There has been a lot of debate and discussion about kids going back to school. But whether they are at school or learning from home, September marks the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year. This year, with all the COVID and chaos, promises to be a bit more hectic than usual. Which is why it’s important to start thinking about how you can set up your home to be back-to-school ready for fall.
Organize
Not everyone has, or wants, a label-maker. But that doesn’t mean that we all shouldn’t have our own version of organized. The first step is figuring out what you already have and what you need – clothes, supplies, workspaces. Yes, back-to-school shopping can be so much fun (everyone likes buying stationary supplies, right?). However, the biggest key to staying organized is minimizing the number of things you have to, well, organize.
Once you have everything you need, figure out where it goes. Not every household is going to prioritize neatness. But it reduces the stress of clutter if everything has a place to live. Training your kids to start putting things in their proper place now reduces a great deal of anxiety later. And there will probably be some anxiety!
Calendarize
It’s 2020, and we all have phones and computers. Who needs a giant wall calendar?
For families that coordinate meetings, activities, and appointments for a number of people, it can help to have it visible to everyone. If each family member gets their own colour, it can be easier to see at a glance who has what, and when, and everyone can be involved in keeping their own schedule. Dry erase, paper, chalkboard – whatever works for you and your family. It doesn’t have to be a Pinterest-work of art – functional is what we’re looking for. Reducing the panic of forgetting an appointment or triple booking yourself is what we’re looking for.
Work Area
Whether the kids will be schooling from home, or attending class outside of the home, older children will need some space to do their work. Ideally, it isn’t using a multi-purpose space, so there isn’t a “clean the table off so we can eat” argument every night before dinner. Wherever it is, a space to avoid distraction, stay organized, and do their schoolwork/homework will help not only keep kids focused, but keep their papers and projects out of shared living spaces. Let them decorate and make it thier own where possible. This way, they can get some degree of enjoyment out of spending time there. Where it isn’t possible to have their own space, set up some sort of bin or area to store everything they need to quickly pack up and free up shared space.
Ease Them In
The shock of going from summer to school can be stressful for some kids. If you can, take the last two weeks before school starts to begin easing them back into a schedule. Start moving bedtimes and wake times slowly back to their school year schedule so you aren’t fighting to get them up after staying up late on the first day back. Start thinking about other routines, like mealtimes and snack times and begin adjusting those schedules from their summer version now.
The more you can ease the whole family into a change of schedule, the easier it will be come September.
No one needs you to be a super-parent. But the more you start thinking about getting your home back-to-school ready now, the easier September will be on everyone.