Get Your Home Organized With This Back-to-School Checklist
Follow these tips to help your family start the school year right
Laura Gaskill
August 12, 2019
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
Seeing old friends, meeting new teachers and saying goodbye to summer (waah!). The beginning of the school year is a flurry of activity and mixed emotions. Make this transition as smooth as possible for kids and yourself by spending some time putting smart systems in place around the house. From gathering lunch-making supplies and keepsake boxes to organizing wardrobes, hanging backpack hooks and more, here are 13 tasks to check off your list for a home that’s ready for the first day (and beyond).
1. Set Up a Homework Zone
Minimize struggles over homework by setting up a homework zone stocked with all of the supplies your student will need, like notebook paper, glue and markers for special projects. A spacious desk is great for spreading out books, but if your child prefers to work at the kitchen counter, consider stocking a portable homework cart instead.
20 Fun and Inventive Homework Areas
Minimize struggles over homework by setting up a homework zone stocked with all of the supplies your student will need, like notebook paper, glue and markers for special projects. A spacious desk is great for spreading out books, but if your child prefers to work at the kitchen counter, consider stocking a portable homework cart instead.
20 Fun and Inventive Homework Areas
2. Give Bedrooms a Mini Makeover
If your child is making a big transition this year (say, from preschool to kindergarten, or elementary to middle school), it can be nice to mark the moment with a mini makeover, honoring how your child has grown. And it doesn’t need to be expensive to make a big impact: Put up a world map or new poster, do a DIY project like repainting a chest or swap out the bedding.
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If your child is making a big transition this year (say, from preschool to kindergarten, or elementary to middle school), it can be nice to mark the moment with a mini makeover, honoring how your child has grown. And it doesn’t need to be expensive to make a big impact: Put up a world map or new poster, do a DIY project like repainting a chest or swap out the bedding.
Shop for duvet covers
3. Record Important Dates on the Calendar
Between school holidays, birthdays and extracurricular activities, it can take some awe-inspiring mental gymnastics to keep everyone’s schedules straight. Whether you use a digital calendar or a big family wall calendar, take the time before the beginning of school to record all of the important dates for the year ahead — you’ll thank yourself later.
Between school holidays, birthdays and extracurricular activities, it can take some awe-inspiring mental gymnastics to keep everyone’s schedules straight. Whether you use a digital calendar or a big family wall calendar, take the time before the beginning of school to record all of the important dates for the year ahead — you’ll thank yourself later.
4. Make Some Meals Ahead
If you can find an hour or two to get ahead on meal planning and prep, you’ll appreciate it when life gets super busy. Make a few meals to store in the freezer, chop veggies for upcoming recipes and stash them in containers in the fridge, or gather lunch-making components in one central location. Even simply sitting down with a notebook (or your smartphone) and drawing up a meal plan for the next few weeks’ worth of dinners can be a huge help.
If you can find an hour or two to get ahead on meal planning and prep, you’ll appreciate it when life gets super busy. Make a few meals to store in the freezer, chop veggies for upcoming recipes and stash them in containers in the fridge, or gather lunch-making components in one central location. Even simply sitting down with a notebook (or your smartphone) and drawing up a meal plan for the next few weeks’ worth of dinners can be a huge help.
5. Create an After-School Snack Zone
When the troops come home tired and hungry, it’s a relief to be able to point the way to a self-serve healthy-snack station. Fill a few baskets at kid height with choices like seeds, dried fruit and whole-grain crackers. Tuck a special snack basket in the fridge too, with fresh options like precut veggies, fruit, yogurt and cheeses.
When the troops come home tired and hungry, it’s a relief to be able to point the way to a self-serve healthy-snack station. Fill a few baskets at kid height with choices like seeds, dried fruit and whole-grain crackers. Tuck a special snack basket in the fridge too, with fresh options like precut veggies, fruit, yogurt and cheeses.
6. Stash Get-Out-the-Door Essentials Where You Use Them
After the hundredth time I found myself running upstairs to grab the hairbrush and sunscreen stick, I realized (duh) that it would be easier to keep these items near the front door instead. Think through your family’s morning routine and keep your own list of essentials (lunch money? a pen for signing permission slips?) in a drawer near the door.
After the hundredth time I found myself running upstairs to grab the hairbrush and sunscreen stick, I realized (duh) that it would be easier to keep these items near the front door instead. Think through your family’s morning routine and keep your own list of essentials (lunch money? a pen for signing permission slips?) in a drawer near the door.
7. Plan Ahead for Paper Chaos
It’s amazing how quickly the paper can swamp you, especially at the beginning of a new school year. To help tame the chaos, create new files for school papers, and pick up a portfolio for artwork and a keepsake box for storing mementos and 3-D projects. When school starts, you will have a few easy spots where you can sort and stash items, so you’re not tempted to let things pile up.
It’s amazing how quickly the paper can swamp you, especially at the beginning of a new school year. To help tame the chaos, create new files for school papers, and pick up a portfolio for artwork and a keepsake box for storing mementos and 3-D projects. When school starts, you will have a few easy spots where you can sort and stash items, so you’re not tempted to let things pile up.
8. Take Stock of Wardrobes
Have kids try on clothes to see what still fits, and make a list of what they need before you buy anything else. Keep hand-me-downs that don’t fit yet in another spot (like underbed bins) to make more space. Pick out a few outfits for the first week of school and put them together on hangers or in easy-to-grab baskets.
10 Smart Organizing Tools for Getting Kids’ Spaces in Shape
Have kids try on clothes to see what still fits, and make a list of what they need before you buy anything else. Keep hand-me-downs that don’t fit yet in another spot (like underbed bins) to make more space. Pick out a few outfits for the first week of school and put them together on hangers or in easy-to-grab baskets.
10 Smart Organizing Tools for Getting Kids’ Spaces in Shape
9. Decide on Guidelines for Screen Time
Minimize the inevitable battles over after-school screen time by setting some guidelines before the new school year begins. Take the time to consider what is most important to you as a parent. Do you want to be sure your child is getting outdoors and being active, getting homework done or helping out with chores around the house, or a combination of these? Make a chart of items your child can check off, clearly outlining what needs to happen before screen time is allowed.
Minimize the inevitable battles over after-school screen time by setting some guidelines before the new school year begins. Take the time to consider what is most important to you as a parent. Do you want to be sure your child is getting outdoors and being active, getting homework done or helping out with chores around the house, or a combination of these? Make a chart of items your child can check off, clearly outlining what needs to happen before screen time is allowed.
10. Create a Dedicated Space for Each Child’s Daily Gear
If you have the room, providing a separate cubby, locker or shelf and hook for each family member is a smart way to stay organized. If your entry is combined with another space (like the kitchen or living room), choose storage with doors that close so you can hide the mess. Short on space? Hang a few wall hooks for holding backpacks and clipboards (good for keeping school papers neat and within reach), and place a basket on the floor to hold shoes.
If you have the room, providing a separate cubby, locker or shelf and hook for each family member is a smart way to stay organized. If your entry is combined with another space (like the kitchen or living room), choose storage with doors that close so you can hide the mess. Short on space? Hang a few wall hooks for holding backpacks and clipboards (good for keeping school papers neat and within reach), and place a basket on the floor to hold shoes.
11. Pick a Central Spot to Stash Library Books
Whether it’s a certain shelf or basket, or a bookbag on a hook, be sure everyone in the house knows where the spot for storing library books is, and get in the habit of using it. It also helps to keep a list posted (or access your record online) of all the books currently checked out, so you know which ones to track down before you head out to make returns.
Whether it’s a certain shelf or basket, or a bookbag on a hook, be sure everyone in the house knows where the spot for storing library books is, and get in the habit of using it. It also helps to keep a list posted (or access your record online) of all the books currently checked out, so you know which ones to track down before you head out to make returns.
12. Inspire Your Clan With a Family Photo Wall
If you’ve been procrastinating putting all of those treasured family pictures and vacation photos into frames and up on the wall, set a date to get it done before the rush of a new school year sweeps away your motivation. Walking by your family photo wall as you come and go each day is one of those simple pleasures that can really lift your spirit and remind you of the best parts of being a family.
If you’ve been procrastinating putting all of those treasured family pictures and vacation photos into frames and up on the wall, set a date to get it done before the rush of a new school year sweeps away your motivation. Walking by your family photo wall as you come and go each day is one of those simple pleasures that can really lift your spirit and remind you of the best parts of being a family.
13. Schedule Downtime
There’s no denying that the back-to-school period is exciting and demanding — but I think that’s all the more reason to schedule extra downtime. Keep the summer spirit alive a bit longer by keeping those first weekends free.
There’s no denying that the back-to-school period is exciting and demanding — but I think that’s all the more reason to schedule extra downtime. Keep the summer spirit alive a bit longer by keeping those first weekends free.
Share: How do you prepare for the beginning of a new school year? Tell us in the Comments.
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We couldn't agree more! Organization is key to staying on top of a busy family!
Design your own organizers to store the stuff your family uses the most - get the size and compartments that work for your family! The sky's the limit!
Organize My Drawer
In doing a major first floor renovation probably the thing that made the most difference in our day to day life was planning a better homework area. Our big problem was that the kids' papers were getting mixed up with each other or our own. Their laptops and laptop cords were constantly all over the place. Papers/books would get left around the house (mainly the kitchen) and I'd have to hunt both kids down to find out whose paper and whether they still needed it. Many times important papers were inadvertently getting thrown away or lost in their rooms. It was particularly overwhelming for the kids to deal with the piles with their stuff mixed in with other's stuff. Even when they had dedicated spaces in the study their stuff just mixed with our papers and took over the study. The kids needed a better work in process solution but everything we tried always looked like a mess that would drive me crazy no matter how on top of it we were. We converted an extra large closet off of the family room into a long desk with drawers at each end and separated by the printer/scanner in the middle using simple Ikea components. The area is big enough that they can work there if they want but typically they do their work in the study, family room or kitchen (which are all nearby). But all of their school stuff goes there when they are done their homework. It's also where their laptops go to charge every night with a cord that never leaves that desk. If the laptop needs to be plugged in they are bound to the desk, but usually it's charged since charging is more convenient now. Sometimes the area looks nice but usually there are piles of papers that are part of larger projects that are in process or they are afraid to throw away just yet. But I don't care because when they aren't working at the desk the doors are always closed. I can't stress enough how important doors to close off the area are. Finding stray papers doesn't annoy me anymore because I just put it at their work area for them to deal with. When the piles of school and locker stuff come home at the end of the year it all gets neatly stacked there behind closed doors instead of taking over important areas of the house. The area has significantly reduced the stress levels for everyone in our home.
Hello - these are great ideas. Do you have pictures of your end result?? We have the same problems.