Yes, there are school supplies and family calendars, and a whole lot of coordinating that goes into getting ready for school to start. But I find that my preparation begins in my very own home. In my experience, back-to-school involves kids waking up and getting ready for school, getting out of the house on time, and coming home and doing homework. Everything else is just regular life. I always wonder, “how can I make my life easier?”
1. Waking Up & Getting Ready
With my kids (especially my daughter) getting dressed in the morning takes forever. I’ve tried setting out clothes, but she changes her mind by the time she wakes up. My best defense is to have her dressers and closets as clean and organized as possible. Before school begins; I go through the kids’ clothes. I choose what fits, what doesn’t and what’s been destroyed then toss or donate accordingly.
2. Getting Out of the House
Part of getting out of the door in a timely fashion, involves my children having everything they need to go to school. I’ve turned our mudroom into the “get ready” center. Shoes, coats, jackets, gloves, hats, scarves and backpacks do not come past this point and of course, everything has a specific place. So, when its time to go, everything they need to get ready to leave is right there.
Quick tip: Go through old shoes and get rid of the ones that are just taking up space. Simplify coat hooks to just 1-2 jackets and take out any unnecessary clutter that has accumulated over the summer.3. Homework Station
It is extremely important to establish a designated area for homework that is conducive to concentrating. Whether it’s a desk in their room, an in-home office area, or even the kitchen table; you must prepare this space before the first day of school. One way to do that is to remove all of the paper clutter. Throw away unnecessary papers or file them as needed. Just as you’re buying supplies to be taken to school, it’s not a bad idea to stock up on supplies for home (you never know when a surprise arts and crafts project is going to be due). Make sure you have enough notebook paper, computer paper and printer inks on hand. Get rid of dried up pens, markers and broken pencils with no erasers, as well as dried up glue sticks.
Happy Learning!
Miss A