5 easy ways to get organized for back to school

The gift and the curse. The yin and the yang. The trial and the glory.

All of the things that that are opposite in reaction are all of the feels that I have about back to school time.

Trading in ease, simplicity and the love of my bed on Saturday mornings for homework, nightly cooking and early ballet lessons/baseball games is what I’m getting my mind right for.

Y’all know I’m all about planning, and when I hear people say they don’t have time to plan my response is always then you want to stay crazy. A few short minutes of planning is worth a week of peace. Trust and believe.

Heading back to school is a trying time for parents as we have to start switching our own schedules around to accommodate for the needs of our offspring along with many of the other responsibilities that we juggle.

I implore you to plan your days and think of ways to make your life a little easier. Just a few minutes of planning will afford you a little downtime in the evening before having to do it all over again the next day.

Here are 5 tips to help you get organized for back to school

Setup a Separate Email Address for School Correspondence

Yes. My inbox is ridiculous.

With school budgets getting cut and the increased adoption of technology more and more correspondence is being sent through email. I appreciate this because it keeps paper clutter in my house to a minimum and I don’t have to worry with physically keeping up with things. Before you go all don’t add another thing to my list just think about the fact that something important like 50’s dress up day may go unnoticed among your Gap sale email. I’m pretty sure this goes without saying but please make sure to check the email, like set it up to push to your phone OKAY.

Get Your Children Involved

For children that are old enough to take some responsibility in getting themselves ready for school post a fun check off printable they can use daily. This super cute morning printable from Baby Shopaholic makes sure your little one knows  what to do daily. Create one for evening routines as well and maybe offer a fun reinforcement incentive for success in consistently completing the list. In addition to getting themselves ready, introduce age appropriate chores. If they are only old enough to put their shoes away introduce it, one less thing you have to do.

Meal Plan Based on Your Weekly Activities

Don’t just meal plan, meal plan with a purpose. Kids have activities on Wednesdays? Plan a crockpot meal for that day. Eating out is such an easy and expensive cop out. If you can get in a place to prepare ahead of time you can keep your coins in your pocket. Give yourself grace to not cook at least once a week but don’t make that the option because you didn’t plan.

Batch Activities on the Weekend

My kids like warmed over pancakes. So guess what? On Sunday evenings I’m going to make enough pancakes for the week and put them in the refrigerator for breakfast during the week, some weeks I’ll make these. Ironing/laying out clothing, combing hair, signing all paperwork in advance for the week when feasible, laundry, creating snack baskets, and creating chore lists are great activities to batch on a free day to save you time during the week.

Set Reminders on Your Phone

Don’t force yourself to have to remember all of the things. Set reminders on your phone to keep you on top of the little things. I am notorious for forgetting to make my son practice his piano. I have a reminder set for when he has to start and another for when he can finish. Set one for when it’s time to start homework, dinner, leave for practice or for that daily activity you have to do that constantly slips your mind. Over time you won’t need it but its great to not have to remember those things.

If you have any more helpful tips please drop them into the comments. Let’s all help each other make this a smooth transition!

 

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