Back-to-School Hacks for the House
Summer is almost over, and September is coming up! Back-to-school shopping lists abound, school supplies are everywhere, you're covered in kids' hoodies and sweatshirts, and you have to wonder if you have everything ready or if you've forgotten something. You probably have bought what your children need, but what about your house? Is there anything you can do to help your house make the transition into the new school year? Fall is a pretty interesting time with new schedules and new activities. You can set your house up, so you're ready for what's coming. Here are some back-to-school hacks for your house.
Hooks for Bags
Whether these are for organizing lunch boxes or book bags, hooks will keep them off the floor and in one place. One of the common difficulties with new timetables is keeping all of the stuff where you can find it. Havings hooks on the walls provide locations these important school bags can belong so critical school items can stay found, especially when you're running out the door morning after morning. If your child has a backpack, use wall hooks to arrange them.
Wall Baskets for Papers
If bags are one thing that you want to keep track of, what might another be? Probably important papers like homework or permission slips that can accidentally fall through the cracks and get lost in a house. Giving papers their place to belong makes losing them less likely, and it's far better than the hectic stacks that can build up on the dinner table or the corner of the kitchen counter. Wall baskets for each child give a semblance of order to some of these important loose papers and make them easy to find when the due date comes. They also keep them up off the floor and out of the way, so they aren't stepped on or kicked into an obscure corner. Useful and orderly—what could be better?
School Supply Caddy
The bags and the papers have places to go. What about all of the school knick-knacks and supplies that you spent all that time buying? Having ways to organize small things so they have a place they belong and don't slowly spread all over the house can help you stay sane as the new school year pulls you in different directions. Grab a caddy or some other organizer so your kids can always find what they need when they need it.
Big Community Calendar
When all of the school things are where they're supposed to be, the next thing to organize is the new schedule. With everyone starting new activities and sports and clubs, having a large community calendar to keep track of the moving parts can be extremely helpful. This way, everyone can see when practices are, who has exams coming up, and what the family is doing at any given time. This could also be a great approach to encouraging a little independence in your children. If they have to write in their own activities and be a part of managing their own schedules, they can learn how their actions and commitments impact others and how they can be considerate of those around them during certain times of stress. A giant calendar that everyone can look up and see at a glance
Display Area for Achievements
There are always things your children do that you want to take the time and space to display. Maybe one child drew a picture in school, or another improved a math score by five points. Whatever you want to celebrate, make sure you have the space ready to bring attention to your children's achievements. If your fridge is already covered in old summer projects, it's hard for the new things to be noticeable. Clear off the fridge or move some pictures from a space on the wall, so it's ready for when your child does something good. Then you have a place for display, and you can keep track of important moments of this school year that you may want to save as memories.
Assembly Line Lunches
Lunch boxes need something in them every day. An assembly line may not be something to buy, but it's a way of systemizing an important part of school life, so things are a little bit easier. If everyone helps, the work goes much faster. Plus, your children can take some responsibility for making their own lunches. Maybe as the year goes on, they can take over their own lunches completely, removing the job from your plate and becoming a little more reliable in the process.
Timers for Homework
Sitting and staring at a piece of homework for hours is not fun. Sometimes a homework timer can help encourage your children to bust out as much as possible for 20 minutes, then take a break. It can be something cute and personal they can set themselves and check every once in a while. Then they get their homework done, and you get less stress. Every house can use one of these.
Now that you have these house hacks for the school year use them to make your fall season smoother and more enjoyable.