gear such as shoes, bags, and sports gear. Hooks can hold jackets, coats and sweatshirts for cold days. It is easier to have all this in one spot by the door rather than rushing around to find it in the morning. Make sure that the children get into a habit of putting there stuff here after they do their homework.

4.) Lay out clothes at the beginning of the week. Get a sweater closet organizer that hangs on the rails. Have your child put all of their clothes for the week in the organizer by day. This should include socks and accessories.

5.) Form a routine for dealing with gym uniforms and sports gear. Make sure that your children know that when they bring their uniforms/gear home, they should put it in the laundry right away. Gear that needs to be cleaned should also be dealt with at this time. If your children develop this habit, it will be much easier to deal with.

Evenings

1.) Schedules with meetings may change from week to week. Make sure that you have a calendar that is prominently displayed in your house that contains the schedules. As a parent, keep your own copy that you can carry with you.

2.) Have a set time each night for homework. Try to set it at a time that can remain consistent during the week. Even if occasionally the time will have to shift due to other appointments, it is better to have a relatively consistent time.

3.) Dinner time is a point of stress. Try to take the stress out of dinner by having easily prepared meals. Have a set menu at the beginning of the week. On the weekend, chop up vegetables for recipes or prepare things early so that there is less preparation time during the week. Crockpot meals are perfect for super busy days. There are many Crockpot recipes that require very little preparation and that are delicious, healthy meals.

By following these simple steps, mornings and evenings throughout the school year will go much smoother.