Is anyone else absolutely shocked that summer has ended and the school year has started? I don’t know about you, but I feel like it was just last week that my girls dropped their backpacks in our hallway closet, not to be touched or thought about for a few sweet, albeit hot and humid (thanks Richmond heat!) summer months filled with slow mornings and long evenings.
The back-to-school season can feel a bit like a whirlwind of information, orientations, events, and just general, never ending to-do’s. But with a few simple strategies, you can keep your home running smoothly so you can find some peace and serenity during this transitional (and crazy!) time. Here are five tips to help you manage the chaos:
1. SET UP A PAPERWORK STATION:
Pick a spot in your kitchen, your office, your mudroom, anywhere you’ll remember to look, but also won’t mess with the general flow of your home. This will be your VIP (Very Important Paperwork) zone. Teach your kids that any important school papers - permission slips, schedules, newsletters - go here. If they don’t go there, they ain’t gettin’ looked at.
On your end, commit to a time each day (ideally, right after the kids get home because they’re so responsible that they immediately put their VIP’s right in the tray) to shuffle through and organize, sign, and purge as needed.
A simple tray or wall file can keep everything in one place, so nothing gets lost in the shuffle. I like this tray and this wall file for my own paperwork. Simple, durable, and inexpensive!
2. CREATE A ‘DUMP ZONE’ FOR SCHOOL GEAR
Once you’ve got your paperwork handled, create a dump spot by your most common entry point for school bags, shoes, coats, etc. In our house, we enter through the garage and our dump spot is the mudroom right next to it. Just like paperwork, explain to your kids that all their stuff goes here. No where else. Not the floor, not the door handle, not in their rooms (AKA never to be seen again). We like bribery to encourage this!
Hooks, bins, and a small shelf can make this easy for them to drop their things as soon as they walk in, while also keeping the area neat and tidy. You could DIY it or buy a system from Lowe’s or Home Depot or Amazon or Walmart (you get the picture).
Note: if you’ve got kids in sports, you might want to also set up a dump zone for their sports gear separate from their school gear, especially if it’s smelly or takes up a bunch of space. For example, maybe sports gear gets a designated shelf in the garage where they immediately dump it all before coming in.
3. ESTABLISH A ROUTINE
A consistent morning and evening routine can make a massive difference in getting out the door in the morning when you need to with everything you need to take with you. Lay out clothes the night before, prep lunches, and have a checklist that your kids can complete themselves for the morning rush. The more predictable, the better for both you and the kids.
4. USE A FAMILY CALENDAR
A large, visible calendar helps everyone stay on the same page. Whether it’s a whiteboard, a paper calendar, or a shared digital one, keeping track of events, activities, and deadlines can reduce last-minute stress.
Some families I work with use Google Calendar and they all input events and ‘invite’ their family members to every single one for added visibility and awareness. If you’re a more visual person or have family members without cell phones / a Google account, I LOVE this clear, acrylic whiteboard calendar. I have it in the 18x24” and my only qualm is that I didn’t get a bigger size (anyone else have an aversion to measuring with an actual measuring tape when hanging pictures).
5. SCHEDULE A WEEKLY CHECK IN
Take a few minutes at the beginning of the week or the end of the previous week to go over the upcoming schedule with your family. This is a great time to address any concerns, plan meals, and make sure everyone knows what's coming up. You could pick a meal time and make it a “working” breakfast / lunch / dinner or you could all chat over coffee (or a cocktail) in the morning or evening. Whatever works best for your family, and most importantly, whatever time everyone is the most awake and “with it.”
No matter which way you slice it, the weeks leading up to and during back to school are absolutely nuts. But by setting up these simple systems, you can create a more organized and stress-free environment—so you can enjoy the school year instead of just surviving it!
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