Alright, parents, it’s that time of year again: Back-to-School.
You’ve had your summer bliss, or more likely, your summer chaos, and now it’s time to pretend we’re all going to be organized, well-rested, and generally sane. I’ve seen firsthand how the annual school-year plunge can turn even the most harmonious households into a battleground of misplaced homework, forgotten lunches, and utter exhaustion. Here are my top five time-tested, back-to-school tips to make this transition slightly less catastrophic.
1. The “Tomorrow Drawer”.
This is a game-changer. Have each child create a “tomorrow drawer.” This needs to be an easy drawer to pull out—not one that sticks, or is too high or low for them to easily access. In this drawer, your child can collect everything they want or need for the next day; clothes, stuff for show and tell, even that permission slip they almost forgot. You might have to clean out some existing clutter to get an empty drawer, but that will only help you in the long run. This is an easy way for kids to lay out their clothes the night before, and besides, the “tomorrow drawer” just has a certain glamor to it, doesn’t it?
2. Enforce a Digital Blackout before bed.
Let’s start with the obvious: lock up all electronic devices one hour before your kids’ bedtime. Turn off the TV. Stop looking at any lighted screen. Get ready for bed and wind down. This goes for everybody in the house! You need your rest too!
3. Allow your child to participate in only ONE extracurricular activity.
4. Do not buy back-to-school clothes.
Your children are already wearing clothes (I am assuming). They will also grow during the year and need different clothes. Take advantage of some sales if you like, but don’t buy too much. It will just end up making laundry a complete nightmare.
5. Clean out backpacks every Friday.
You can also designate Friday as clean out your purse day and clean out the car day. Do not assume your children are going to keep up with their backpacks. It’s always fun to stick your hand in there and run smack into a melted peanut butter sandwich which is stuck to the homework they “lost.”
Bonus tip: Get rid of as much stuff as you can before school starts
Donate clothes that don’t fit anymore or are just taking up space, old toys and crayons, etc. Make room for all the new stuff they will bring home from school.
Which brings me to one last hack — what do you do with all those school papers? If you must keep them, choose only a few per school year. Put the rest into a big brown envelope and mail them to grandparents and relatives!
Remember, children do like to help. They like responsibility. They like structure. They crave order, despite their best efforts to create a domestic disaster zone. The key, however, is making “organized” so ridiculously simple that even a goldfish could manage it. Anything more complex, and you’re just setting yourself up for disappointment.
So, there you have it. Five simple, entirely sensible ways to navigate the back-to-school season without completely losing your mind, or, more importantly, your marital harmony.
