Back-to-School Organization

Back to school ads; they start early in the season and then slowly the school gear starts popping up in stores in June, but, come August, we are assaulted by notebooks, pencils and pens. Plan early and picking up the supplies is easy. The back to school morning routine is not so easy. I am a firm believer of a schedule to get everyone out the door on time – including mom and dad!

To make things run smoothly in the morning, some work must be done the night before. Prepare school lunches, including filling up water bottles. Put the whole lunch bag in the fridge so it’s ready to go.  I pick up snack containers in the bargain bins for $1 to fill with snacks.  Baths and showers should also be taken in the evening; all clothes that they want to wear the next day should be out on the dresser, including shoes. I highly recommend setting the breakfast table with bowls, spoons and cups. These little changes will make a huge difference in the morning.

I wake up about 5:30 each morning to have my cup of coffee and get myself ready. I then wake up my daughter at 7:00. This wake time gives her 1 hour to get dressed, eat, brush her teeth and leave the house on time. Waking up your child 30 minutes before the bus honks is not enough time. I am also a huge fan of the digital time to give my daughter a heads up of “five minutes and then we are leaving”. Works like a charm!

When your children return from school, they should unpack their backpacks and hang them up. Put their lunch box on the counter and their school folder on the table for your review. You most likely will have to remind them each day but they will get the hang of it if you are consistent. I review my daughter’s school folder each night, sign permission slips and read other notices that might come in. It only takes a few minutes and in the morning it will be chaotic to read all of the paperwork.

Lastly, you all know by now that I am a huge calendar fan. I love the big family calendars that are hung on the wall and clearly show what is going on for each member. One step further is to assign each person their own colored pencil for the calendar so when you want to know what Jack is doing for the week, just look at all the red entries. Voila!

No need to stress about the morning or afternoon routines if you plan ahead. Wishing you all a great school year!

Susan Parziale is a certified Professional Organizer. She is also a mother to 8 year old daughter with Autism. Visit www.susanparziale.com

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This post originally appeared on our September/October 2013 Magazine