Get Organized for a Successful School Year

Now that school is back in session, most parents I know are relieved to have the routine of school back in their lives. However, along with the routine come loads of activities that can make most already-busy parents feel overwhelmed and overburdened. If you find yourself constantly on the go and struggling to stay on top of things, the following tips can help you regain control of the hectic school year:

• Create a family calendar – paper or electronic – and have everyone note all of their activities on it. You can use something like a medical appointment book or a teacher’s lesson plan book to create a separate column for each person, or a regular monthly calendar and use separate colors for each person.

• Have weekly family meetings to review schedules, to make sure everyone is on top of what’s going on that week, and to make sure everyone has transportation to their various activities. Sundays might be a good day for this – before the chaos of work and school kicks in for that week.

• Create an out-the-door checklist for each child using words and/or pictures of everything they need to do in the morning to get out the door without too much hassle. Include such things as “brush teeth”, “lunch in backpack”, “bring band instrument”, etc.

• Create a family information binder that contains all pertinent information for managing the kids’ activities: sports schedules, team directories, emergency contact information, school contact information, etc. Keep the binder in an easy-to-reach spot where all family members can find it.

• Consider limiting each child to 1 extra-curricular activity at a time. For example, if they want to play football, they can’t also play hockey in the fall. Not only will this make life less hectic for you, but it will allow your kids to have some unstructured time in what is typically an overscheduled life.

What techniques have you found helpful to keep your student and self organized for school?

Best wishes to you and your student(s) for a successful, organized school year