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As summer winds down, it’s time to shift from those long summer days to early mornings and backpacks. Whether your kids are starting kindergarten or heading into high school, the transition back to school can feel chaotic especially without a plan and routines in place. With a few new systems and a little prep, you can create a home environment that supports a smooth, stress-free school year—for the whole family. Prep Phase:Family Meeting: Get everyone’s involvement and make sure everyone is on the same page about expectations, schedules, and even goals for the school year. Getting each family member's insight can help foster community and accountability. Declutter all things related to school: Now is a great time to go through clothes, shoes, and school supplies. Go through backpacks and empty out any trash or items that are no longer needed. Give the bag a nice wash so it’s fresh for a new school year (gasp! Yes it’s ok to reuse backpacks). Here is your reminder that it’s also ok to reuse any school supplies that are still in good condition. Just because things are lower priced doesn’t mean you have to buy new. Don’t forget to donate any shoes, clothes, and backpacks that kids have outgrown and recycle anything stained or ripped. Once you have cleared space you can work together to organize their closets and desks so they’re ready for the new school year. Keep a donation bin, box or trash bag nearby as you’re decluttering. This makes it easy to toss in what’s no longer needed—and get it out of the house before the school year starts. (Check out our list of local charities for more information on where to donate those items.) Reset the Routines: Summer usually means later nights and slow morning routines so start adjusting bedtime and wake-up times 1–2 weeks in advance. Start establishing those morning routines such as brushing teeth, getting dressed, making your bed, eating breakfast to get those habits going. This makes that first early morning much less painful. Check the Inventory: What supplies do you already have? What can you reuse? What’s missing? We recommend printing the school supply list from your school and cross off anything you don’t need. You can either shop online or in the store. There are even sites that will preload your cart with your child's school supply list, just make sure to remove anything that you don’t need.  Supplies & Setup:Stock the Essentials: Pencils, notebooks, lunch boxes, water bottles—gather it all now so you’re not panic-shopping the night before. If you already have everything make sure it is where everyone can find them and use them easily. Label Everything: Seriously—everything, even if the label is inside of items like backpacks and lunch boxes. Backpacks, water bottles, lunch containers, even jackets. A simple label can save a lot of lost-and-found stress. Do you need a Command Center: Designate a space in your home (maybe a small wall, corner, side of the refrigerator, desk, mudroom, or even the inside of a closet door) to serve as the school year command center. This could include a family calendar, file folders for school papers, hooks for backpacks, and a bin for shoes. There are also digital options such as the skylight calendar to keep track of calendars, chores, tasks, etc. Think about your routines, do the kids come in the house through the garage, if so where is the easiest place for them to drop their shoes? Where do they hang their bags? Set Up a Homework Station: This could be your dining room table, the desk in the office, the desk in each kid's room, even if you don’t have a dedicated room, a rolling cart or basket with school supplies can work wonders. The key is for things to be EASY and to have everything in one place. Meal Prep & Snack Zones: Designate a shelf or a few bins in your pantry and/or fridge for grab-and-go lunches and snacks. This helps older kids be more independent and keeps mornings running smoother.  First Week & Beyond:Stick to Your Systems: Consistency is everything. Keep backpacks in their designated spot, review the family calendar weekly, utilize the spaces you have designated for information and homework and do quick resets when time allows. Make notes of if some things need tweaked to work better for your family. Create a School Paper Flow: Decide how school papers will be handled—maybe a tray for incoming papers and a folder for things that need action. Avoid the paper pileup. Mark a date on your calendar to deal with school papers consistently. Maybe it’s once a week, maybe once a month the key is consistency. Celebrate the Wins: Whether it’s making it to school on time all week or finally getting that homework routine down—celebrate the small victories!
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