Back to School - Getting Organized and Creating a Productive Home Environment
Do a Home Deep Clean
Before the school year begins, start with a deep clean of the house. This can help to get the school year started on the right note. Whether you are learning from home or sending kids to school, having a clean home can be a great first step. A deep clean can be a great first step before preparing learning areas and the home for the coming school year. We have a few tips for a back to school deep clean.
3 Tips for Doing a Back to School Deep Clean:
- Focus on learning areas - Whether you are schooling at home or our children are going to brick and mortar school, there are usually learning areas established in the home. These can be places for homework or projects. Take some time to thoroughly clean these high-use areas.
- Deep clean the kitchen - When preparing for a new school year, take some to deep clean the kitchen with a safe cleaner. Doing a deep cleaning before the school year starts can help you to be able to only maintain it throughout the school year.
- Deep clean the bedrooms - After a long day of school work children need a place to unwind. Taking the time to remove clutter and use a safe cleaner to clean walls and carpets and other areas in the room. It can also help to establish storage systems for items while you are cleaning This will give your child a safe place to unwind.
Have an After School Cleaning Plan
Whether you send your child to school or do distance learning after school, it can help to have an after school cleaning plan. This could have to do with where items are put when they get home, how they clean up their work station, or ways things should be cleaned after being used. While it can be a bit overwhelming to think of keeping everything clean in light of everything happening right now, it doesn’t have to be. There are some simple ways to make an after school cleaning plan.
3 Ways to Set Up an After School Cleaning Plan:
- Have a place for all belongings that come into the house from outside - With kids who are attending in-person classes it can help to have a plan for all belongings that come in from outside. This could include using a safe cleaner to wipe down shoes and wash items like backpacks. It also helps to have a place to put reusable masks that need washed from the day. You may also want a spot for laundry that needs to be washed if you have your children change when they get home.
- Make each child accountable to their work station - Are your children doing distance learning? These areas can get messy with use. Set a standard of what the cleaning procedures are for that area before the school year begins. It can help if they know that their work area is their responsibility and cleaning it up is the final assignment of each day.
- Assign family chores - Starting another school year means moving into a new routine. The way things worked in the summer won’t work anymore. Assign chores based on the age of the child that they can be responsible for each day. This will help the entire family to adjust to back to school time.
Declutter Where Possible
One of the biggest areas that mess tends to dwell is in the clutter. It’s not that you mean to stack all the papers by the door or keep way too much of certain things. It just happens that way sometimes. However, this clutter can work against having a clean home throughout the school year. Taking some time to declutter before school starts can be a game changer for the coming year. Not only will there be less stuff, cleaning the areas the stuff once resided becomes easier as well.
3 Tips for Decluttering for Back to School:
- Get rid of paper clutter - Paper clutter can quickly take over a home. Whether it’s bills, old schoolwork, or magazines that end up in a stack, it can be problematic. Take some time to go through the bills and either log them on a spreadsheet or file them for future payment. Look at old school work and decide which items need to be put in a file for the future and which items can be recycled. Eliminating paper clutter will help you to be prepared for the new round of paperwork coming in during the school year.
- Go through closets/dressers - One area that quickly becomes cluttered is the area where clothes are stored. Spend some time before the school year begins focused on going through clothing. If it doesn’t fit or won’t get used, it may be time to donate it. Removing clothing clutter can help children to get to what they do need to wear for school work each day.
- Declutter homework areas or schoolwork areas - Whether you are doing school at brick and mortar school or with a distance learning approach, your child will need an area in the home for school work. This means that you will need to remove any clutter that would make it harder for your child to work in a certain space on homework or schoolwork. Removing distractions from a school work area can help your child to focus on the lessons they are working on instead of their surroundings.
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