The start of a new school term can make even the most organised of us turn to jelly. But being organised doesn’t just mean knowing what to pack that day for school. Do it right and you can guarantee a less stressful start to the day. Hell you could reward yourself with a 10 minute lie-in. And, who doesn’t want one of those? Here are my tried and tested tips for being organised for back to school.
Invest in a set of drawers
You know the ones. Plastic drawers in a plastic frame. It doesn’t have to be plastic of course, but I find they fit in to an existing wardrobe well and don’t take up space. The key thing is to make sure you get a 5 drawer one. Once you have them, label each drawer Monday through to Friday. Set out the uniform at the start of the week and pack it in to the relevant drawer. For example we have Forest Day every other Tuesday and PE on a Wednesday and Friday, so I pack those drawers with the kit that’s needed. You can also use this solution for books, toys, or money they need to take in.
Join or set-up a Facebook page for the parents with kids in the same class
I must admit I’d have laughed at this if someone said it to me, but it has been a life-saver. You can’t always be at the school gate when updates are given out. However some kind parent will post it so everyone knows. It really is a supportive community, and great for arranging kids parties and night’s out.
Use a planner
Since H started school I could not live without my diary from a company called Mum’s Office. I must state now that I’m not paid or receive anything from this company. I am just a huge fan. I have the version that has four coloums and it allows me to quickly see what all the family are doing. Having a husband that works shifts it enables me to plan childcare with a snapshot view of our comings and goings.
Download a planning app
We use a family shared calendar called FamCal. I know I’ve said I write things down, but I can’t always rely on my other half to do the same! This app allows you to share appointments (such as the dentist, or clubs), allocate them, and set alarms so that you and your other half know who is doing what, and when.
Plan the school meals
If you prefer to make a packed lunch then have it all planned out at the start of the week. Create a meal planner so you can make sure the choice is varied and you aren’t rushing about in the morning wondering what to make.
Pre-prepare food in advance
I have boxes of snacks with a variety of items in them. This just makes it easier to select what I want. For example, in the fridge I have a basket of cut up fruit that has been put in to labelled bags from Monday through to Friday. Monday might be grapes, Tuesday can be strawberries etc. In the dairy basket I have cheese chunks, dippers, yoghurt, cheese triangles. In the cupboard I have treats such as malt loaf, raisins and cereal bars. Lastly the basket that has crisps, rice cakes, baked cheese snacks and such like. Everything is there for me to just grab it on the go.
These are just the ones that I have adopted that have made my life soooo much easier. There are plenty of other fabulous tips out there to make back to school life more organised. Things such as school planners, check lists, craft cupboards (for all the stuff they need to do at home), and command centres. I can’t say I’ve had a need to do these just yet, but as a new school year dawns who knows what challenges I might face.
If you find any organising ideas that work for you please come back to me and let me know. Sharing is caring.
Check out my other school related post – How To Prepare Your Child For Their First Day At Nursery
