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The new school year is here! Every store has their back to school display fighting with fall decor and your tween is begging for the latest you Youtuber’s backpack. (seriously, $60 for a kids backpack… have they lost their mind?!?). Being a teacher is a double whammy on stress, because, in addition to getting the kids ready for a new school year, I’m busy preparing everything for my other “kids”! Before you head out to fill those school supply lists, a little organizational preparation can save you tons of time and more than a few stress balls. I’ve searched out some of the best back to school organization ideas for moms to help you get ready for the new year:
Back to School Organization for Moms – The Basics
Learn how to get an action plan from Citrus and Stripes, to be ready before school starts with goals for you and your kids.
Don’t know where to start? The Truthful Tutor has some quick and easy ideas for homework, backpacks, and lunches that are simple, but will go a long way in reducing stress and clutter!
Papers, Papers, Papers!
You think that as a teacher I would grasp the amount of paperwork kids come home with on a daily basis. I can only tell you this… by the time they get to middle school, teachers give up on sending papers home and post everything online. In the meantime, my kids are bringing basketfuls home every night!
IHeart Organizing has a very cool plan to keep everything in one spot and easy to find, with FREE printables to label everything!
Get ready for homework and create this super cute and super useful Homework Station from Polka Dot Chair! No more excuses for incomplete homework because everything is right there for kids to use!
Or The 36th Avenue has instruction so you can create a homework station on the side of your fridge with a full calendar for important deadlines! What I like about this idea is the chore check off clipboards and a calendar that everyone can see!
Morning Routines
The most stressful part of the day is the morning routine. No one is fully awake, there is a time deadline, like the bus. It can get a little hairy. It’s probably my biggest downfall, as I am not a morning a person and in the winter, it’s ten times worse. I’ve been working on finding tools to help with the morning routine all summer long. I purchased this clock to help me wake up and get going in the morning. The best part is that the snooze button is too small for me to hit with accuracy!
I also purchased hanging shelves for my son’s closet. He loves to pick out his clothes before the morning, and I love not having an argument about why he cannot wear the same Minecraft t-shirt he’s worn for the last three days. Notice that it’s got side pockets for clean socks and underwear… because he’s a boy and needs to be reminded about these things.
Lunches
My son likes about 3 of the foods that our school serves. The rest he isn’t touching. To be totally honest, have you seen what makes up a school breakfast/lunch these days? I don’t blame him a bit. If I want to have anything to eat during the day, I’m packing a lunch. For my family, there are a few things I’ve learned over the years. The most important is to pack what your kid will eat. They won’t try something new at lunch, no matter how cute it is.
My kids love those frozen crustless sandwiches. Several years ago, I bought this pasty cutter during a cousin’s Pampered Chef stage. It makes a great PB&J crustless sandwich, which I can toss in the freezer. I make a few loaves of them at a time and pop them into a lunch bag in the morning.
You can also make muffins (sweet and savory), “muffin-size” meats or pasta, mini-pizzas, to freeze and put in lunches. If something needs to be warmed up, I toss it in the microwave and wrap in foil when it’s warm. It holds the heat in well enough to make to lunch.
I also bag up snacks in bulk too! It’s much cheaper than buying individual snack pack. Fruits, veggies, nuts, cheeses and hard-boiled eggs can all be prepped on Sunday and stored in the refrigerator until needed. Kids thrive on routine, so fancy lunches with a huge variety of food choices isn’t needed.
Instead of buying a fancy lunch box with an ice pack to keep everything fresh, I usually just toss in a frozen juice pouch. It’ll keep things cold until lunch when it’s just right for drinking. Those juice pouches have less sugar than the chocolate milk the school is offering for meals.
Or, you could put a wet sponge in a plastic baggie and freeze it. I usually have three or four in the freezer, just in case, they don’t make it home. Sponges from Dollar Tree work great for this!
Clothing
Back to school clothes shopping can be a bit stressful without a plan. I started with what we had on hand and built a list of what needed. Having this done before school starts is a huge relief!
At The School
For parents of children with special needs, there’s a bit more to back to school besides buying pencils and ding the perfect lunch box (although these are important!). Life With a Side of The Unexpected has a really good list of tips for parents of children with IEPs. As a parent of a child with an IEP, these are important for my peace of mind and as a teacher, it’s a huge help too!
Start Now!
For reals. The first day of school will be here before you know it. In years past, I was the parent grabbing a receipt to scribble out “First Day of School” for my kids to hold as I took their picture 3 minutes after we should have left for school. It always sneaks up on me despite how much I plan and every year I swear to get better. Just like getting up earlier in the morning helps to have a smoother morning, preparing for the school year now, helps that transition back to school be smooth.
Check out my Back To School Organization Pinterest Board for even more ideas to fit your home and lifestyle.
