Your Back-To-School Home Checklist
If you live in a household with school-age children, you know that the end of the summer can be a very stressful and even overwhelming time of year. There are many items to buy, meetings to attend, and activities to sign your child up for. While you can't ignore these parental obligations, you can organize your life and home to help the whole family transition smoothly.
As you prepare for back-to-school season, donate clothing that no longer fits, and buy new garments as needed. Shop for school supplies early to take advantage of sales. Declutter your home, create a homework station and reading nook. Add a basket for dirty sneakers and sports gear to keep your home tidy, perform a seasonal safety check, and make small bedroom upgrades if needed.
Getting your children ready for a new school year can feel like a tornado of emotions. You want to support them as best you can, but with so many variables, it can feel impossible. To help make this annual transition manageable, keep reading. Below is a checklist of ways to prepare your home and family before the first day of school arrives.
15 Ways To Ease Into Back-To-School Season
1. Donate Old Clothes And Organize Closets
One major event before the first day of school is shopping for clothes. Major retailers offer sales to capitalize on inevitable growth spurts. Before you head to the outlets, however, it’s a good idea to go through your child’s closet first. See what still fits, and what your child won't wear. Once you know what to donate, you'll make room in the closet for new clothes and also know what to purchase for school.
2. Shop In Advance
Back-to-school preparations are stressful, so there’s no need to add procrastination to the list of anxieties. Whenever possible, shop early for supplies. Doing this often allows you to take advantage of bargains. Plus, if you do most of your shopping in the early summer, you have far less to worry about as the return to school approaches. You are also less likely to forget important essentials if you make a list and scratch items off one by one.
3. Create A Homework Station
Few children love doing homework, but it’s important that you make it as easy as possible for your child to complete their assignments. A homework station is a proactive way to encourage your children to focus on their daily tasks. Whether the area is in a common space or in their bedroom, the key is having an organized, designated space, away from distractions (especially televisions). Make sure it's stocked with supplies, like pens, pencils, a calculator, and anything else your child might need.
4. Prepare Healthy Meals
Every parent wants their child to be as healthy and one of the best ways to ensure they stay nourished and energized, is to make healthy meals. In the summer, it’s easy to do this with so much fresh produce and leisure time. As the seasons change and life gets busier, it can be challenging to make healthy meals if you aren’t organized and prepared. Take time to make nutritious meals at home and your child’s lunches healthier.
5. Make Bedroom Upgrades
Children grow quickly. As yours experiences growth spurts, you may need to make certain adjustments to their room, such as swapping a small bed for a larger one. When kids reach a certain age, they are ready for “big kid” items like a bedside lamp, alarm clock, and other things that make bedtime and morning routines easier.
6. Have Lunch Accessories Ready
If you pack lunch for your child (or if they are old enough to pack it themselves) have all the necessary accessories before the first day of school, so you aren’t scrambling. Make sure you have plenty of containers for meal prep, plus reusable bags to keep your kitchen more eco-friendly. Check the insulated lunch bag to make sure it can survive another school year, and confirm you have small ice packs to keep perishable foods at a safe temperature.
7. Establish A Morning Family Routine
Anytime your household goes through a major transition, it’s important you communicate as a family. Before school starts, discuss changes to the morning and evening routine. Everyone should clearly understand what they are responsible for and when each person needs to wake up, eat, and be ready to go. Having an established routine before the first day of school helps prevent morning confusion.
8. Remove Clutter
Clutter makes life more chaotic and workspaces harder to use. Before school starts, remove clutter from your home, paying special attention to desks, countertops, and other potential workstations. The school year will likely bring its share of papers and other things, so do all you can to declutter your home before the first day of school.
9. Bins For Sneakers And Sports Gear
School often means your home is likely to get dirtier, especially if your kids play sports. To help keep dirt out of the house, set up a bin by the front door where your kids can leave their shoes. If they play sports, give them a specific place to keep their gear. If they have a home for their sports equipment, it is easier for you to clean it, and they're less likely to misplace it.
10. Start Bedtime Routines Early
It can take your children time to adjust back to a school schedule, especially if you’ve let them stay up later than normal throughout the summer. To make the back-to-school transition easier for everyone, consider adjusting bedtime routines well before the first day of school. If they go to bed earlier several days before school starts, it will be easier for everyone to fall asleep and wake up at the right time.
11. Create A Reading Nook
Reading is fundamental to your child’s learning. To make it enjoyable, consider building a cozy reading nook. Add a comfy chair, lots of pillows, or other relaxing elements near a bookshelf, where they can enjoy their required reading after school.
12. Perform Seasonal Safety Tests
The back-to-school season also marks the start of autumn, which is a good time to perform several safety tests. Check all your alarms, especially the carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. Also make sure your home security is working properly, especially if older children will be left unsupervised after school.
13. Organize Freezer And Stock The Pantry
When school is in session, dinner is often a rushed affair. To get a head start on quick back-to-school meals, you should stock and organize your pantry and freezer. Get rid of anything expired, then buy healthy, easy-to-prepare meals you can enjoy all week without all the stress.
14. Update Emergency Contact Lists
As time passes, phone numbers change, so emergency contact numbers must be updated. Before the school year starts, make sure your children have the correct contact numbers for you, other family members, neighbors, and emergency services.
15. A Family Calendar To Keep Everyone Organized
One of the best ways to stay organized as a family unit during a school year is to have a shared family calendar somewhere in the home. Everyone can check it daily and add information. It helps prevent people from forgetting important functions and double-booking. It’s also a great way to plan each day.
Summing Up Your Back-To-School Home Checklist
Getting your children ready to go back to school is a transition the entire household feels. It involves a shift in schedules, routines, and lifestyles, and it’s important to do all you can to prepare. Shop for school supplies and clothes in advance for deals, and get rid of clothes that don’t fit and clutter that doens’t belong.
Set up a homework station and a reading nook to support learning at home. Organize the pantry and freezer, and find ways to make healthy meals that don’t take too much time. Create a family calendar to keep everyone on the same page, run necessary safety checks, and update emergency contact lists.
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Tom Gaffey is an expert writer who currently resides in Washington D.C. Tom has a passion for real estate and home improvement writing, as well as travel and lifestyle writing. He lived the last twelve years in Hawaii where he worked closely with luxury resorts and event planners, mastering his knowledge of aesthetics and luxury products. This is where he found his passion for home improvement and a keen interest in DIY projects. Currently, Tom resides in Washington D.C, and also working on his debut fiction novel.
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