After the crazy 2020-2021 school year, I think we are welcoming the arrival of a typical school year and our children’s lives returning to normal. Here are some tips to avoid your home turning into a madhouse, and preparing for the successful year ahead.
Think about how you start the day. This might be challenging with older children, though having an organized bedroom makes the morning routine much less stressful. Plus, once you have gone back to school shopping, the dressers and closets will need to be cleaned out to accommodate new things, making this is the perfect time to think through how clothing is arranged. Also, don’t forget about the routine in the bathroom and preparing breakfast to allow for a quick transition out the door.
When returning home, what you and your children see when you arrive has a great deal to do with how it makes you feel. Does it cause you stress and anxiety when you walk through the door? Most homes aren’t designed to accommodate all the coats, shoes, book bags, computer bags, sports equipment, pet items, etc. that end up getting placed in the location that greets us when we arrive home. This is a huge challenge for so many people and there never seems to be enough space. Here are some ideas for how you can improve the space that greets you when you arrive home.
Would it be possible to clean out a closet and add an organizational system to create functional storage to tuck more things away?
Could you add a bench with hidden storage and coat hooks at the entry to keep the space tidy?
If you have no extra space in your home, could you create a space in the garage to keep shoes and sports equipment, so they do not even enter the home?
Or is there another area you could use to accommodate a mudroom, even though the proximity is not as close as you would like to the entry?
Finally, once it’s time to get homework completed, think about clutter free areas to avoid distractions and reduce stress. Also, creating separation between activities like a cozy reading nook for those 20-30 minutes of extra reading and a designated area for other homework, provides a change of scenery while they are completing their assignments, so they don’t get bored.
We all we need systems, rhythms and patterns to follow to help us remain organized and prepare us for success, it’s no different for our kids.
