family,  parenting

Home Organization – Keep Your School Days Smooth

School child doing homework
School child doing homework

Home organization is the most important thing you can do to help your days go more smoothly if you have kids, especially when those kids are in school. Between rushing the kids off to school trying to get homework finished and getting the kiddos into bed on time, home organization makes a huge job a little less chaotic.

Home Organization Steps to Make it All Easier

Having kids is chaotic enough, so anything we as parents can do to make the environment a little less chaotic is a good thing. Theh key to making things run more smoothly is home organization.

Breakfast

Next to getting the kids out the door, breakfast time is one of the most hectic parts of the morning. You can stay organized by serving the kids easy and healthy breakfasts like packaged oatmeal, whole grain English muffins, or microwaveable breakfast options. All of these will make sure the kids get a good breakfast that’s also fast.

A School Station

I mentioned getting the kids off to school, and it’s one area where home organization is so important. You can cut the rush and the stress by having a school station set up next to the door. A cabinet area to store shoes, book bags, and any other related school items will allow you to get the kids – and all of their stuff – off to school in a jiff. My friend Margarita Ibbott over at DownshiftingPro calls it the launch pad. Some people have a mud room that’s dedicated as the space for books, backpacks and shoes.

Clothes and Lunches

To lessen the chaos of the morning, get one thing out of the way the night before. Planning ahead is what home organization for school is all about.

If you can, make school lunches the night before. If you send chips, veggies, or fruit to school with your kids, put those items in little resealable bags the night before. That way in the morning, all you have to do is throw together a sandwich and you’re done. I actually typically make sure the kids do their lunches the night before school to avoid the morning chaos.

For clothing, pick outfits and lay them out the night before. That includes socks, hats, and any other accessories. That way, the kids can get up, make the bed, and get into their school clothes lickity split. No more, “Mo-OOOOMMMM, have you seen my – whatever.”

A Homework Station

As important as home organization is to getting the kids to school, it’s equally important for after school. It’s far easier to do homework in a well organized environment, so consider making a homework station. It doesn’t have to be a fancy desk with lots of shelves. It can be any place that’s specifically designated for homework. That way, it’s always nice and neat and ready to go. The simplest homework station is just a table with a comfy chair and a small desk organizer with pencils, crayons, and other homework necessities.

Scheduling

Home organization is more than just having everything in its place. It’s also about time management. Scheduling is one of the best ways to implement a plan of home organization for school. If its possible, make specific times for dinner, homework, play time, bath time, and bed time. If you’re running on a well oiled schedule, your home will run like a well oiled machine.

Home Organization – Manage Your Home and Your Time

With a little planning, home organization is easier than you think, and it makes those school days so much easier. All you really need is a plan of action and some consistency, and your home will be a humming school machine in no time.

What tips do you have for organizing your home for school?

18 Comments