How to Stay Organized in the New School Year

Start Planning

I know everyone has a calendar on their cellphone, but I truly believe in having things written down as well. So, I save important events and dates into my Google Calendar, followed by writing them down in a planner. The daily, weekly, monthly combination planners are so easy to throw in your purse or bag for work. This means they are with you at all times to help you stay organized with what is happening.

Erin Condren is a great choice for a personalized planner. You can customize the colors, name/title, and even add your own photos to it! They come in two separate bound 6-month books. These planners include extras like stickers, productivity pages, and quotes.

My other favorite place to pick up a portable planner is Target. There are a variety of different brands and styles. They are all extremely affordable as well!

A great option to keep the entire family organized at home is a monthly wall or desk calendar. Place it in a central space that all members have access to. This will make it easy to add events and important times to the calendar.

A more modern approach to the monthly calendar is a dry erase option! They are not only aesthetically pleasing but also easy to change since you can erase them.

Get Organized

Although every family may not have a separate workspace for homework, you can still create a functional and organized space! Having the supplies on hand that are needed will help kids get started tackling the homework much quicker. Storing these supplies in a caddy will make it easy to move them, especially if you do not have a dedicated homework station.

This caddy has 8 separate plastic bins that you can fill with anything your child needs to get their homework completed. The bins do come out individually for easy usage but can easily be put back into the caddy to keep it organized.

A larger and truly mobile homework station supply organizer is a rolling cart. I love these because you can roll them into a closet when you are not being used. This cart comes in 14 different colors, but the rose gold is my personal favorite!

I recommend stocking your homework caddy with essentials like crayons, colored pencils, markers, paper, erasers, rulers, highlighters, and pencils. Other items that might be good to have one hand include a pencil sharpener, construction paper, glue, tape, scissors, index cards, sticky notes, and a dry erase board with markers.

If you do not have a dedicated desk for your student to work at, think about using a portable lap desk instead!

Prep for Lunches and Snacks

I highly recommend writing down what lunch will be each day of the week on Sunday. Whether it’s a Lunchable, leftovers, or lunch money for the cafeteria—planning it out in advance will save a lot of chaos. Check the school menu and if your student eats lunch in the cafeteria, then make sure they have money in their account or an envelope ready to go. Do the grocery shopping on the weekend if possible to make sure you are stocked for the week ahead. Plan your dinners out to ensure you will have leftovers if you intend to use those as lunches. In addition, I have found that if we write down our menu for the week ahead of time, we are much more likely to stick to it and eat out less.

Once you have it all planned out, then it is time to pack the lunches. I highly suggested doing this the night before instead of the morning of! I love a personalized lunchbox so that if/when it does end up in the lost and found, your child will easily be able to find it since it has their name on it!

Using bento boxes is the perfect way to keep all the food organized and in one place when you pack the lunch!

Don’t forget a reusable ice pack to keep everything chilled until lunch. It is also a great idea to include a reusable water bottle to make sure they stay hydrated!

Everyone is typically hungry when they come home. Make sure you have snacks easily accessible! Have a basket of them in the car if the trip home is lengthy to avoid stopping to pick up snacks. At home, I like to organize my snacks inside my pantry door using an over-the-door shoe caddy! I stick the snacks in the pockets so everyone can easily see what is available. This keeps it all organized and helps keep the pantry neat.

Things To Do The Night Before

1. Make sure to check the calendar for any events the next day. Be sure to speak with babysitters, partners, grandparents, etc. to make sure everyone is on the same page about drop-offs and pick-ups.
2. If there are any sports practices/games or dance lessons be sure the bags are packed and ready for those. Even put them in the car!
3. Check folders for important notes and make sure everything is signed. Pack backpack and place by the door or in the car.
4. Check the weather. Find out if you will need a jacket, rain boots, or umbrella.
5. Have the entire family pick out their outfit down to the underwear, socks, and shoes keeping the weather in mind.
6. Decide what breakfast will be in order to cut down on wasted time in the morning.
7. Make sure you have enough gas in your car. It always sounds like a good idea to stop by the gas station in the morning but I promise you it never is! Just go ahead and get it done.
8. Go to bed at a reasonable time to ensure a good night’s rest for all. Make sure to set your alarm for plenty of time in the morning to get out the door!

Hopefully, these must-haves and tips will come in handy in helping you prepare for the best school year yet!

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