routines for back-to-school

Start Now: Craft School-Day Routines

Kindergarten teachers know a powerful organizing principle: reliable routines are the secret to a successful school day. 

Well-crafted classroom routines give pupils a sense of security--and ensure that the day moves smoothly through each planned activity.

Put that organizing secret to work in your organized home! 

Today in the Back-to-School Countdown, it's time to craft morning, after-school and evening routines for the school year.

August 11, 2021
Morning Madness? Tame It With A Family Launch Pad
Family Launch Pad
Cynthia Ewer August 10, 2021

Morning Madness! Only the pre-dinner "Arsenic Hour" comes close in the "Calgon, take me away!" category. 

Bathroom fights, soggy cereal, and the ever-present, "Mommy! I can't find my . . . !" 

Getting the family out the door in the morning can make any parent want to pull the bedclothes up and hide.

One small concept can go a long way to taming the morning beast: the family Launch Pad. Just as a spaceship must have a dedicated structure to support liftoff, so family members need a Launch Pad to stabilize them as they blast out the door.

Organize Children's Bedrooms

Clear the Decks: Organizing Kids' Rooms For Back-to-School

It's the battle cry of millions of parents: "Clean your room!" Will it ring out in your house today?

Seasonal events like birthdays, the holidays or a new school year bring fresh motivation to the drive to get kids organized--and nowhere is the battleground more intense than in the children's bedrooms.  

How do you help your child organize and clean up life in the bedroom?

Try these eight easy organization strategies to calm clutter and bring order to kids' rooms.

August 9, 2021
Shopping Tips for Back To School Clothing

Closet Case: Save Money on School Clothes

Gearing up for a new school year? Don't get sticker shock when shopping for school clothes! 

The cost of clothing the children for a new school year can be staggering. Even clothing in good repair may no longer fit a growing youngster after the summer holiday. If you've got a budding fashionista on your hands, your child's list of must-have items can swell out of all reality.

How to send them back to school in style ... and on budget? Try these ten ideas for saving money on school clothes.

August 6, 2021
Organize School Information

Stop the Paper Chase: Organize School Year Information

The start of school brings a brisk new tempo to the household, sweeping away the sweet leisure of summer--and the first day of school can bring an unwelcome splash of busy reality.  

Will you be ready? Get organized now to sail into school with ease!  

Today in the Back-to-School Countdown, we focus on information, contacts and appointments.  It's time to gather paperwork, start a school-year contacts list, and schedule any needed appointments in good time for the first day of school.

August 3, 2021
back to school checklist

Print The Ultimate Back-To-School Checklist

Welcome to Day 1 of the Organized Home Back-to-School Countdown

In spite of long and lazy summer days, a new school year is on the horizon. To be ready for the first day of school, there are lists to make and appointments to keep, paperwork to be processed and shopping to be done.

Track them all with this printable back-to-school checklist. Free for the printing, it'll help you tick off back-to-school tasks and get organized for a new school year.

August 2, 2021
Join the Back-to-School Countdown

Welcome to the Back-to-School Countdown!

Whatever the format--home school, online or in-person--a new school year is on the horizon. Time to prepare for back to school, with the Organized Home Back-to-School Countdown.

Beginning Monday, August 2, we'll take two weeks to get organized, gear up and get ready to start a new school year from an organized home.

Following an ultimate back-to-school checklist, the Back-to-School Countdown includes weekday reminders, free printables and inspiring articles to help you prepare for the first day of school.

July 31, 2021
get ready for back to school

Do It Now: Tips To Get Ready for Back To School

Move over, summer--a new school year is coming! With the start of school, families face new organization challenges. 

School bells ring--and so do early-morning alarm clocks. Paper piles swell as hand-outs and homework stream into the house. Shorter autumn days bring a hectic round of sports, activities and events, and calendars fill with cryptic notes. Can the holidays be far behind?

Get organized now for the best school year ever! Use these ideas to prepare your home and family for the busy days ahead.

July 30, 2021