Moms and organizers offer tips for all things back to school

(Article appearing in the BerksMont News, PA)

For parents who have been trying to keep their youngsters occupied all summer, September often replaces Christmas as “the most wonderful time of the year!” But for those parents who don’t like rigid schedules and helping with homework, it can also translate into a time of much family stress. Either way, back to school is a time of change. Professional organizers, a growing profession nationally and locally, are often called in to help families in times of transition.

As a professional organizer and a mother of three school-aged children, Debbie Lillard knows this transition all too well. Debbie Lillard started her organizing business, Space to Spare, in 2003.

She is an active member of the National Association of Professional Organizers Greater Philadelphia Chapter (www.NAPO-GPC.org) and has appeared on several episodes of HGTV’s Mission Organization. Debbie’s organizing tips have been featured in such magazines as Woman’s Day, Memory Makers and House & Home. Lillard recommends the following tips to get families ready for the busy back-to-school season:

1. Early to bed, early to rise. During summer months, children tend to stay up and sleep in later. To get them back into the routine of school schedules, put the routine in place as a dry run during the last week of summer. If everyone needs to be out of the house by 8:30 a.m. on a school day, make sure everyone has dressed, eaten and brushed their teeth by that time during your trial week.

2. Shop for school supplies at home first. Once you have the list of school supplies that your children need, take a look around your house first. Folders, crayons and even notebooks that are not full from the previous year can be used again. If the crayon box is broken, use a plastic container or Ziploc bag instead. Have the kids help you and make it a scavenger hunt! Check off what you have, then take the list to the store to purchase what you still need.

3. Create file folders. While you’re shopping for those school supplies, get an extra 2-pocket folder for each child. This can be used for holding any school information that you will refer to throughout the year (i.e. school calendar, absentee notes, teacher website info, handbooks, etc.). Label each folder with a child’s name and keep these in your home office for reference.

4. Visual reminders. Once you have all the information about your child’s special classes and extra-curricular activities, put them on a chart so that each day your child knows what is happening. Kids love pictures, so use stickers or computer clip art to make your chart visually appealing and colorful. Post the chart on the refrigerator or on a centrally-located bulletin board.

5. Designate a dumping ground. It’s been a few months, so even if you had a school routine you may have to review it with your kids. Physically show your children where you want them to put papers for you, homework, shoes, backpacks, and lunch boxes when they come home from school.

6. Clear out the old to make room for new. If you haven’t done so already, clear out your child’s backpack and their school papers from last year. Any special papers or artwork you want to save should be put in a scrapbook, a portfolio or a memory box. Designate one place where your child can put papers and reports throughout the upcoming year. This could be a drawer in their desk, a plastic storage bin in their room or a large art portfolio in their closet.

7. Layout the clothes. If clothing is an issue with your child, make sure they know what they are allowed to wear each day to school. If mom or dad says pants and a short sleeved shirt, then let the child choose which ones. In order to do this, make sure their clothes are accessible and simply organized in drawers or a closet.

8. Map out your activities on a family calendar. Back to school often means “back to busy,” so map it out by writing all activities on the calendar, even before your children commit to activities. Sometimes seeing it on paper helps you realize how much running around you will be doing!

9. Set up carpools. Make your life easier and save on gas and time by setting up carpools with your neighbors for school, sports and after-school activities.

10. Go through the routine with the entire family. Every family is different, so make a morning and nighttime routine that works for you. Involve as many family members as you can to spread the work of getting everyone out the door on time with everything they need. For example, if your kids are typically waiting for lunches in the morning, then pack them the night before or make it the first thing you do in the morning.

The Greater Philadelphia Chapter is part of the national nonprofit organization, NAPO, which has been active since 1985 and consists of more than 4,000 members throughout the United States and in eight other countries. For additional information or to find a professional organizer near you, visit the NAPO Web site at www.napo.org. Just click on “Find An Organizer.”

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I’m a NAPO member in Central Indiana and owner of Simplified Spaces Professional Organizing Solutions. I’m available to help you implement these and many more systems and strategies to clear the clutter and calm the chaos in your home and life. We also work with kids individually to help them establish organization, habits and routines for school and life success. Visit Simplified Spaces Professional Organizing Solutions for more info.

Originally posted 2010-08-28 11:23:29. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The Organized Student – maintain an organized desk and locker

Although kids may appear organized at home, a peek into their desks or lockers may surprise you! Even an organized kid can create chaos in those small, often neglected spaces.

Elementary Age

If you’re concerned about the state of your child’s desk, contact the teacher. Perhaps she could hold an “organize your desk” time once a week or month that would benefit all of her students. If your child needs extra attention, ask the teacher if you could stop by before or after school some day for a brief desk tidy-up. Teach your child to take home food containers daily, toss garbage, purge papers that are no longer needed, and keep important take-home papers in a designated folder. See what type of order makes sense for your child. Perhaps she associates colors with certain subjects, so notebooks and folders could correspond to those. Maybe she likes all the notebooks on one side of the desk and folders on the other. Or perhaps she prefers the items she uses in the morning on one side and afternoon items on the other. Whatever makes sense for her is okay, as long as she understands and maintains the system.

Middle and High School Age

This age can be more challenging for parents to help, because you’ll likely not be invited into the school by your student. But you can assist by providing helpful accessories like an extra shelf and a magnetic pencil cup and a memo board to make staying organized as easy as possible. Discuss ways to organize your student’s things (see prior paragraph) in a logical order. Encourage frequent clean-outs.  If it really gets out of control, give her a large garbage bag and have her bring everything home over the weekend. Spend time helping her sort, purge, and rearrange. She can return the organized items in her locker on Monday.

All ages

Inventory students’ school supplies at least twice a year and restock anything broken or used up. Check in frequently to see if their desks or lockers need tune-ups and help as necessary.

Originally posted 2009-09-13 13:06:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The Organized Student – create a designated study space for school success

After you’ve considered and established your student’s daily routine, it’s time to create an efficient study space to maximize your child’s study routine.

If you want to raise successfully organized students, you must give them the tools they need to succeed. A proper study space, that is both comfortable and fully stocked with school supplies, is essential to get kids motivated for after-school studying.

Start by deciding where your kids will do homework. Involve them – ask where they prefer to study, considering their age and independence level. Do they like the privacy and quiet of a desk in their bedroom? Or do they want to be near you in a centrally located area such as the kitchen or family room? It’s also important to consider your child’s learning style and ability to focus. Given the choice, my daughter would study in front of the TV, but I know that doesn’t work for her with all the added distractions. Whether she likes it or not, I know that for her to be successful, she needs to do her schoolwork in a quiet area with minimal distractions. Students need to understand that although parents will consider their preferences, the parent may make the final decision on the most effective study space.

Once you decide on the best study space for your child’s learning style, maturity level and routine, make sure it’s well stocked with supplies. If your child has a desk, you may choose to organize supplies inside the drawers or in containers on top of it.  Make sure to categorize, containerize and label items (such as writing utensils in one area, paper in another) so the desktop and drawers don’t become chaotic catch-alls.

For those that study outside their bedrooms, create a portable office. This will allow them to work anywhere inside (or even outside) your home. A tackle box or any type of small storage box (even a shoebox) will do. For storing school papers, like graded tests, handouts, etc. I like small desktop file boxes like the Show Off by Sterilite. Notice the lid with handle that allows for easy mobility.

Fill the portable supply box with supplies such as pens, pencils, sharpeners, crayons markers, highlighters, colored pencils, glue sticks, scissors, tape stapler, paper clips, ruler, calculator, sticky notes, paper, and any other supplies that your child frequently uses. Keep an age-appropriate dictionary and Thesaurus handy. Also consider keeping small stock of rarely needed but important project accessories, such as report covers and poster board.

At the end of each study session, remind your students to put away any home supplies they used and pack up their school materials so they’re ready for the next day’s use. Teach them to make a list of items that need replenishing. Maintain consistency but allow for flexibility for happy and confident kids!

Suggested tools:

Task clips:

Informative File Folders:

To Do Notepad:

Originally posted 2009-09-04 16:29:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter