Kids gotta have a little chaos around them everywhere they go. It’s cute but as school becomes quite a big chunk of their lives, things have got to change. Things your kid used to do as a toddler like falling asleep at random corners and leaving clothes around the room won’t be as cute anymore.
Leaving stuff lying around the house only makes your child’s days less productive. By instilling these habits (and practicing them yourself), you’re eliminating unforeseen circumstances that may happen while your child is at school. I mean, it’s not exactly a walk in the park when you get a call or realise midway through morning traffic that little Timmy has forgotten his lunchbox and that piece of homework he was working on last night.
While making mistakes may be inevitable, you can help your child slowly get used to a healthy routine. Here are some ways to get into that so that mummy and child can excel in school, at work and the world!
HOMEWORK STATION
Designate a space in his room specifically for school work and encourage him to do his homework there. You can even integrate the homework station in your home office. With his own space, you can help him create a system to store and organise school books and papers. Include a special pen for signing school forms and writing notes to your kid’s teacher. It’s a great way to get into the habit of reviewing any items needed for the next day.
THE WEEK'S OUTFITS
Help your child pick clothes out for everyday of this week. This eliminates extra time wasted on indecisions. Nobody likes finding out they have nothing to wear on a school or work day - especially at 6AM! Get a clothes organiser and label them according to the days of the week.
LUNCH CABINET
I Heart Organising reclaimed one of her cabinets and turned into a new kid-lunch-making station. She added wash tapes and labels to help the whole family recognise what goes where. The middle shelf holds all of the containers for the lunch boxes, dividers and sandwich keepers and their thermoses. You can do many little things to create an organised lunch station. This way, you won’t be storming around the kitchen trying to reach at opposite ends of the kitchen just to make a turkey ham sandwich. Keep everything together but tidily for easy mornings.
BACKPACK CHECK
You and your child should set a time every day in the homework zone to check their school bag. Start by reviewing their daily planner, then ask them if there are any forms they need to give you or get you to sign. Help your child organise his schoolbag with paper binders or folders.
With just these three simple organising tips, you’ll find it so much easier to stay on top of everything on a daily basis.