Keep the momentum strong with these back-to-school organization ideas for home and beyond.

Family command centre

Find a place in your home that will be used as the family command centre, usually a good spot is in the kitchen or in the hallway. The command centre is essentially a place for everyone in your family to stay organized. It can be filled with memo boards, colour-coded calendars, whiteboards, magnetic boards, menu plans and much more. They are designed to accommodate each family member’s busy schedule. On Pinterest, you can find examples of some colourful and tidy family command centres.

Homework station

If you don’t have a homework station already, it’s a good idea to consider having one. It will help children to focus and develop suitable study habits. The desk space should generally be neat and be free of distractions. It should include basic school supplies needed for projects and assignments such as bristol board, markers, pens and calculators for math homework.

School lunch stations

Packing a lunch for school every day can be tiring and stressful, especially if left to the last minute. Jen from IHeart Organizing suggests organizing two lunch stations in your home – one in the fridge and another in the pantry. The lunch station in the fridge should consist of a basket or tray filled with cut-up vegetables, washed fruit for sandwiches and any condiments such as jam and mayonnaise. The lunch station in the pantry should consist of various snacks in Ziploc bags such as pretzels, crackers and trail mix. Most importantly, it should be where the lunch boxes and containers are kept.

File it away

With all the papers children receive from their school, it can be easy to misplace an important piece of paper. A filing system for this reason alone is a helpful way to get organized. You can either use a file box or cabinet drawer with a colour-coded section for each different school subject. For additional paper storage, you can use a plastic accordion file folder which can be transported to and from school.

Backpack and coat organizer

It’s helpful to have a designated backpack and coats organizer near the front door. Fall is almost here and the children will start wearing fall coats daily. During the morning rush out the door, the children should be able to easily grab their backpacks and coats from the same spot. If they don’t already, teach your children to hang their backpack and coats up after school.

Chore chart

A chore chart is a simple yet effective way at keeping track of everyone’s chores and making sure all family members are pulling their fair share. Chore charts can come in various designs such as a wheel or a checklist with visuals for young kids. They should feature various house chores and family member names. Parents can reward children after they have completed their assigned tasks with an allowance, gold stars or more screen time with the iPad. Be sure to keep children’s chores age appropriate.

Happy Organizing!

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