What are you waiting for? Go toss out the old crayons, organize the mudroom, help your kids let go of the bad study habits, and help everyone embrace the new school year. The final countdown is on so be sure you've scheduled all those last minute dental appointments, school physicals, and haircuts! My best advice is to start things off as organized as possible.
Here are some of my tips to help you prepare:
Toss Out the Old: The easiest way to insure your child won't wear something that doesn't fit properly or is old and stained is to get it out of their drawers. I spent last weekend purging items from everyone's drawers. It is never a fun activity, but you'll thank yourself for it later. Take note of the items left and jot down what they need more of as you go. Don't forget to donate the old but still usable stuff to your local charity. I highly suggest doing this when the child is around to help. Have them try things on and if they say they will never ever wear said item believe them and give it to someone who will. Don't stop at the clothing in the drawers, this is the perfect time to purge those broken flip flops from the shoe bin and a few toys they havent touched in years.
Switch Things Up: One way to make the annual clothing toss less painful is to also swap around the room a bit. Kids can really get into changing things up a bit. Moving the position of the bed or swapping the dresser and desk can be just the new perspective your child needs this year. Use this mini design time to check for proper lighting by the desk and a cord long enough for the laptop and phone chargers to reach the outlet.
Buy Things You Need: You purged the clothes and swapped the furniture, now it's time to add a few things. Hit the stores or grab your mouse and begin tackling those school supply lists, school apparel needs, and buy those school shoes. Don't forget about things not on the list but always needed such as an extra pair of shoes for gym class or school lunch supplies. Also, be sure to buy extra supplies for your homework center and add all those handy back to school apps to your iPad and iPhone.
Find a Place for Everything: Establishing a specific spot for every single item will be the thing you most thank yourself for later. Getting your kids to put those items in that exact spot will be the thing you most struggle with initially though. Go ahead and nag a bit! I give you permission, let your kids be mad at me. Trust me, those where is my belt, where are my shoes cries never end until they get into the habit of placing items in their spot. My kids are far from perfect on this but, 50% of the items landing where they belong is a huge gain in time. My kids each have their own locker in our mudroom. Inside should be everything they need for school that isn't in their room. Shoes go in there, the lunch box, backpacks, hats, and etc. You don't have to buy a $3000 system from your favorite furniture store to be organized. I purchased real lockers from a local high school via craigslist. Other things will work though, consider a basket, bin, drawer, a closet organizer, or even lots of hooks and pegs on an open wall. Just make sure the items get placed there.
Label Everything: There are some terrific companies out there that make labels for everything, my advice is to buy them. Here's reviews of our favorites: Mabel's Labels, I.D. Me Labels, Lovable Labels, and Label Daddy. Place them on jackets, shoes, clothing, books, pencil cases, drink bottles, reusable lunch baggies, and anything else going to school. Don't forget the after school gear either! You aren't done there, next grab your own labeler and get labeling all those places for everything we just established. I use the Dymo LabelManager reviewed here.
Sync those Calendars: The quicker you establish some sort of routine the easier life will become. Kids want to know where they are going, with whom, and when. You'll be happier knowing too. Familiarize yourself with each school and activity calendar now and merge them into one master one so there aren't any huge surprises later. I work hard right before fall to make sure my daughter's dance class doesn't conflict with the need to be across town to pick up my sons from something else. Carpools are my savior, so get yourself in one before it's too late. I use iCal on my computer to track everything, but even a big paper one can do the trick. This is the perfect time to renegotiate things like bedtime and the designated homework time policies.