How To Ease Into The School Year With A Little Organizational Know How

It’s been weeks of bagged lunches, homework and extra curricular activities. How’s the weekday management of it all going?

If things aren’t as you would like now is the time to create or re-establish routines. Implementing different routines can be challenging but there’s no better time than early in the school year to establish new family rhythms.

Positive routines are anything you do on a regular basis that simplifies your life and makes it run smoother. It could be insisting on a regular bedtime for your kids or something as simple as setting the breakfast table, making lunches, or laying clothes out the night before.

The key to a positive school year is to have an organized one. This includes setting up a system based on family discussions, limited activities, creative scheduling, positive routines and having a plan for conflict resolution when it occurs.

Following are some tips to help your family get and stay organized:

Eliminate frustrations with an organized backpack. Show your child how to effectively use her backpack e.g. books and binders in the main section and signed permission slips in an outer pocket. The remaining small pouches are ideal for separating pens, pencils and calculators from personal items like a tooth or hair brush.

Daily backpack habits. Make it a habit to sort thorough your child’s backpack with her the same day it comes home. Sign permission forms and record important school events at the same time.

Discuss what really needs to go back in the pack’. The lighter the backpack the better.

Storage ideas for graded homework. To recycle or keep old homework and artwork can be a tough decision to make on the spot. Do yourself and your child a favour by placing any and all school related paperwork in a plastic bin and storing it an accessible spot like under your child’s bed or on the floor in her closet.

At the end of the school year go through it with your child and pick out your favourites. File any paperwork you want to keep in folders labeled by grade. Recycle the rest.

Record everything on a family calendar. One of best ways to keep on top of everyone’s schedule is to have a central spot where things are recorded and easily referred to. A large family calendar in a high traffic area like the kitchen is a great way of keeping abreast of what’s happening and when.

Schedule in nightly preparation time. Encourage your child to spend 15 minutes each night gathering all they need for the next day. If you have several children set up a shelf with baskets so each has his or her own space to store school related belongings. Include in this time clothes planning for the next day

Ready, set, leave. Set up a spot near the door for things that need to go to school like backpacks, sports equipment, musical instruments etc.

Insist on a regular in room’ bedtime. Encourage your children to read or quietly listen to music if they’re still awake after a certain hour.

Set your alarm clock earlier. Trying to get yourself and everyone else ready at same time in the morning only breeds panic. Do yourself a favour by rising half an hour before everyone else. It’s amazing how smooth your morning will go if you’re showered and dressed before waking the kids.