EASY STEPS TO A MORE ORGANISED SCHOOL RUN
Image Source: Left (A thousand words), Right (The Container Store)
Image Source: Marie Kondo Twitter feed
I remember when my daughter started prep that the daily school run felt like a big deal starting with lunch and ending with finding a park before the school bell. And I mean it’s just lunch and packing a bag right? But the requirement to create a nutritious lunch that they’ll actually eat has become a forefront issue for parents not to mention the additional homework and extra curricula activities. So as someone who previously developed systems (a lifetime ago LOL ) I streamlined it. This is really easy to do and in no time you’ll have your little person organised for school.
UNIFORMS
Don’t listen to cries of I can’t find my clothes anymore. Kids are not great at looking for things unless it’s Easter eggs or cash in the couch. To create a very simple strategy for getting dressed in the morning place all of their school clothes neatly in a basket in a drawer. I like to use the IKEA felt baskets. This is a little Marie Kondo but completely worthwhile. Trust me. This works a treat….so long as those clothes made it to the wash pile in the first place lol.
SCHOOL LUNCHES
- Clean out the food that really isn’t going to be eaten. You may as well start the year with a clean fridge.
- For both your pantry and your fridge you will need some open top containers. Around 2-3 for each. I like to use small baskets in my pantry and Perspex boxes in my fridge.
- Use each container to house a type of food for your child’s lunchbox. Here’s how I use mine however you might have a carb option in the fridge for sushi. The choice is yours.
Image source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/magazine-16069217/close-up-japan-s-amazing-lunchboxes
FRIDGE PANTRY
Dairy (Yoghurts, Cheeses) Carbs (cheddarmites, rice crackers, pita bread)
Fruit Treats (chocolate protein balls, muesli bars)
Vegetables (Cut carrots, cherry tomatoes)
Small dips (salsa, guacamole or hummus)
4. Finally, send your little person with their lunchbox to collect one item from each basket and job done. It will give your little person power over their lunch and help you keep track on what needs refilling when shopping.
Image source: https://www.parenting.com/gallery/bento-lunch-boxes
Hot Tips:
- I prep my veges once to twice a week while I’m cooking dinner. You can even pre-pack them in small containers ready to go.
- The carrots keep better when kept in water which you can safely do for around 3 days. I use a beetroot storage container to help drain water when pulling them out.
- Check out Amanda’s Wholesome Kitchen for some great recipes and tips. I have seen Amanda speak and she is inspiring. Even if only a little bit creeps into your routine. She also offers assistance with organising your shopping and pantry. http://www.amandaswholesomekitchen.com.au/
- Take a look at Modern Honey for a list of awesome lunchbox ideas. https://www.modernhoney.com/back-to-school-kids-lunch-ideas/
MAKE SURE YOU PACK EVERYTHING YOU NEED…….
Image Source: iheartorganizing.blogspot.com.au
So how about packing up that school bag? How often have you dropped your child at school and they’ve forgotten that it’s library day or some other pertinent item requiring day. The routine IS the same EVERY week and yet this happens. To be honest it’s most likely that our little people have a lot of other things buzzing around in their heads and prepping their school bags really doesn’t rate highly. So to assist our little people I have a strategy. This may require a small outlay however I would check around the house first.
You are going to create an “Organisation Station” for each of your children. You need a place in your house (entry, laundry or their bedroom is usually the best spot) where your child’s school bag and related items can live. I find cube storage, baskets, hooks and buffets work well however if you have budget you can go all out with some purpose built cabinetry “swoon”. You will need enough room for school shoes, sporting gear, swim gear, library bag and books, homework folder and permission slips. Don’t forget the after school activities gear also. Use soft bags to group sporting gear together.
Above each child’s “Organisation Station” add their name and keep a schedule by day of the week of what needs to be taken to school. If you know excursion dates I would even have a space for listing those up there as a prompt for permission slips. I’ve designed two school planners below for you to use (see links). I would highly recommend framing them so that you can use a white board marker to adjust the plan as the year progresses. Plus it looks a little more pretty :).
Disclaimer: This is not foolproof “sigh”. You will need to provide your children with basic training and they will still forget items “sigh again” but it will start to create more order and maybe at least one of your children will nail it most of the time 🙂
PLANNER LINKS
Check out these great school planners to keep your little one on track.
A woodland school planner to keep organisation fun