The dog days of summer are over, and if you have young children, you know that school is back in session - and it's back to the formation of the "great pile": school art projects, homework assignments and permission slips that collect on kitchen counters, creating clutter that never seems to go away.
You can help you and your family prepare for the rest of the school year by spending some time getting organized now.
Remember, getting organized is not just going through and clearing the piles, but also creating a system to prevent the clutter from forming in the first place.
Here are some tips to help you get started.
The notebook
Create a "Family and Household" notebook. This will help keep important information (such as emergency numbers, calendars and school permission slips) handy and in one place.
Although there are electronic versions available, incoming information from schools and other organizations is usually on paper, so it makes sense to keep a binder.
However, if you don't mind using a computer now and again, I recommend a "blended" approach: keeping electronic calendars and contacts and printing them out as needed.
The binder should include:
* Labeled file tabs, with categories such as calendars, contacts, emergency contact information and baby-sitting instructions;
* Clear, plastic sheet protectors for lunch calendars and anything else that gets referred to often;
* A tab for each family member with a pocket for miscellaneous items;
* Business-card holders for contact information for doctors and other professions; and
* An idea or "family fun" section - for family trips, things to see and do and other projects you'd like to plan.
The ins and outs of boxes
Create an "in-box" for each family member. This can be anything from a simple basket (labeled) to a locker with a cubby for papers.
Labeling is important so every family member, baby sitter or other outside help knows whose is whose. If you have very young children, try color-coding labels.
Many schools now have ongoing homework projects that span more than one night. Having a dedicated basket or cubby to hold this information will assign it a home and keep horizontal surfaces feeling tidy.
The staging area
Make a "in- and out-the-door" staging area. This is where kids put on jackets, dump school assignments and shrug into and out of their backpacks.
You'll want hooks at kid level for jackets and a separate basket or drawer for hats, gloves, mittens, etc.
Having a separate, dedicated spot for each family member's items can help children (and spouses) find and put away their own things. Family members' in-boxes should be in this general area.
For adults, mount smaller hooks for keys, and have a labeled in-box for new mail, as well as an out-box for library books, video rental returns and other items to take with you as you leave.
The center of it all
Create a "nerve center." Bulletin, white and chalk boards are all good for displaying calendars, note cards, temporary reminders and other scraps of paper that tend to clutter surfaces.
Consider painting a section of wall by the door, kitchen or mud room in chalkboard paint.
You can even make a giant kids' calendar with important dates marked, written large enough so they can read them.
Consider using symbols for young children (like a birthday cake for an upcoming party), and get the kids involved in the process. Have them draw on the calendar any important dates in their schedules.
Calendars can be an effective way of assigning a place in time to help you prepare for events. For example, assign a time to make the cookies the day before you actually need to bring them to the club meeting.
Snack time!
Dedicate an area of the cupboard within child's reach for nonperishable lunch and snack items.
You can tape a copy of the lunch calendar on the inside of the cupboard door so kids know what day are sloppy Joes and when they might want to brown bag it.
Assign a vegetable bin or other low area of the fridge (try the shelves on the door) for kids to easily reach snacks and drinks and make their own sandwiches.
Getting your children involved in creating and maintaining these organizing systems will help teach them valuable time-management skills.
It also will help them become responsible for their own things and prepared to go to school - and that can help everyone feel right at home!
Leah Stahlsmith owns Simple Works Design, providing home-staging and organizing services in Seattle. For more information, visit www.simpleworksdesign.com.
[[In-content Ad]]
