Does back to school have you in a funk?

For much of the country, school is already back in swing, and many are feeling overwhelmed. In this post, I hope to help Flip that Back-to-School funk. Last week, I shared some tips (here) for back-to-school scheduling.

This week, I’m tackling systems for homework stations, wardrobe organizing, and taming lunch/snack time stress. One suggestion all around is to involve your kids in at least part of each of these projects. You might prefer to just do it yourself and not have the hassle of the kids’ opinions and distractions, but honestly, when I work with kids, they love to be involved and tend to do a much better job of maintaining it. Most kids love order and organization!

Homework Stations

They don’t have to be fancy or complicated, but carving out a specific area where your kids know they go to do their homework is an important part of their school routine. Every child and household is different, so your system might differ, but the main components needed are pretty simple.

What’s most important is a distraction free zone with a surface, quality task lighting and a comfortable chair. Depending on the kids’ ages, this might be in a family room, off the kitchen, at the dining room table, or in their bedroom.  It’s excellent to incorporate permanent and convenient storage for standard supplies: calculator, ruler, pencils, pens, erasers, notepaper, art supplies, books, and anything specific to your kid’s classes. A rolling cart and some bins may be a good solution if your kid’s homework space doubles as a family area. Kids will often find a lot of excuses to keep them from doing homework, beat them to the punch, and make them feel comfortable and supported for this essential daily task that will help them build lifelong skills!

Kids’ Wardrobe and closet systems

Have you heard of a Capsule Wardrobe?

I hadn’t until I ran across this article.  I love this idea, and I’ve naturally done this to some degree on my own (gravitate towards colors I love, etc).  The full article is worth a read, but I’ll give you a quick 5-step summary:

1.  Clean all the clothes and gather them in one place.

2.  Sort and eliminate any that are not in good shape, don’t fit or are impractical.

3.  Look at the overall colors and style your kids gravitate towards, and start grouping them into categories, eliminating duplicates and oddballs that don’t fit with the scheme.

4.  Put clothes away, hang them, and fold them. Try the Kon-Marie folding method (See the tee-shirt video here) or use a folding board. Arrange them by category (shirts, pants, shorts, etc.) and color to make it easier to mix and match outfits.

If you find wardrobe gaps, you may have to fill in some pieces to make this work. Now, you have the makings for a funky, fun, and easy mix-and-match wardrobe system! This could be a great way to simplify your kids’ wardrobe, and from there, the closets and clothes storage might be a little easier!

Easy lunch and snack time

This category would require many posts to cover, and I’m sure I’ll return to it because my clients often struggle with food prep and meals. Here are a few ideas for easy make-ahead lunches and snacks. Please don’t feel bad if you don’t have time to make kitty bento boxes daily!

Start with a well made, insulated and cute lunch box that’s easy to clean!

[Cute lunch boxes via honest.com]

Stock up on snack friendly foods (pre-packaged if you must or make ahead portions) and create snack stations in the fridge and pantry. Contain items that are snack friendly in bins, baskets or boxes and label them so everyone knows these are mom/dad approved. These should be age appropriately placed (lower shelves for smaller kids) and available with supervision and permission. Older kids can help themselves.

I hope you no longer want to pull your hair out or flip at the idea of returning to school. If you can’t get it ALL done before school starts, remember it’s a process you can ease into. Pick the one or two areas that drive you the most nuts and tackle them first. Once you’ve got a handle on them, add on other systems. Remember to keep your kids involved, and most importantly, have fun with them!

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