Simple Ways to Organise Yourself for the New School Season
So back-to-school week is upon us and with many of our little nightmares finally giving us some peace and quiet, it’s time to get our homes resembling what they looked like before the summer holidays!
Whilst all the food and uniform shopping may have been done, the home and its contents may still be leaving a lot to be desired so we’ve rounded up a few of our favourite tips and tricks to ensure your home will be perfectly organised in no time – just in time for the new school year.
Eliminate the Morning Rush
It’s really important that, as you’re all easing back in to the back-to-school routine, you ensure the morning madness is kept to a minimum.
As parent of the household, be sure to plan well in advance. Every evening think about what you can do to alleviate any Monday morning pressure. Whether that’s clearing the dinner table the night before and making room for breakfast settings, washing up all the kids lunchboxes and packing them ready or even laying out their clothes the night before.
It may even be worth investing in your own organisational planner or diary so you can keep to a stringent schedule; plan the lunches and dinners for the week, the ingredients to buy and you can even make note of chores and/or bathroom schedules for busy households.
Alert the family to your plans in advance so there are no nasty surprises and it should ensure that the first few weeks of back-to-school season are as stress-free and care-free as possible!
Do Practice Runs
It’s probably not a good idea finding out that the nearest bus stop is a twenty minute walk away, on the first day of school so be sure to try a practice run before the big day
If you’re driving, plan a couple of routes and add extra time on to your journey to allow for traffic or if you’re walking, why not take a walk with all the family via the school to find out exactly how long it will take with brood in tow?
For those using public transport, check the timetable yourself and ensure you have extra copies printed out. That way, if your child is late for school there is no excuses that they didn’t know!
Are the kids taking part in any after-school clubs? Sports, music lessons or physical activity elsewhere? Remember to plan these routes too – ensure you know how long approximately it would take to get from school to their next location. This will tell you if they have enough time to grab food, get changed or even catch up on homework whilst they wait for their lessons to start.
Prepare for the Unexpected
Sometimes, as parents, we have to prepare for the unexpected whether that means a lost P.E kit, a car breakdown or even a school sick day. Ensure you have a list of emergency contacts for when the unexpected occurs; get a list of the important school and teacher phone numbers before the school year starts so that you can easily keep them informed if something goes wrong.
Next, be sure to get your car serviced and in tip-top condition and note down the numbers of any local taxi firms should you need to rely on them in worst-case scenario.
Ensure you have extra provisions of uniforms, books and stationary to avoid that last-minute rush to the shops only to discover they’ve sold out in the event of damage or loss and finally, be sure to make a list of people you can rely on throughout the week so that in the event of your child being off sick, you may have someone to watch over them ensuring you don’t have to take time off work, also.
How do you organise yourself for the back-to-school season? Be sure to get in touch on Facebook or Twitter and let us know.
For tips on how to organise your home, be sure to visit our post on how to get your home back-to-school ready.