Back to School: Home Organization Tips That Get a Gold Star

It’s now officially the season of backpacks heaped in the front entryway, homework strewn across desks and plenty of school supplies just piling up.

The fact is, every fall, back to school home organization becomes essential… again. After all, if you avoid it now, you know you’ll regret the decision come winter break!

So, if you’re looking for a few tips and tricks that are sure to earn an A+, here’s how to pare down, clean up and get to organizing before the very first bell rings:

1. Cut down on belongings

Of course, you’ll want to start by throwing out, selling, donating or giving away anything that no longer serves a purpose in your space. Sift through your personal and family belongings to determine what is still needed and what can go. As a general rule, big-ticket items or those in good condition are ideal for resale. Anything that is still in decent condition but may not be worth the hassle of listing, haggling and selling can be donated. Then, anything that doesn’t fit into either category can typically be tossed. Of course, sentimental value and other qualifiers should be considered, but try your best to be discerning.

This job shouldn’t be limited to just the parents, either. Most school-aged kids can (and should) have a role in decluttering the home and their rooms. Keep in mind that for some children, getting rid of belongings (even those they rarely use) can feel sad or frustrating. It’s not uncommon to be met with resistance. Some parents suggest framing the pair down with positive language, like “making over the play space”, while others have a rule that for each new toy a child receives, an old one must be donated. Whatever the case for your family, simply ensure that everyone is engaged in the process.

2. Find a home for anything you choose to keep

Nothing causes clutter quite like a house full of items with no “home”. Determine where each and every piece you choose to keep should live, starting with those items that are sure to start appearing more often now that school is in session.

For example, perhaps you decide that backpacks go on the wall hooks in the mudroom, used lunch boxes go on the counter next to the sink, and soccer cleats go in the basket next to the front door. Or, maybe you choose to crack down on kids clearing their dishes to the dishwasher after dinner each night.

Whatever the case, knowing the expectation can help keep kids accountable. Then, when you do eventually find a soccer cleat on the couch, you can quiz them on where their athletic gear is supposed to live.

3. Invest in your organizational strategy

In the process of finding a home for each item, you may want to invest in additional help. At this stage, begin grouping similar smaller items together and find a convenient way to store them.

To corral similar items, consider:

Drawer organizers
Letter sorters
Desk caddies
Pen cups
Cable management tools
Bins, boxes or baskets
Shoe racks
Coat racks
Hangers
Closet organizers
Hooks, shelves or cubbies
Under-bed storage drawers
Dressers, credenzas or chests of drawers

While you’re at it, you might also want to pick up a few labeling materials, to make finding and storing that much easier. Consider:

Labels
Tags
Chalk markers or pens
Stickers
Bookplates

While function is highly important here, don’t forget form. Your organizational materials can certainly embody your interior design strategy, from artfully woven baskets to rustic chalk labels.

This doesn’t have to break the bank, either. You can repurpose old materials, visit your local thrift shop or simply get creative. After all, the wad of grocery bags inside another grocery bag is a classic for a reason.

4. Ensure everyone is on the same page

While not a physical tidying tip, consider creating and posting a family calendar to share with each other, remember key dates and otherwise keep the household running smoothly. This document, whether updated on a dry erase board or an acrylic sheet, can simply ensure everyone stays in sync.

Place the calendar somewhere easily accessible, like a family room or mudroom. Of course, ensure everyone who needs access can reach, or has easy-access to something like a step stool. Then, get together and decide what should be placed on the family calendar. School start and stop times may be helpful for the first few weeks of the year, but athletic events, holidays, parties, extracurriculars, and other regular activities are often safe bets all year round.

The best part? The whole family now has an excuse to get together at the end of each month and plan out the next 30 days.

5. Create a maintenance plan

Speaking of planning ahead, in order to ensure all of this work isn’t done in vain, you’ll want to develop a maintenance plan for organizational tasks moving forward. After all, each family member will have to continually do their part so everyone can maintain a clean and organized lifestyle.

Consider scheduling out a few recurring reorganization sessions to address clutter before it becomes overwhelming. For example, perhaps Mondays are for sweeping and dusting while Tuesdays are for laundry. Or, maybe everyone chips in for a house-wide deep clean every weekend. Of course, there’s always the tried-and-true chore chart as well.

Your approach should be tailored to the age of your kids, the personalities of your family members and the capacity everyone has for cleaning, but you certainly don’t want to forge ahead without a maintenance plan of some kind.