Get Your Home Back-to-School Ready

Summer is over – hello new school year! When school starts, families always face organizational challenges. Soon there will be books strewn all over the house, more laundry, and backpacks that pile up by your doorway. To make the preparation easier, you should involve the whole family. Give them a particular task and let them do their own part. If your kids can help, let them so they will be invested in preparing your home for the busier season ahead! It makes everything easier, seamless, and more organized. But there are still ways to make things easier for you so that you aren’t scrambling at the last minute because you can’t find the extra pencils, lunch boxes, or permission slips. Before the expected mess becomes unmanageable, get your home back to school ready with these simple tips.

#1 - A Place for Everything

The best possible way to keep your home clutter-free is by giving everything a designated place. Get those briefcases, handbags, and backpacks off of the floor using decorative coat racks, knobs, and hooks. You can also add shelves below those hangers to have a place where the kids’ shoes can be stored. There are myriad of fabulous looking baskets and bins in every texture, style, and color. You can color-code and label them to keep things in order. The woven, rectangular-shaped baskets are sturdy and stylish. Try placing them on shelves where they are easily accessible while keeping unwanted clutter out of sight.

#2 - Use Desks – Not the Kitchen Table

Add a desk in your child’s study area to keep them comfortable while they do their homework. Look for desks with shelves or drawers to store school supplies. A budget-friendly option would be to add a pegboard to create a flexible storage space while leaving some room for fun decorations. You can also add small freestanding shelves to keep their homework and papers in one place. If you are a DIY Diva, painted kitchen bowls and coffee mugs make perfect storage containers for pens and pencils.

#3 - Tackle Closet Clutter

Having an organized closet makes getting ready for school a breeze. Begin by donating items that will just eat up space in your closet. Remember the two season rule: if they haven’t worn it in two seasons – toss it! Be smart with organizing stuff you wish to keep. You can use the back of the closet doors, install hooks for bags and scarves, and utilize double hangers. Hang clothes and anything else on labeled hangers for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. If that sounds overwhelming, simply rotate the clothes that your child will wear this week to the top drawer or front of the closet. When laundry time comes, rotate in their clothes for the next week.

#4 - Dedicate a Drawer in the Fridge for the Kids' Snacks

This is for the moms packing lunches for their children every day. You can cut down the lunch prep in the mornings by clearing out a drawer in the fridge then filling it with food for lunch. This definitely makes packing lunches easier and hassle-free! Plus, you always know they have quick grab-and-go snacks within reach.

#5 - Get a Calendar

Hang a dry-erase calendar in a place where you can easily see it. This will help you keep track of every family member’s activities. Use a different color for every family member so you can easily tell who has an activity that day. Putting everyone’s soccer schedule, ballet lessons, field trips, family gatherings, and business meetings in one convenient place in the house makes for a less stressful week. Seeing the upcoming events allows for more time to arrange carpool rides and babysitters. 

The upcoming school season not only requires you to prepare the kids – buying school supplies and uniforms – but it also involves preparing your home for the rush of after school playdates and practices. From the kitchen (which tends to be the nucleus of your home), to the homework or home office area, down to the bedrooms, you can rest easy knowing everything is ready for the next day. This will make for an easier transition from relaxed summer days back to school schedules. Let us know if you’ve tried any of these tips to kick off the new school year without a hitch!