How To Get Ready For The School Year

It’s a Monday morning, and you are helping your frantic fourth-grader search for her homework folder. You half hear her insist that it was right there on the coffee table yesterday while you remind your first-grader again to put on his socks and shoes. You look at the clock with a sigh, knowing you’re pushing it for time, and the kids haven’t even had breakfast yet. Does this sound familiar?

It's just about that time again; school is back in session! But that doesn’t mean this has to be the scene at your home for the semester. We’ve been there, and we want to help. Here are some of our best tips for getting your home in order before the back-to-school rush begins.

1. Establish a Daily Routine

Back to school means back to a routine. Following a schedule can teach kids responsibility and organization while taking some of the stress off parents during the day. Setting expectations up front and practicing daily tasks before the school year starts will help make the transition from summer to fall easier on everyone.

If you have younger children, you understand the importance of having a routine! Stick a dry erase or laminated check list on the fridge or their bedroom doors. Checking off tasks like math homework and assigned reading as they go allows them to feel involved and accomplished.

2. Give Your Students a Workspace

Give your kids a workspace to help keep themselves organized and focused. Whether it's in their bedroom or a separate space altogether, it's important for kids to have a quiet place to do their homework and study. When you're shopping for a new manufactured or modular home for your family, ask about built-in office and desk options, like the ones in the Lulamae model by Buccaneer or in the Littlefield model by Energy Homes. The work space and built-in storage in the flex room featured in the Amazon model is perfect for your kids to do schoolwork and place school items in a designated area.

3. Drop-off Stations

Features in our homes such as mudrooms and garages are the ideal spots to set up stations to drop off backpacks, lunches, jackets and dirty shoes. There these items can easily be wiped down and cleaned without tracking in outside messes. Laundry rooms that are accessible from the outside, like in the Amelia or Farmhouse 3 models by Clayton, are also a great place to transition from work and school to home life. Kids can take off dirty clothes as soon as they get home and throw them into the wash with a change of clean play or casual clothes ready.

You can also optimize your entryway as the appointed drop-off station. Simple hooks, shoe racks and other easy additions can help you have the perfect entryway year-round.

4. Stay Organized

Going back to school means a new haul of supplies. Loose papers and pencils can end up taking over your house before school even starts! Set up a spot where your kids can keep their notebooks, highlighters and books. This will prevent clutter from piling up, and you won't be rushing to find where they left their homework in the morning.

If you have a lot of papers to store, try refurbishing an old filing cabinet. Follow this step by step project from HomeTalk to learn how to make a chalk board filing cabinet.

The end of summer can be stressful, but it doesn't have to be. Follow these tips and getting the kids back to school will be a breeze!