We hate to say it, especially with the temps in Boise dictating we wear shorts and flip flops, but summer-is-officially-OVER! Okay, maybe it’s not ‘official’ since the first day of fall is September 22, however, let’s face it, once the kids are back in school, summer is over.
There’s something about this time of the year, maybe it’s that little hint of crispness you feel in the morning air, a slight change of smell that seems to linger on your senses and the leaves on the trees that start to turn that golden hue that fills us with the excitement of transformation. Something’s anew and the anticipation of what’s coming fills us with…
Well, it could be dread, if you are the parents of school-aged children. Yes, that’s right. Once we get over the smells of new crayons and the fret over which locker embellishment to buy, the realization sets in that all of this newness is going to bring a surge of papers, and things scattered about the house – backpacks, library books, lunch bags, etc. – with no ‘home’ to live in.
The good news is that all of this new clutter can be neatly stowed away with some simple and inexpensive ideas that you can put together yourself in a day!
First, be sure that each child has their own station. That is, a place to hang their backpack and coat, (either in your mudroom, laundry room, a hallway, or in their bedroom) and a place to separate papers. Soft or hard-sided files work well for organizing papers so that homework sheets can be separated from miscellaneous school handouts. If you don’t have room on a wall for this, at the very least consider hanging the files for papers on the inside of your hall closet door.
You may want to place a small tub beneath each backpack hook for shoes and/or various sports and activities equipment. Gloves, balls, bags, and other gear can easily be tossed in and keeps it off the floor. As we know, with the start of school comes the start of other after-school activities and these things add to the clutter.
And, to keep all of the schedules in order, find what works best for your family. You can consider a small white board or calendar hung above each child’s station to record due dates for projects and library books as well as days/times for various activities. Or, if you’d prefer, one large white board or bulletin board with a calendar can be hung to record everybody’s schedules that can easily be seen at a glance.
Getting the habits of organization started early in the school year will help everybody stay on track. It may take some coaxing in the beginning, but once your kids see that being organized makes their lives easier also, they will likely jump on board and keep up with your plan.
A little time spent now to help everybody get organized will go a long way to keeping the clutter down in your house – and in your head. Mix and match ideas and find what works best for your family. Happy Back-to-School!