How Parents Can Stay Organized in the New School Year

Start Planning

I know everyone has a calendar on their cellphone, but I truly believe in having things written down as well. So, I save important events and dates in my Google Calendar, followed by writing them down in a planner. The daily, weekly, and monthly combination planners are so easy to throw in your purse or bag for work. This way, they’re with you at all times to help you stay organized with what’s happening. Here are some planners to check out:

Erin Condren is a great choice for a personalized planner. You can customize the colors and name/title, and you can even add your own photos! These 12-month planners include extras like stickers, productivity pages, and quotes. There’s also a duo planner option that comes with a full-size book and a more compact six-month book.

My other favorite place to pick up a portable planner is Target. There are a variety of different brands and styles available here (including Erin Condren!). These planners are all extremely affordable as well!

A monthly wall or desk calendar is an excellent option for keeping the entire family organized at home. Place it in a central space that all members have access to. This will make it easy to add events and important times to the calendar. Or, a more modern approach to the monthly calendar is a dry-erase option! They’re aesthetically pleasing and simple to change since you can easily erase them.

Get Organized

Although every family may not have a separate workspace for homework, you can still create a functional and organized space for this in your home! Having the necessary supplies on hand will help kids start tackling their homework much quicker. Storing these supplies in a caddy will make it easy to move them, especially if you don’t have a dedicated homework station.

This caddy has eight separate plastic bins that you can fill with anything your child needs to complete their homework. The bins come out individually for easy usage, but your kids can put them back into the caddy afterward to keep everything organized.

A larger (and truly mobile) homework station organizer is a rolling cart. I love these because you can roll them into a closet when you aren’t using them. This cart comes in 15 different colors, but the rose gold is my personal favorite!

If you don’t have a dedicated desk for your student to work at, consider a portable lap desk instead! They can use it anywhere throughout your home and easily store it when it’s not in use. You can also set up a dedicated area at your table or kitchen island if that better suits your needs!

Prep for Lunches and Snacks

On Sundays, I highly recommend writing down what lunch will be for each day of the coming week. Whether it’s a Lunchable, leftovers, or lunch money for the cafeteria, planning it out in advance will save a LOT of chaos. (Plus, I’ve found that if we write down our menu for the week ahead of time, we’re much more likely to stick to it and eat out less!) Be sure to check the school menu, and if your student eats lunch in the cafeteria, make sure they have money in their account or an envelope ready to go. And if packing their lunch, check out these healthy school lunch ideas they’ll love! If possible, do the grocery shopping on the weekend to ensure you’re stocked for the week ahead. Also, plan your dinners out to ensure you’ll have leftovers if you intend to use those as lunches.