With all the sales on school supplies and school starting now, August is the best time to go through your child's supplies. But we are not just talking about the school supplies here; we are also talking about the areas your child uses to perform tasks before, during, and after school. So, let’s do the student organization challenge! Go through the different student organization areas to help them succeed this school year.
Jump to:
- First, try on and gather any unwanted clothes and shoes in the closet.
- Then, work on their desk or study area where they do their school work.
- Next, it is time to work on the binders and gather textbook materials.
- Going back to school? Go through their backpack, empty it, and clear it out.
- Review old paperwork and materials to minimize the unwanted clutter in a study area.
Note: Pace yourself and your child and create a plan to do these areas. Share a calendar so they know what tasks will be taking place before the appointment. Kids, especially the older teens in your life, will appreciate the heads-up.
First, try on and gather any unwanted clothes and shoes in the closet.
Check to make sure their clothes fit. Do they need new shoes (affiliate)? As you go through your kids' clothing, list the required items. It could be undergarments, socks (affiliate), pants, or other pieces of clothing. Be specific so you remember what you need to buy. If you have a particular store you visit for the item, write the store's name as a reminder next to the article. Get rid of things that are worn or don't fit.
But clothes are not the only area to organize before your child returns to school.
Then, work on their desk or study area where they do their school work.
Do they have a place to call his or her’s study zone? Each child should have an area that has minimal distractions and enough surface space for easy setup. If this area is not cleared, take the time and clear out that area of any clutter and distractions.
Does the desk or space have all the supplies they need? Having supplies nearby will give your kid a go-to place for anything. Walking to another room to get supplies will surely be a waste of time and may distract them.
How is their chair (affiliate)? Is it a comfortable one? Have your child sit on the chair (affiliate) and adjust the height so that it is ergonomically correct for your child. Visit Creating the Perfect Ergonomic Workspace- The ULTIMATE Guide for details on how to do this step.
Next, it is time to work on the binders and gather textbook materials.
Schools usually give a suggested list of supplies. But, it is very general and always has way more supplies. Then, they actually use it. So, use this list with caution. If they are middle schoolers, ask your child what binders they like from the previous year and help them create a system that works for them. This step is unique to each child.
If they are taking classes at home, ordering the supplies they need a few weeks before gives the school and other bookstores time to get the books to you.
If they are doing online learning and have online websites to visit and content to gather, prepare the computer (affiliate) to save the websites as bookmarks to make it easier for them to know where their resources are located.
Going back to school? Go through their backpack, empty it, and clear it out.
Make sure they have items they would need in there. My kids carry their backpacks around all day, so they usually use the front pocket for pencils and supplies. Make sure all the binders and supplies fit in the binder. Is it too heavy? Visit our post about the backpack organization for tips.
Review old paperwork and materials to minimize the unwanted clutter in a study area.
If they have been working virtually, they should take the time to clear the clutter in their studying area from the previous semester. All the paperwork from the last semester may be distracting. If they want to keep it, have them go through it, minimize it to only the essentials, and place the entire batch of papers in another area, like a bookshelf (affiliate) or cubby.
Well, there you have it. How do you do? Some of these steps may be omitted if they don't apply to your child. It's important to remember that doing these steps will get your child and you in the right frame of mind for back to school. I hope this student organization challenge motivates you and your kids to get and stay organized this school year. Feel free to visit our vast selection of back-to-school organizing tips from elementary to higher education.
Sarah Soboleski says
So many things to think about! My little one is starting preschool next month so I hope my school supply list isn't that detailed. One of the things that's frustrating me is trying to find a preschool-sized backpack that you can fit a folder in. I know even at this age there's going to be paper and I want to be prepared!
Janet Barclay says
We started waiting until school actually started to buy supplies, after one teacher insisted on a specific color of notebook (not the color we'd already purchased, unfortunately).
Sabrina says
Really, wow. You miss all the best deals that way. I still purchase pens, pencils, and paper. But, when it comes to folders and binders, we usually wait. When they get to high school, there is more flexible about what the kids can use. It seems that every teacher wants spiral notebooks. This year, we are doing a backpack organizer setup. It uses accordion backpack folders (they are vertical) since our kids carry their backpack all day. I plan on doing a post about it. Thanks for stopping by and sharing.
Ellen Delap says
Love this list for back to school. It's so important that parents be ready for the first day with clothes and supplies. Starting off organized insures your best school year ever.
Autumn Leopold says
Great reminders Sabrina! I just did all of Sam's areas and all I heave left is school supplies. I'm sure that will change next week when he gets all of his 7th birthday presents!