You want to be organized and have all your kids’ school stuff under control. You want to not have chaos as you’re trying to get everyone out the door in the morning with everything they need for the day. These two little tricks will help you get a more organized school year.
Start with an Organized School Year
We’ve done private school and homeschool with our three kids and nothing derails the whole day quite like spending 30 minutes to an hour (or more) looking for some critical piece of “school.” I never aimed for organizational perfection, but these two tricks kept me fairly sane and, most of the time, the kids well-equipped for their school day.
There are probably a half a zillion ways to be disorganized and about that many plans for getting organized. But they are all BIG reorganization plans where everything changes. I aimed small.
Make Small Changes
I love to organize… but I hate, loath and despise maintaining it. That’s because I thought I had to change everything all at once. What was really needed instead was to make small changes that could turn into HABITS. And folks, habits are the key to becoming “organized”.
Let’s start with corralling all the papers and stuff that comes home with the kids. Some teachers send home notebooks that need your signature, some send individual papers. There are homework assignments, books, projects, sports equipment, dirty lunchboxes, dirty gym clothes etc. So the first small step is to have a place for it all. This could be a bench, table, hooks on the wall or even a big box or tub by the door.
The habit is to put the stuff there, take it from there to work on and return it straight there when finished so everyone knows where their stuff is in the morning. Papers, notebooks, permission slips and the like get signed and immediately put there ready to go in the morning. Clean gym and sports clothes don’t go anywhere but back there. It’s the same with anything they are going to need after school (if they don’t come home first). It’s not a big habit, but man-oh-man will it make your life and theirs a lot easier!
Take Fewer Steps
The fewer steps you have to take to help your kids with homework, answer questions, provide “encouragement” to stay on task, exhort them to academic greatness, and things of that nature the better it is for everyone. The habit is to have them do homework in the same place that is close to you every evening.
Where that is, of course, will depend on what works best for your family. Some kids do homework at a kitchen counter, some at the kitchen or dining room table, others have a desk or table in a nearby room. Whatever works and allows you to be involved as needed. What you don’t want is to be dashing hither and yon from one child to the next while fixing dinner or getting ready for the evening activities. What a waste of your energy and time!
Keep everyone within a few steps of where you do the bulk of your evening activities and save all that time and energy for better things. Unfortunately in this day and age, it’s also beneficial to be close enough to be able to monitor what your kiddos may be seeing online as they work. I know it’s awful, but there it is and there’s no sense sticking our heads in the sand like an ostrich in denial, is there?
The BIG Payoff
Let’s face it, mornings can be chaotic! But by establishing these two little tricks turned habits you can be assured your kids will leave the house with what they need for the day with the least amount of hassle and drama possible. Now whether or not they’ve had breakfast or their shoes and socks match… well that’s a post (and habits) for another day. And now that you know to aim small to establish big habits I have no doubt you’ll soon have that organized as well.
What’s Next?
Just setting this up isn’t going to somehow magically make you organized though. Studies show it takes about thirty days for something to become a habit. So for thirty days your job is to intentionally practice the small changes with your family every. single. day. Talk about how much better the mornings are now. Do a little something to reward yourselves for taking steps to organize.
Go to a movie, play board games, get a super duper deluxe pizza delivered. The point is that you are acknowledging and rewarding the change. In video games when you do something right you get a reward and a little dopamine hit for your brain (Oh my, how our brains love dopamine!). That’s one of the reasons we get so addicted to those kinds of games.
Our brains are telling us to give them more of it so we continue to play. In essence, that is what you’re doing by creating new habits and rewarding yourself and your family for them.
More Great Fall Content
- How Every Family Can Start the School Year Off Right
- Fall Classroom Decor: Quick and Easy for Teachers and Parents
- 5 Fun Back-to-School Rituals for Busy Families
What are YOUR tricks for staying organized through the school year? Is there something you’ve done that’s really worked? Do tell!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the everything has a home idea–it appeals to my perfectionistic Virgo self! And I try to follow that with my kids, but, alas! They are of a different nature and resist me at every turn :(. Anyway, we’ve pretty much done what you do as well. B and J each have a little homework caddy on the dining room table with all their materials in it: pencils, markers crayons ruler sharpener sticky notes etc. I like that the caddy can just be moved off the table if were having company and the kids are close enough to me if they need help or they can work independently. I just added a see through folder to store long term assignment sheets.
Dana!! I need to run into you more often in real life, my friend!! Love the idea of the traveling homework caddy–such a great idea!!
I love your story above! Being a busy mom and 3rd grade teacher myself, I have had the same thing happen to me. Fridays are especially challenging because we want to forget the routine and just enjoy our weekend, right?
Traci! I agree!! I am so thankful that you took the time to read–and share your experience! I sent the post live and wondered, ‘Will everyone think I’m nuts?’ *oh well. .. * Thanks for reading, my friend! Totally appreciate it–and YES! Fridays are different!!
Amy,
I started a family binder(idea from Karen Ehman’s book “The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized) Anyhow I took a 1” binder and clear pages. There is one page for each activitiy for each kiddo that are labeled. There is also a school menu page. When notes come in from school, scouts, 4-H or sports, I read them and copy the info onto the calender, but them they are filed into the correct page so that if I need to double check times I can. I also have the boys put permission slips/forms etc that need my attention into the binder and I look through it or at least know where to look for those items when they need turned in.
ROBIN!! Great idea! I love it–and I’m sure the option will be so helpful for other families as well!! I don’t know why, but I never thought of a 3 ring binder as an option for organizing my family–sure, it was great for school, lessons, work, etc but why not family stuff??! Awesome! Thanks for reading, and huge thanks for writing and sharing, my friend!!
I love this story!!! Thanks for the video. I hope you guys have a wonderful school year.
thanks so much, Brandy!! I MISS you! Hope you are doing well–and when you get a sec, send me a family update! š xoxo
Love the video!!
I have been using the binder method but I think I will switch to an accordion folder for those fliers, coupons, etc. to keep it contained. Oh and girl scouts. I need one just for that too.
Thanks again for all you do. I love the site and look forward to more videos!
Katherine–
Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to write! Totally appreciate it–and I so appreciate your kind words, my friends–many, many thanks!
My kids are getting bigger and I am going to have to remember this great tips as they bring more and more work home. Just pinned it so I won’t forget!
My child is going to Kindergarten this year too, so I thought I would share with you his sulppy list. 1 Dozen #2 Pencils1 large pink eraser1 Pair of scissors- 5 rounded tip2-3 Boxes of Crayola Crayons- 8 Pack1 Box of Crayola markers- 8 pack, classic, washable4-6 Glue Sticks4 two pocket folders with prongs (Different colors)1 Box facial tissues1-2 100 page Notebook(s)1 container of wet wipes1 Roll of paper towels1 Box gallon size Ziplock bagsSmall backpackThis is his list but I would also bring a change of clothes in-case he has an accident! Hope this helps!
Great ideas! I need to find homes for everything. The items I do have homes for – I feel brilliantly organized. The items without a home – overwhelm me. Will work on finding homes. (One of the categories without a current home is Coupons/Sales Fliers (flyers? fliers?)…so I will use an accordion file for those now.)
I had to pause your video at the calendar because it threw me off. A city near my home is called Oconomowoc – and at first, I thought your calendar had the name Oconomowoc in it with one letter per square. It didn’t…. but for a second I was happy to think you might live near me. š
Sunny! Thanks so much for dropping by, my friend! THAT city mix-up may be the most hysterical thing I have heard in a long time! We were ALMOST neighbors in your mind! Sorry! But thanks for giving me a smile tonight!
Nice video. i am a mom of 3 kids and managing their stuff could be nerve wracking!. i totally get you