9 Back to School Organization Ideas for Moms
These back to school organization ideas for moms are sure to get the household 100% ready to get back to into the routine. From structuring lunches, smarter shopping, and clever home organization tips your kids and sanity will be ready right on time!
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Summer threw you a few weeks of blissful fun but now reality is starting to sink in as you look around at the wet towels and sandy sandals cluttering up your home.
You have cleaning up to do, back to school shopping, on top of plenty of late summer procrastination projects you just never got around to.
Start the back to school routine right this year by getting effortlessly organized with some clever back to school organization ideas.
Ok, maybe not effortlessly, but you get the idea! Getting a head start and making a thorough plan will help you take back to school season by storm.
Here are 9 Back to School Organization Ideas to Try This Year!
01 | PREPARE A LUNCH STATION
Nothing is more painful than making lunches. What makes lunch preparation so difficult is that everything you need is spread out throughout the kitchen.
This year carve out space in a cupboard/pantry,and fridge to create a section to keep all of the lunch-making essentials together.
Lunch bags, to-go cups, bags, napkins, plastic utensils, etc.
Also, this would be a great time of the year to sit down and write 10 different mix and match lunch ideas. Keep this list next to your lunch station to help you easily decide what lunches to make.
02 | ORGANIZE A COMMAND CENTER
If you have never had a command center now is the time. Find a spot in your home to create your own family command center that will help keep everyone organized all year long.
At a minimum add hooks for backpacks, in and out boxes for homework /important school papers, and a calendar to keep track of all important school-related events.
You can make your family command center as simple or as elaborate as you need to maintain long term organization.
Click here to read: How to Create Your Own Command Center.
The true trick to making a command center work is to make it a force of habit the second everyone walks in the door. Typically shoes fly off, backpacks get dropped, and it’s a rush the next morning to figure out where everything is.
It does take a few weeks for a habit to develop so if you want this command center to work you have to use it and you need to have your family use it also.
Have kids hang their backpacks, pull out homework, and add anything to the calendar about their schedules every single day the second they get home to develop this habit permanently.
If you really need some help keeping everything organized I would highly suggest investing in a life planner!
My planner printable download, The Ultimate Life Planner, has 20 super detailed pages to help you organized every single aspect of your life!
03 | CREATE AN EPIC HOMEWORK STATION
Instead of having your kids pour out their homework at the kitchen table, and then leave it there… think about creating a portable or permanent homework station.
You can use a large plastic caddy to keep all the essentials together like pens, pencils, erasers, calculators, etc.
A three-tiered rolling cart might be a great solution for a portable homework station that can be moved from room to room.
If a portable homework station isn’t needed then think about creating a distracting free homework station in their room or office.
Upgrade their desk and chair to something comfortable where they will be able to sit for longer periods of time to get work done.
Add shelving, drawers, and organizer trays to make sure everything has a place and the desktop remains clear to focus on just homework.
Don’t forget to add a few fun pieces of decor such as framed quotes or wall art to keep the space fun and inspirational.
04 | GET A WEEKS WORTH OF OUTFITS READY
Nothing can take longer than trying to find clothes, socks, and don’t even mention shoes, in a rush in the am.
Quit this agonizing cycle and opt for a little bit of prep work on Sunday to have a stress free week.
Click here to read: How to Declutter Your Closet
Gather a week’s worth of full outfits and get them organized. This tip is probably one of the best back to school organization ideas out there!
You can separate outfits hanging in the closet with M-F dividers, you can get a hanging separator, or use a dresser to get these outfits ready to go.
Don’t be afraid to get really specific, grab the hair accessories, grab the socks, grab the jacket, make the outfit as complete as possible to make it easy during a busy morning.
05 | PREP BREAKFAST
An important meal that just doesn’t get the time it deserves. So to make sure everyone participates by making take and go breakfast items ahead of time.
Pour orange juice in to-go cups. Prepare breakfast burritos that just need to pop in the microwave. Make grab and go protein muffins.
There are dozens of make-ahead breakfast ideas on Pinterest. Take a look at what would be easy to prepare on a weekend to make sure everyone is eating breakfast all week long.
06 | GIVE THE HOUSE A DEEP CLEAN
After summer our homes might need a little TLC. Major zones like entryways, laundry rooms, and closets tend to be the least likely place to experience a deep clean.
Click here to read: 11 Things You Never Thought To Organize
If you work away from your home, when school is back in session, your home can be very difficult to manage with such a limited schedule.
So take advantage of the extra pairs of hands to help you get your home decluttered, cleaned, and organized.
If your family has to participate in cleaning areas they don’t typically help with they may gain some perspective of what it takes to get something cleaned.
Hopefully, this might help them keep these areas a little cleaner throughout the school season. (If you’re lucky!)
07 | CREATE AN AFTER SCHOOL DROP ZONE
You didn’t realize your kid wanted to play the Tuba until your dropping money at a music store and now have to deal with instrument cases, stands, and piles of sheet music.
Whatever your kids decide to participate in, usually their activity supplies can take up a lot of room.
If your kid plays sports, think about installing a shelf in the garage where their pads, equipment, and whatever oddball thing they have can be stored and can be easy to get to.
Bins, shelves, hooks, containers, whatever organizational tool will work, think about getting something set up and organized before the school year begins.
08 | ORGANIZE YOUR CAR
Drop-offs, pickups, school functions, crazy social calendars, and emergencies all start and end with your car.
If you have a child that constantly forgets things for school, write a checklist and tape to the back of the seat or the front dash where they would sit every morning on the way to school.
Just a quick glance at the checklist will help your kid realize if they forgot something important and can run and grab it before you take off.
Keep a small school emergency kit in the car. Extra clothes, water bottle, granola bars, extra pens, pencils, and paper. Whatever you could think of that could prevent you from having to make multiple trips between school and home.
Keep a trash bin in your car and give your kids the chore to empty it out every Friday when you all get home after school to prepare for the following week.
Before letting your kids run out of the car into the house get in the habit of making everyone bring in anything from the car that doesn’t belong there. Jackets, water bottles, coffee cups, etc.
09 | PRE-PLAN A MONTH OF MEALS
We have all heard about making a meal plan for the week but what about for an entire month?
When schedules get busy during school thinking about what to cook every night is one unnecessary stress you shouldn’t have to deal with.
So take thirty minutes and think about what an entire month of meals could look like.
On your family calendar write down the dinner plan for every night of the week.
Do not be afraid to simplify it. Make every Tuesday taco Tuesday but switch up the meat. Maybe week one of the month it’s shrimp tacos. The second week it’s shredded beef, etc.
In fact, you can create a theme for every day of the week! Meatless Mondays, Stir-Fridays, etc.
When you know what’s for dinner every night, making a grocery list will be faster, knowing what to pull out from the freezer will be easier, and not having to answer the question, “what’s for dinner?” every night is priceless.
Going back to school can be a bit of a whirlwind for everybody but your sanity shouldn’t have to suffer too.
Use some of these great back to school organization ideas in your home! Create some habits, and get prepared for an easy-breezy school season!
Happy Decluttering!
