Back to school time can feel chaotic, but it doesn’t have to be chaotic. How do you make the shift?
Create Calm Before the Chaos
1. Set an intention.
What do you want the start of the school year to look like? To feel like? For your kids and for you Identify the obstacles to that intention, then organize around those.
2. Consider Back to School Shopping
That could mean making a dedicated back-to-school list and then seeing what you can cross off of it. For instance, do you really need to buy back to school clothes or could your kids wear what they’ve been wearing all summer?
3. Prepare for Good Mornings
To set yourself up for morning success, you might want to work on a good sleep routine. Start setting the alarm fifteen minutes earlier every day until school starts so the kids get used to waking up and going to sleep earlier. Or, just as you cross things off of your to-do list, you might decide that your plan to get the kids on a good sleep schedule will take care of itself after a sleepy first week. While sleep hygiene is highly recommended, if it means the whole family is stressed out, it might not be the best choice.
4. Create Checklists for Kids
You and your kids can write checklists so your kids know what they’re responsible for: in the morning, after school, and before bed. That way, they don’t have to try to remember everything and you don’t have to keep reminding them.
5. Get Lunch Ideas Together
Look up healthy lunch menus to get ideas, then prepare what you can ahead of time. Even better, have your child help you and take the time to talk about how they’re feeling about school starting, what they’d like for lunch, or if there’s one special thing they’d like to do before school starts.
6. Create an Easy In, Easy Out Entryway
Set up your entryway so it has what you need to make getting out of the house easier and coming home organized. This can be as simple as putting a basket of socks in the entry closet, hanging a hook for a backpack, or it could mean a full entry hall reorganization.
It’s Never Too Late
If your kids have already started school, it’s not too late to get organized! You can still set an intention for what your mornings can look like, cut back on your to-do list as you look at the rhythm of your days, or organize your home for easier exits to schools, entries back home, and for homework, meal and family time.
Think of organizing as a way to create some space where there was none before. A minute to breathe in the morning, a clean area where there was a mess, or a smooth routine instead of a fight against the clock or with your family members.
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