Back to School Ready

School begins in 3 weeks!  Are you ready or overwhelmed by all of the things that you need to do to prepare yourself and your kids for the 1st day of school?  Be BACK TO SCHOOL READY with these 10 organization tips!

 

ONE:  Clean out closets

Yes, this is a daunting task, but a necessary one.  In fact, it should be completed at least once every season, but especially to be school ready!  It’s time to clean out the closets and dressers!  This is the time that you take out any old and ratty clothing (you know, the socks without matches or socks with holes in them!).  Similarly, have your kids try on their pants, long sleeves, jackets and sweatshirts in order to see if they fit.  In the end, you’ll want to take out any clothing that does not fit anymore.

TWO:  Sell/ Donate/ Discard Bins

As you clean out the closets in Step One- put them right away into the necessary bins.  The easiest way is to use 2 large plastic bins in different colors– 1 for SELL and 1 for DONATE.  Besides these 2 bins, have a garbage bag on hand for anything that needs to be thrown away.  This could include stained, worn, holey, or even mismatched clothing articles.  This step is an automatic feeling of cleanliness and a great de-stressor!  Don’t forget to label the bins accordingly- I tend to write something like “boys size 5T” on a sticker label on the outside of the bin.  Finally, store the sell bins in your desired location and donate your other clothing piles to an organization or your choice such as the Goodwill or Salvation Army.

THREE:  Assess Needs- To Buy List

Now that the closets and dressers have been cleaned out- it’s the perfect time to assess what you have on hand (t-shirts, pants, sweatshirts, socks, etc)  Put together a detailed shopping list of what you need to go and buy, quantity of each and of course the sizes for each person.

FOUR:  Back to School Clothes & Shoes Shopping

Yahhhh!  It’s shopping time!  Whether you are a person who enjoys going to the actual store to purchase your goods or sit in the comfort of your own home and browse online, there is ONE absolute MUST for Back to School Shopping!  A LIST!!!  That’s right, without a list, control is lost and emotional shopping takes over.  You know, when you buy something just because you like it, not need it! 🙂 The problem is that you could come away from shopping with no pants which might have been the number one NEED in the beginning!  A list serves the purpose of a checklist, organization, and your end goal.  It keeps you streamlined and focused- which also saves time and is efficient!

FIVE:  Get Lunch Ideas

Hello Pinterest!  This is my favorite place to find some great ideas for Back to School Lunches for Kids.  Try to organize your child’s lunches into different categories such as Main, Snack, Veggie, and Fruit.  While searching for ideas, list them out into the different categories.  For example:

Main–

• Croissant with Jam
• Ham & Turkey Roll-Up
• Cheese, Crackers & Lunch Meat Roll-Up
• Soup
• Noodles
• Grilled Cheese
• Bagel with Cream Cheese

HOWEVER– **Don’t forget that there are certain foods that might NOT be allowed in the lunch tote such as Peanut Butter, etc**

SIX:  Prepare Pantry Snack Bins

Another trip to the Dollar Store makes packing lunches that much easier.  Pick up some inexpensive bins or baskets that will help organize your pantry snack bins.  Take all the snacks out of the original box (if possible) and place them in the bins.  For example, granola bars in one, apple sauces in another, fruit snacks … you get the picture!  Then, when packing lunches, have your kids choose a set amount of snacks to add to their lunch box.  As long as the snacks are coming out of the bins, you are in full control of what they are eating– even though they might think they have the final choice! 🙂

SEVEN:  Create Art Portfolio for each Child

Throughout the year, kids come home with worksheets, art pieces, drawings, and other school related paperwork.  But what exactly do you do with it?  I’ve started creating an “Art Portfolio” at the beginning of each school year that cost only $0.50 from a piece of Bristol board at the Dollar Store!  Here are some simple instructions:

• Go to the Dollar Store
• Buy a piece of Bristol Board- I like to have different colors per child and let them choose which color.
• Fold the Bristol Board in half leaving an overlap portion at the top
• Staple or Glue the sides shut
• Let the kids decorate their Art Portfolio- put on Name, Grade and School Year (2018-2019)
• Store in convenient location such as mudroom closet, foyer closet, kitchen or even kid’s bedroom
• Put school paperwork in Art Portfolio throughout the year for memory keepsake

EIGHT:  Buy School Supplies

Normally, there are certain requirements that the child needs to bring on the 1st day of school such as pencil crayons, markers, erasers, pencils, and a pencil case.  From what I’ve experienced this far, it’s different for each grade level.  With this in mind, it’s a special moment to take the kids shopping for these materials as it provides some excitement that the new school year is just around the corner!  Plus, when they are allowed to choose the “cool” pencil case and lunch tote for the year, it gives them a sense of pride and confidence!  So happy shopping, but again, don’t forget your Back to School Supplies LIST!

NINE:  Prepare School Bag/ Lunch Tote

Once the school supplies are purchased, it is now time to organize each child’s backpack with the appropriate content.  Here are some key things to make sure to do:

• First, label extra set of clothes and indoor shoes
• Wash all Tupperware, Bottles for Lunch Tote
• Set aside a specific kitchen cupboard or drawer for all things school related.  This could include Lunch Totes, Tupperware, Bottles, Utensils, etc.  This makes it MUCH faster to find in the mornings when making the lunches.
• Finally, organize & label all the new school supplies into the proper School Bag per child.

TEN:  1st Day Pictures

OK, here is the best tip ever!  Take the 1st Day Back to School Pictures a few days before school ACTUALLY begins!  That’s right, don’t try to take the picture in the morning because it’s going to be hectic, busy, overwhelming, and stressful- so why add another task on top of it all?!?  Instead, have your kids choose their “Back to School Outfit” a few days in advance and take some snaps then.  You can ensure a good picture if you schedule it into your less stressful day! Don’t forget to check out some really fun ideas for your 1st Day Back to School Photos on Pinterest too!  So again…take the 1st Day Pictures a few days in advance!

Well, that’s that then.  If you follow all 10 tips in the final weeks before school begins, you should be completely SCHOOL READY on the 1st Day!!!