I LOVE summer and all of the summer things! Summer seems to end much too quickly and with summer ending, means back to school. Over the years, I have found some tips and tricks that help me with back-to-school organization.
As much as I LOVE summer, I do enjoy the fall and all things fall. I enjoy the weather, apples, pumpkins, fall activities, bugs disappearing, and just most things related to fall. Even though it can be chaotic, I also enjoy back-to-school. It’s great watching my kids learn new things and develop new friendships. The excitement of back-to-school is contagious! I also enjoy MOST of the school activities. However, back-to-school time seems to sneak up on me much too quickly.
For those of you that know me or have read other posts, you know I LOVE to be organized. So, with back-to-school changes, routines, and just general chaos and the transition period of getting everyone ready for school, I need to make sure I have a good organization plan to help. Staying organized helps me to be less stressed and just a better person overall!
I try to start getting things organized about halfway through summer. Then I can slowly start working on things as I have the time and energy to do so and I don’t feel rushed to get it all done. This also gives me time to work on getting the house organized when the weather doesn’t cooperate. If it’s nice out, I don’t want to be stuck in the house organizing for school. No one wants that! We need to get out and enjoy every nice day we can before the snow flies!
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Here are the organization tips and tricks I use to get myself and my kids ready for back to school:
- Go through the kid’s clothes-
- I have them try on all their fall and winter clothes. I keep what fits. For clothes that don’t fit, I put them in a tote. When I get time, I try to sell some of it and the rest I donate.
- Total side note for donating items- our local epilepsy foundation picks up gently used clothes and other household items. It’s a great place to donate and their services help more than I can even begin to tell you! My middle son has epilepsy and we have used the services they offer more than once… the education and support they offer for families struggling with this terrible disorder is amazing! But that’s another post for another time. It’s a great organization and they help real people and real families like me and my family!
- Anyways, I digress… the other great benefit with donating to the epilepsy foundation is they pick up the items from the end of your driveway! All you have to do is schedule a pickup, put everything in plastic bags that are labeled “Epilepsy Foundation” and throw them at the end of your driveway on your scheduled pickup day. So you are helping others while decluttering your house!
- I go through socks, pants, long sleeve shirts, dress clothes, and sweatshirts. If they don’t have enough of any of these items, I either take them shopping or order clothes online.
- While I am at this, I usually go through everything in their whole room. I like to get it clean and organized. It’s nice to have a clean, fresh start before the craziness of school starts!
2. Go through shoes-
- It seems like even if my kid’s feet didn’t grow a size since last school year (they usually do!), their winter shoes are all sorts of beat up and they need new ones.
- I like to make sure they have gym shoes, a pair of tennis shoes for wearing around places, and a nicer pair of shoes/dress boots that they can wear to church and places that they need to dress up a bit for.
- Usually this requires a trip to the store to find a good pair of shoes. I typically start at local stores to see if I can find what I need for a decent price. We have a great local store that sells new and gently used clothing and shoes. So I like to start there.
3. Go through all winter gear-
- I have them try on shoes, coats, snow pants, hats, and gloves.
- This isn’t something that needs to be purchased immediately, but I like to have an idea of what I will need to purchase. Then I can keep my eyes out for some good deals and budget for what we need.
4. Get school supplies-
- This is an obvious one, but I wanted to include it on the list. We would never want to forget this one! We just get whatever the teacher has on the list.
5. Make sure the kids have a good quality backpack-
- This varies from year to year on whether or not I need to purchase this or if their old backpack is salvageable.
6. Make sure they have 2-3 water bottles that are still in decent shape-
- I feel like I am constantly buying water bottles, yet I feel like we never have any water bottles… I am not sure where they disappear to or how they get damaged, but it seems to happen more than one would think!
- Anyways, make sure you have some good quality water bottles that DO NOT leak before school starts! I made this mistake one time and just threw in an older water bottle in a pinch… well my daughter came home from school with a backpack full of water!
7. Make sure to get several quick and easy snacks-
- Both for school and after-school snacks.
- I like to have several boxes of crackers, pretzels, and granola bars for the kids to have in their backpacks and take to school each day.
- I also keep a variety of stuff for snacks at home. Click here to see the quick easy snacks I like to make my kids at home
8. Have a school paper drop spot
- I have something very similar to this hanging on the wall by our front door.
- When the kids come home, they take any papers I need to look at or address and put them in the bottom slot. And homework goes in the next slot up. That way it’s all in one spot, it doesn’t sit in a pile on the counter just waiting to get lost or thrown away, and I can quickly see if there are papers for me to fill out or homework that needs to be completed.
- I haven’t had this for too long and I love it. It helps me to stay more organized, there is less clutter, and I haven’t had anything that’s gotten lost since I bought this (fingers crossed).
- Here are some other amazing (and AFFORDABLE) things that make my life easier as a mom!
9. Make some freezer meals or have some quick easy meals to make in a pinch-
- There will inevitably be an evening when you are busy and need a quick meal. Having some already prepared meals can help decrease the stress of trying to find something for your “starving” kids.
- It’s also a great idea to have some dinner AND breakfast meals prepared. Breakfast time during school can be hectic.
- Here is a great post with some freezer meal ideas for all meals. This is another great post with some great freezer meal ideas.
- This not only helps my family to eat healthier, but it also helps us to stick to a budget.
10. Write all important school dates on the calendar-
- I like to do this as soon as we get the school calendar for the year. This way I can look ahead and ask for any days off of work that I might need.
- It also helps keep things on my radar that I might need to purchase things for… such as Christmas programs. I like to budget ahead of time if I know I will need to be purchasing certain clothes or other items.
11. Make an after school and weekend schedule or checklist to help the kids stay on top of homework and chores-
- I like routine and organization. It makes sure I get done what needs to get done and I think my household flows more smoothly when my kids know what to expect.
- Here are some great tips for keeping your house clean with kids.
- Our routine goes something like this:
- When my kids get home from school, they immediately take stuff out of their back and put it in the designated areas of the mail organizer.
- Then, go change their clothes, use the bathroom, etc.
- Have a snack
- Do homework
- Do 1-2 chores (depending on the day of the week and if they started their chores before school). We have a chore chart we use. My goal is to post a downloadable version of the chore chart someday in the near future.
- Play/go outside until supper
12. Have some fun and enjoy some family time before school starts!
Back-to-school time can be hectic, but it is also a fun and exciting time! Implementing these back-to-school organization tips for moms can help for a smooth transition back to school. It can also help to decrease stress both for parents and kids. If we as parents are stressed, that can rub off on kids as well. So, use some of these times to help decrease your stress and enjoy this back-to-school time!
I would love to hear some of your tips and tricks for staying organized when your kids go back to school! Please share them below.
Check out this post for great tips for how to be a better mom and wife.