Our JJ Team has had a great summer full of closings, adventure, and fun, but now it’s time to get back into the school year routine. To avoid that overwhelming feeling, we want to help you get your home in order to make the transition back to school a little easier. These back-to-school tips will help not only get you into a routine but help organize your home to make mornings and afternoons run a little smoother.
1. Transition your junk drawer to an everyday drawer.
Whether your junk drawer is in your kitchen or by the side door, have a space for sunscreen, hair brush and ties, etc., chargers and headphones. Having all the everyday items in one place will help you get out the door faster instead of running from room to room. We like these drawer organizers from Amazon. This 16 piece set is perfect for little ones things.
2. Create a system for paperwork.
The never-ending paperwork from school. Probably the most important back-to-school tip is to decide once on a system for papers. When we say “decide once” we mean literally make the decision, don’t overthink it, and stick to a routine.
A stackable letter tray can help you separate what needs to be completed from what needs to be filed. Use the top tray for homework and forms, the bottom for art and keepsakes. If you have more wall space than cabinet space for a filing system, these hanging file organizers can serve the same purpose – one for to do and one for to file.
Once a week, go through the “to-file” tray and recycle or move the items to a larger plastic file keepsake bin. Label a bin for each kiddo and use hanging file folders for each school year. These hanging file folders come in a variety of colors: pick a color for each year.
Still overwhelmed with the amount of artwork? Try a service like Artkive or take pictures of your child’s artwork yourself to create a photobook at the end of the year.
3. Pack lunch as you’re making dinner.
Want five to ten extra minutes in the morning? Pack your kids’ lunch as you’re making dinner the night before. Cook a few more chicken nuggets in the air fryer, put together a quick sandwich, or pack a little of the dinner leftovers if your kids are into it. Sub-tip, have more than one lunchbox so there is always a clean one ready to fill the night before.
4. Use Alexa timers to keep everyone on task during the morning routine.
Automate times and callouts on the Echo or Google Home devices in your home to keep everyone on task. Bonus, if Alexa is calling out the tasks, it doesn’t feel like you’re the one doing the nagging. We need this for our 9-year-olds and teenagers!
Example Schedule:
6:30 wake up.
6:45 Get dressed, pjs in the hamper.
7:00: eat breakfast.
7:15: brush teeth and hair.
7:30: put on shoes, grab your backpack and lunch.
7:45: leave the house.
Adjust as necessary to what works for your family. But these 15-minute time blocks help leave some wiggle room.
- One of our best back-to-school tips is to practice your morning routine. Do a few trial runs the week leading up to school. That means getting in the car and driving to school too. On the day before school starts, complete the whole routine.
- In addition, take your back-to-school pictures the day before too. It will help relieve that pressure on the first day of school. Go out for donuts after to celebrate!
5. Outsource what you need.
If you’re really struggling with some tasks and need more time, outsource them. Hate grocery shopping or don’t have time? Order grocery pickup or delivery. Bonus Tip: Order groceries as you meal plan, knocking out two birds with one stone.
Whether it’s house cleaning, yard work, or even laundry, there are task-based services for everything. And that’s especially true in the Bay Area. Overwhelmed with the to-dos to sell your home? Our JJ Team Concierge services can help with all house preparation and coordination of vendors.
Best of Luck: What are your Back-to-School Tips?
Best of luck as you all return to back-to-school. We think this blog has great tips you can use year-round. Pull it out after the holidays or Fall or Spring Break as a refresher too. If you have additional tips you love, please let us know in the comments. We all need them!
If you are in the market, we can absolutely help you. Reach out to us today. FINAL THOUGHT: Just remember our motto(s): We love what we do and Love Where You Live!
