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Reading, Writing,
and Reorganizing
Back-to-School Organizing Tips
How do you know
it’s Back-to-School time? Some would say it’s when the stores fill the shelves
with pencil cases and notebooks. Others might say it’s when that infamous
Staples commercial starts to air—you know the one. The background music plays
the holiday favorite, "It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year..." Moms and
dads are dancing down the school-supplies aisle as their children’s sad faces
follow behind.
Back-to-School season marks the start of a new year for many kids and their
parents. It’s a time to start fresh and create some new habits for the school
year. Not sure where to start? Sharpen your pencils and take notes of some tips
for making the next school year more organized for you and your child.
REVIEW
• Think about your kids and how the school year progressed last year. Were
papers lost? Homework not finished until 10pm? Were the kids always prepared for
their school day? Take out a piece of paper. Fold it in half—on one side write
‘Last Year’ and on the other side write ‘This Year.’ In the ‘Last Year’ column,
jot down what tasks/events/projects did not go smoothly. In the ‘This Year’
column write how changes can be made for the new school year.
For example:
| Last Year |
This Year |
| Missed the bus/carpool
often |
Get kids up 15 min earlier
Pack lunch after dinner
Park packed bookbags at door |
Have a family
meeting to discuss how to make the new school year more organized and productive
time. Work together to create systems as well as rewards for staying organized.
SUPPLIES
• Take advantage of Back-to-School sales and stock up on supplies. By winter
break the tips of most glue bottles have become clogged and by spring break
you’ve run out of loose leaf paper. Store these extra supplies in a
box/container in your child’s closet or desk.
• Create a home for supplies that your children use on a daily basis (scissors,
pencils, paper, etc.). Have younger kids decorate a coffee can for their
crayons/pencils--let teens pick out colorful containers for their desk/study
space. This will give them a feeling of ownership—they’ll be more likely to take
good care of their belongings. Emphasize to your children that time spent
searching for supplies is time that they could be outside playing or talking on
the phone. Being organized will allow them to accomplish more in the same amount
of time.
• Inventory your children’s school supplies 3-4 times a year. Supplies are used,
borrowed, easily lost or broken. If you know what supplies you have and what you
need, you’ll never be caught short before a big project is due.
HOMEWORK
• Designate an area for homework such as the child’s desk or a kitchen table.
Keep their supply box/container close to their work area for easy storage and
retrieval.
• Get into the habit of doing homework at the same time and in the same place
every day. Getting children into a routine will help to keep them organized.
• Organize time spent doing homework. One way is to encourage your kids to
tackle the tougher subjects/assignments first. They’ll be relieved to finish and
have enough energy left to complete the easier assignments.
PAPER
• Create an area for incoming/outgoing papers. This could be a box where the
children empty their book bags of notes from the teacher, school newsletters,
trip slips and any other paper a parent has to see.
• Purchase a small
file cabinet
 or box for temporary storage of papers, old
exams, etc of that semester. Label hanging folders by subject. At the end of the
year go through the papers with your child. This will enhance their decision
making skills and organize their papers at the same time.
• Even little ones who cannot read yet can start getting organized. Write their
name on a box or plastic container. Have your child decorate it and put pictures
of themselves on it. Tell them that it is a special 'house' for their artwork,
coloring books, etc. and any papers that come in from preschool or daycare.
PREPARATION
• Prepare the night before for the next day. Preparing items the night before
makes for a less stressful morning for both parent and child. Some things you
can do ‘the night before’ are:
-fix/pack lunch and leave in refrigerator
-pick out the next day’s clothes
-pack bookbag with all books, papers, necessities for the next day after
homework is finished.
- Set out plates/bowls for breakfast
Make sure to include your child in the preparation process. It may take them
longer to complete a task but they will benefit in the future through ‘learning
by doing.
About the Author
Article by Stacey
Agin Murray, professional organizer and owner of Organized Artistry, LLC. Visit
http://www.organizedartistry.com for your FREE e-list of 'Top Ten Tips for
Organized Living.'
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