Get Your Home Organized and Ready to go Back to School  

Before long, the leaves will be falling, and parents everywhere will be packing lunches, carpooling and signing permission slips. Schedules for most families will change drastically with the approach of another new school year, but it is possible to make a smooth transition. Help your family get organized and ready to head back to school with these simple, tried and proven tips.

  1. Create a Central Calendar for All Family Activities

Create a calendar listing all your family activities for each month. Put the calendar up where everyone can see it, so no one forgets important appointments or school activities.

  1. Ease Your Family Back into a School Year Schedule

Make it easy for your kids to adjust to a school year schedule by easing them into it. Spend the last few days of summer vacation at home and practice going to bed early and waking up on time. Encourage them to review coursework from last year in a fun, entertaining manner, using computer games, educational apps and other tools to make the review fun.

  1. Plan Your Back to School Shopping

You’ll probably need to buy some school supplies before the year starts. Make a list of everything you’ll need for each child and plan to hit the stores before school starts to avoid the back-to-school shopping rush.

  1. Create Weekly Meal Plans

Weekly meal plans make shopping and food prep a breeze. Be sure to include your older kids in the planning process, especially if you expect them to make their own school lunches.

  1. Organize Your Child’s Homework Space

Every child needs a well-lit, clutter-free area to do homework. Set up or re-organize your child’s homework space in advance to prevent problems once the school year starts.

  1. Clean and Declutter

Don’t wait until the school year starts to declutter your home. This is especially important if you intend to homeschool your kids in the coming school year. Make a cleaning schedule and take on a few jobs a week so you aren’t trying to cram all your cleaning into the last few days before school starts. Older kids can help clean their rooms while younger children may enjoy helping with simple tasks such as dusting, wiping and helping to organize their toys.

Getting the family ready on time in the morning can be challenging, especially after the lazy days of summer with no schedules to keep. But sending everyone out the door each day from an organized home makes the task less stressful. Your family will be excited to start the school year on the right track!