It’s hard to believe that September is finally here! For many of us, it means our children are returning to or just starting school. Although a lot of us are probably breathing a much needed sigh of relief as we’re reclaiming our time and homes for the day, it can also be a chaotic time as we anticipate and adapt to new routines, schedules and a tonne of incoming school ‘stuff’. Today I’m sharing 12 tips to get you organised during this time.

1. Get those school dates in your calendar ASAP

Let’s do it right now! I popped mine into my phone in our shared family calendar on the weekend. This included all of the term dates as well as INSET days; they’re there for my husband and I to see when we’re planning work activities or different family events and gatherings. It took me about 10 minutes. Invest the time in doing this now and I promise it will save you a tonne of time this year! No more scrambling for the correct letter or email, or relying on the super organised parents to inform you. Now you’re in control.

2. INFO REFRESH: Start as you mean to go on with school papers and emails

If you’re like me, you would have received a welcome pack or a tonne of papers/emails relating to the new school year. Romeo has just started Reception (Hermione doesn’t start Nursery until next September) so I only have one collection of papers to deal with right now but I was shocked at how much I had been given before the school year even started. Paper clutter attracts paper clutter. I invested an hour this weekend going through all of Romeo’s previous Nursery papers (which I keep in a ring binder) and recycled about 90% of them. I only kept his acceptance letter. I then went through the welcome pack and completed the necessary jobs as I read through the content (registered for school dinners, filled out his ‘About Me’ booklet etc.). Following these jobs, I was able to discard about 80% of the papers and it felt liberating to get on top of everything.

When it came to the school emails, I deleted all of the emails from the past academic year (they’re not relevant any more) and actioned any emails relating to him starting Reception. This took 10 minutes and I’m now down to 4 school emails in my account. Digital clutter has a tendency to mount up just like our paper clutter so let’s give ourselves the headspace by sorting it now before it becomes too overwhelming. To read more about my thoughts on digital clutter, check out my post ‘Should you Organise your Digital Life?: An Introduction’.

3. Set up a command centre to keep the whole family organised

I’ve spoken about command centres before in my post ‘Katrina’s Tips to Reduce Paper Clutter’. This is a designated spot in your home which is the go-to place for each family member to see what is happening and when. It’s a place for papers, schedules, meal plans; everything associated with the running of family life and keeping everything organised. Our command centre (which is made up of magnetic planners) is displayed on the fridge. It’s simple and works for us right now. It contains our weekly meal plan and weekly schedule. If you have a lot of incoming papers though, I’d recommend designating part of a wall (preferably in the kitchen or entranceway) with wall files that can be mounted on the wall to keep things organised and give those easily lose-able items a home.

Another option is to designate a table in your entranceway to create your family command centre. All you need is a couple of magazine holders (best to allocate one for each family member) to keep incoming papers organised. Storing papers vertically prevents the build up of paper piles all over the house. Paper piles never help us with our efficiency. We often forget what’s there, it attracts a range of other paper subcategories and can cause stress (as they’re reminders of all the jobs we need to get done) when we see the pile everyday.

Some of my clients prefer to have something larger and more visible; I recommend using wall mounted magazine holders. You can designate a different magazine holder for things like library books (which are things I always find hidden away in clutter in my clients’ homes!), letters and documents that need to be signed or actioned, and newsletters and calendars. You can also assign one magazine holder for each of your children so they can take full ownership over going through the contents every fortnight or so. Just make sure you schedule in a ‘go-through’ time into the calendar and set yourself a reminder to do this, otherwise months can go by and it soon becomes a paper Everest!

4. Use the Cozi Family Organiser App to keep the whole family organised

A client and I were recently discussing how she could keep her family of 5 organised using a digital service which led me to the Cozi Family Organiser. This is a free app which allows the whole family to share their schedules in colour coded format so everyone is aware of who is doing what and when. Up to 6 family members can use the app in a shared account using a shared password. Some of the other features I love are that you can set reminders for yourself or other family members and send automated daily/weekly agenda email to any (or all) family members to keep everyone informed. Furthermore, you can create a family shopping list which is live so if anyone is out and picks up a few ingredients for dinner, they can update the app and let all other family members know. I think this is a great option if your children are 10 and above.

5. Plan meals in advance and stick to a weekly meal planner

Those of you who know me are aware that I’m a big fan of the weekly meal planner. It takes so much stress and unnecessary decision making out of the week so I’d highly recommend planning your meals and batch-cooking in advance. Our menu is stuck on our fridge and we repeat the same dinners every week (excluding weekends where we’re a bit more spontaneous!). Some of my clients with older children involve them in the meal planning for the week and operate a 2-3 week rotation on meals. If the whole family are invested in planning the meals, eating the meals will hopefully be more successful!

6. Create a ‘lunchbox station’ so your children can pack their own lunch

If your children are 8 and above and have a packed lunch at school, you can create your own lunchbox cupboard. All lunchboxes, tupperware and water bottles are stored here so your children know where these items live. I’ve also worked with clients where we have created a lunch station in a cupboard and in a section of their fridge. We use different baskets or boxes to store different food categories for everything they will need for their lunch (drinks, snacks, fruit, veggies and sandwich items) which are all labelled so their children can pack their own lunches. The children love doing this and it can save you so much time in the morning before the school run.

7. Create a filing station for storing school papers ASAP

We use a simple box to store any papers that need to be kept in relation to Romeo’s school life. We also use another box to store any sentimental work coming home (artwork, written work, certificates & awards etc.) that Romeo wishes to keep. Designating a spot for these items helps you to find them easily later on when you go through them at the end of the year to decide what really passes the cut. Set this paper storage system up now and you’ll thank yourself later!

8. Label your child’s uniform ASAP

I know I may not be popular bringing this up! As a former teacher, I remember the mountain of lost property that used to pile up with no home to be returned to because they didn’t have a name inside. I’m sure you know the benefits of labeling but please don’t spend hours sewing in name tags (unless sewing sparks joy for you of course!). I went for the iron-in labels for my first experience with labels however some of my mummy friends have ordered stick-in labels which are even more straightforward. Check out My Name Tags for an easy solution to the uniform labeling saga.

9. Declutter old uniform and school related items

Now is a great time to go through the items that no longer fit your children and send them off to school before their next uniform sale. It doesn’t take that long either, I promise. If you can do this before the end of September, you’re winning!

And while we’re still on the subject of uniform, let’s designate a home for the items right now. I’ve repurposed Romeo’s old nappy drawer to now contain all of his uniform items and accessories. The home doesn’t have to be fancy or unique, it just has to have it’s own section. It could be stored as part of a drawer kept separate in a large box (or boxes) or in a section of a wardrobe space. It may sound simple, but be sure to take your child through where everything is stored as this will enable them to get ready by themselves. I’ve witnessed children as young as 4 doing this. That’s the dream right?!

10. Create a backpack station

My rule with backpacks is keep them off the floor! All it takes is a few hooks to keep your hall or entranceway looking clear and organised (and stopping it from being a potential death trap as you walk through the door!). If you have a bit more space, investing in some cubby holes or baskets can also work well for storing school backpacks, book bags, P.E. kits and shoes. You can also involve your children in the process by allowing them to create their own name tags for their ‘home peg’. The more involved children are in the process of becoming organised as a family, the more likely they are to maintain these systems in the future.

11. Create a homework station

I know I’m talking a lot about stations but trust me, they really work! Successful organisation is all about being clever with spaces in your home and making them functional as well as specific to an activity. A key to success is making them obvious to everyone else in the home. If your children know this is the place they need to do their homework because everything they need to do their homework is stored there, it can really help them to focus on the task at hand, without gathering everything they need to start their homework from different locations around the home. If your children are lucky enough to have their own desks, use magazine holders and trays (or drawers if you have them) to ensure they have a good supply of stationery, paper, notebooks, calculators and equipment at hand. If your children use the kitchen table or dining table, think about repurposing a drawer or cupboard close by to store all of the necessary items they need when they’re completing their homework. No more ‘I can’t find my…!’ dramas to get out of doing their homework!

12. The Time Management Clock

For older children, I absolutely love the idea of a Time Management Clock because it’s such a good visual for children to see what they need to do and when. This offers a great source of structure for children to ensure they complete their homework as well as prioritise that much needed downtime after a busy school day. For more information on this, I’d recommend reading this blog.

I hope the tips above serve you as you’re starting a new school year with your loved ones. Let’s face it, 2020 so far has been a challenge. Let’s invest a little bit of time now getting organised, and we can spend more time doing the things that bring us joy.

Katrina

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