How to Organize Your Family for the Back to School Rush

Summer has come and gone and with it the relaxed summer attitudes. The school year is back with a vengeance, and if your family doesn't get organized, the chaos might just tear things apart.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Family calendar
• Organization bins
• Filing Folders
• Labeler

1. Create a family calendar and keep it in a central place. Make sure that it is color coded with each individuals activities. For example, if your son's color is blue, make sure to write down everything they have scheduled including school hours, sports practices, and activities in blue.
   
   Your family calendar needs to include everything. Schedule every meeting, homework times, study times, and even family times. If you put everything on the calender, you make sure that everyone gets the attention and priority they deserve, but you also can see, at a glance, if your family is trying to take on too much.

2. Create an organization system with bins or baskets for every family member. Make sure that everything important gets placed in each person's respective bin. This way, no one is ever rushing to find something important. Keys, book bags, show and tells, and even important forms can be placed in each basket.
   
   In the evening, if family members place their belongings in their basket, it be there in the morning when things are rushed.

3. 
   A filing system might seem overkill, but it will pay off big time.

   Create a small filing system with folders for each family member. Whenever a piece of paper that is or might be important comes in the mail or home from school, it should be filed. This way, nothing is ever lost.
   
   This system will only work if the folders are reviewed every few days to check for timelines and due dates. If a paper is obsolete, get rid of it.

4. Get your family in the habit of laying out clothes the night before. This way, the morning rush can be avoided. When clothes are laid out and prepared the night before, the morning can start off pleasant instead of hectic. Nothing makes a day worse then an early morning rush or argument.

Tips & Warnings

• Being so organized might be a huge adjustment and it might seem overkill, but the back to school rush should be avoided at all cost. A little time invested in organization will help your family substantially.
• Becoming organized will take time. It will take at least a month of consistent practice for these intentional activities to become habits. Don't give up too early.