Back-to-School Organizational Blast

8/3/19

Stephanie Beck

MA, MEd, LCPC

Back to school is inevitably a somewhat chaotic time for families. In these last couple of weeks before school starts, what can you do to make the school year more smooth, calm, and peaceful for your family?

Routine

Think back over the previous school year: what was your biggest organizational snafu? For many families, it is the morning routine. Decide now what routine will work best for your family: what time do children need to get up? Are your teens waking themselves up, and if not, how can you encourage that habit now? If siblings are sharing a bathroom, who showers when? Can you hand off some independence for children and teens to make their own breakfasts and lunches? For younger children, a visual schedule or checklist in a pocket protector that they can go through with a whiteboard marker can help routines run smoothly. For teens that sleep in until the late morning, it can help to have them start waking up a little earlier each week now so waking up at 6AM on the first day of school isn’t so painful. If your mornings run smoothly, is there an after school routine in place?

Study Space

This is the time to create or replenish your children’s study spaces. Think about how your child focuses best. Do they need to work in the kitchen, so someone is around to make sure they’re on task, or do they need a private space to better help them focus? The answers may be different for siblings – think about what is best for each individual. When you get school supply lists, try to keep extras of needed supplies in or nearby the study space, so your child can’t use “I don’t have a pencil!” as an excuse to procrastinate. If you’ve ever had to make an evening trip to the store for last-minute posterboard, stock up now. If you want your child to work on homework, as much as possible, without the internet, keep a paper dictionary nearby (your child may need to be shown how to use it!). If your teen studies better with music, think about creative ways to supply music without phones. A comfy reading nook can encourage children to complete their reading logs.

Planner

If your child’s school supplies assignment notebooks, or if you know their teacher requires them to use a specific planner, there is no need to reinvent the wheel – follow the school’s expectations. Furthermore, if your teen always turns in their homework on time, appreciate their executive functioning skills. If, however, your child struggles to remember to do or turn in assignments, set the expectation now that you will be reviewing their assignment notebook every night. This may seem like an expectation for younger children, but if your high schooler falls behind, they need that parental support.

Backpack

Some children have relatively clean backpacks – for others, backpack become an abyss of papers, projects, and permission slips within the first week of school. If the latter is your child, talk now about how to prevent the mess. If their teachers use different color folders, learn what the system is and enforce it. Some students forget work in their lockers, so they need to bring everything home – if that is your student, go over an organizational system with them. For children who need it, I recommend parents do weekly backpack or binder clean-ups. If they complain, let them know that you are happy to step back on the oversight once they prove that they can keep their space organized independently.

Above all, be proactive with back-to-school organization. There will inevitably be hiccups along the way, but taking the time now to plan and organize will soothe those back-to-school nerves, for both you and your children.