Back-to-school means back-to-chaos.

Set yourself and your family up for school-year success with these creative hacks from local designers and organizing pros.

“Living an organized life is all about maintenance,” says Karlee Alves, owner of 2B Organized Sacramento (2b-organized.com). “Creating systems that are easy to maintain is the name of the game. Taking time each week to maintain these areas will make your week so much smoother.”

Set up key back-to-school stations.

Create key stations and/or easy-to-access storage solutions to stay organized for school, including ones for spirit days, homework supplies, backpacks, lunchboxes and food storage containers, reuseable water bottles, and current sports and/or after-school activities, Alves suggests.

Plan outfits ahead of time.

“Determine what your kids will be wearing before the week begins,” Alves recommends. “There’s nothing worse than kids sleeping in and moving slowly as you’re trying to get them fed, dressed, and out the door on time. On Sundays, help them select all outfits for the week.” For her own family, Alves purchased clear storage stacking bins for every child, one for each day of the school week, to help with outfit planning.

Prep for school lunches on Sunday.

Making lunches every single day can be a time-drain, especially when the lunch menu doesn’t change much. “Add lunches to your agenda for Sundays too,” Alves suggests. “Clean out lunchboxes from the prior week, prep cold items (cut up veggies, make sandwiches, etc.), and make sure your pantry is stocked with snacks, juice boxes, etc. Make it easy on yourself to grab every item for each child’s lunchbox by getting your fridge and pantry organized with containers for your kids’ favorites.” Take a look at your calendar too, in case there any field trips or school parties coming up. “Note the number of lunches that need to be made for each child for each week on your calendar,” she says. “And if your kids are old enough, ask them to help pack their lunches for the week. Small responsibilities are so rewarding for kids.”

Grab-and-go snacks.

Spare yourself the constant requests for afternoon snacks by creating a station stocked with all their favorites, says Kristina Lewis, CEO and owner of Blitz Organization (blitzedh.com). “Remove packaged snacks from their cardboard boxes and place them in easy-to-grab containers. If you buy in bulk, take 15 minutes to divvy up the snacks into Ziploc bags for convenient access,” she says.

Create a designated homework hangout.

“We see this all too often—children have a desk in their bedroom, yet they default to the kitchen for all their homework and leave supplies everywhere!” Alves says. “Designate a countertop, cabinet, or drawer and store all the homework essentials (pencils, erasers, rulers, tape, markers, etc.) in the area where your kids do their homework. Make sure it’s easily accessible by all your kids so they can be responsible for putting the items away when they’re finished.” And while you’re at it, designate a ‘home’ for each child’s backpack. She recommends installing sturdy hooks in an area where the kids will actually put them away, which will help prevent the backpacks from getting thrown about.

Organize school supplies and art accessories.

“Consider placing a lazy Susan turntable in the designated homework area,” Lewis says. “With pens, pencils, crayons, markers, rulers, and compasses just a spin away, everything you need will be within easy reach!”

Prevent schoolwork and paper clutter.

Lewis says to create a command center in your home for all incoming paperwork, art projects, and mail. “Sort everything immediately into three categories: keep (special artwork), recycle (unimportant papers), and action items (permission slips or homework that needs to be done),” she says. “Action items can be put in a wall-mounted holder or folder. Special artwork can be placed in a memory file box separated by grade level. Go through this at the end of the year to be sure you’re keeping only the most cherished artwork.”

Spirit day strategy.

“Check the spirit day themes (if they’re listed) and add items to your Amazon and Target carts to prepare for those outfits [editor’s note: or shop local!]. When those days come, you’ll be happy you avoided the ‘night before scramble’ to find the perfect spirit day accessory,” Alves shares.

Create a cozy reading corner.

“If you have the space, consider creating a reading nook,” Lewis says. “A play tent or playhouse with lights can be a quiet and magical spot to make reading fun!”

Set five-minute morning warnings.

“Setting an alarm five minutes before everyone needs to leave the house can be a game changer for a smooth morning routine,” Lewis says. “Set it with a distinct alarm so that everyone can do their last-minute items such as filling water bottles, grabbing socks, and going to the bathroom.”

Plan for the year ahead.

“Your school website should have a comprehensive calendar available for the entire year, detailing all minimum days, holidays, breaks, and staff development days,” Lewis shares. “By entering these dates into your personal calendar before the school year begins, you’ll be on top of upcoming events and important dates throughout the year.”

Share important dates with your family VIPs.

Alves suggests sharing your calendar digitally with your spouse, nanny, and grandparents so everyone is on the same page. “If you prefer a digital calendar, share important dates with everyone in your circle who needs to know,” she says. “If you use a paper calendar, give the printed school calendar to everyone who helps with your kids throughout the year. Highlight the important dates that each person needs to know.” 

Get Organized

by Kourtney Jason
Photo © V.Semeniuk - stock.adobe.com. Top four photos courtesy of Karlee Alves, 2B Organized Sacramento. Bottom five photos courtesy of Kristina Lewis, Blitz Organization