31 Brilliant Back to School Organization Tips for Moms

Looking for some brilliant back to school organization tips for moms? Well, mama, you’re in luck because I’ve got you covered!

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Being a mom is hard enough, but as the school year approaches it can be particularly difficult to get your family (and yourself) organized.

School nights quickly become chaotic with homework deadlines, music lessons, and sports practice looming over you.

But don’t stress! With a little bit of planning and some hands-on organization on your part, you can make the transition to a new school year run smoothly for everyone in the family.

Today I’m sharing some simple yet effective back to school organization tips for moms that will help ease the chaos so you can focus on enjoying quality time with your kids again!

Make this school year a success with The Complete Back to School Bundle.

Back to School Organization Tips for Moms

1. Shop for School Supplies Early

One of the best ways to get organized for back to school season is to start shopping for school supplies early. This will not only give you a head start, but it’ll also save you from the last-minute rush and the headache of fighting crowds. Plus, who doesn’t love a good excuse to go shopping?

2. Clean Out and Organize Your Pantry

As moms, we all know how chaotic and frustrating it can be to rummage through a disorganized pantry searching for snacks or dinner ingredients. Take time before the school year starts to organize your pantry. Say goodbye to expired food and hello to a system that works for you and your family!

3. Stock Up on Groceries and Household Essentials

Stocking up on groceries and household essentials before the school year starts is an easy task you can do ahead of time. This can help to ensure that you have everything you need for busy weekday evenings and reduce stress throughout the school year.

Take inventory of your pantry, fridge, and freezer, and make a list of the items you need to restock. This can include snacks, lunchbox items, and easy dinner options. In addition to groceries, make sure you have enough household essentials, such as toiletries, cleaning supplies, and laundry detergent.

By stocking up on these items in advance, you can focus on helping your child with homework and other school-related activities without having to worry about running out of essential items.

4. Learn to Meal Plan

Between packing lunches, making sure backpacks are full, and getting the kids up and out the door on time, the thought of having to come up with dinner ideas every day is enough to drive anyone crazy. What’s the secret to saving your sanity? Meal planning!

Need some help? Grab my busy mom’s guide to meal planning HERE!

5. Use the Crockpot and Freezer-Friendly Meals

One of the best back to school organization tips for moms to make their life easier when it comes to dinner during the busy week is to use a crockpot and freezer-friendly meals.

It’s a no-brainer! You can prep meals over the weekend and freeze them, or even toss everything in the crockpot before you head out for the day.

By the time dinner rolls around, you’ll have a delicious meal that requires minimal effort. Plus, you’ll have leftovers for lunch the next day! It’s a win-win situation.

6. Set Up a Meal Prep Station

If you’re anything like me, the thought of packing lunches every night can feel overwhelming. That’s why I’ve found that setting up a meal prep station can be a total lifesaver.

Pick a spot in your kitchen and stock it with all of your go-to lunch and snack ingredients. Throw in some cute Tupperware and you’re ready to roll!

Not only will this make packing lunches a breeze, but it also gives your little ones a designated spot to help with meal prep.

7. Create a List of Go-To Lunch Ideas

To go along with setting up a lunch packing station, creating a list of go-to lunch ideas can be a huge time-saving hack, especially when you are in a rut.

To help you out I’ve created a free lunch packing guide that you can tape up in your lunch packing area. Download yours from my FREEBIE library by signing up for my email list HERE.

8. Fill a Bin with After School Snacks

Afternoons tend to be hectic, but you can easily make one aspect a breeze. Fill a bin with all the snacks and treats your kids love, and leave it in a designated spot in the kitchen.

Not only will this save time when putting together snacks, but your kids will also love having easy access to their favorite treats after school.

9. Set Up a Homework Station

A designated area for your child to tackle their homework, complete with all the necessary supplies, can work wonders for their productivity and your sanity.

This can be anything from a desk in your office or a quiet spot at the kitchen table. My favorite tip is to use a cart to hold all your kids’ necessities so they can easily be moved if needed.

10. Keep Your Calendar Open for the First Month of School

During the first few weeks of school, there are usually unexpected events, such as teacher meetings, school assemblies, and after-school activities that pop up.

By keeping your calendar open, you’ll have the flexibility to attend these events and support your child without feeling rushed or stressed.

Additionally, it’s important to remember that the first month of school can be a time of transition for both you and your child. By focusing on school-related activities during this time, you can help your child establish a positive routine and start the school year off on the right foot.

11. Use a Planner to Stay Organized

If you’re a mom you already know back to school season can get pretty crazy! We have to be on our A-game to make sure everyone, including ourselves, stays organized.

That’s where planners come in…it’s one of the best back to school organization tips for moms there is.

They serve as your personal assistant to remind you of important meetings, sports practices, and parent-teacher conferences. So grab that planner and start organizing your life like the boss mom you are!

12. Keep Important Info in One Place for Easy Access

Trying to keep track of all the important information that comes with a new school year can feel like you’re running in circles. One of the best back to school organization tips for moms is to create a mega binder.

This one-stop shop will contain all the essential information, from school schedules to emergency contact forms. No more frantically searching for that one piece of paper that seems to elude you every year.

13. Implement a System for Paperwork

Are you dreading the paper tsunami that comes with the start of the school year? With permission slips, class schedules, and homework assignments galore, it can be overwhelming to keep everything organized.

But fear not! One of the best back to school organization tips for moms is to implement a system for paperwork. Whether it’s a designated folder or a hanging file system, having a dedicated spot for incoming and outgoing paperwork will save you from frantically searching for that permission slip that was due yesterday.

14. Set Up a Family Command Center

When it comes to back to school organization tips for moms, my secret weapon is the family command center.

Set up a fun and functional command center in a central location of your home and you’ll never have to worry about misplaced permission slips, forgotten field trips, or mystery school projects ever again.

From calendars to to-do lists and meal plans, the family command center is the organizational hub that keeps your family on track. So, put on your cape, grab some colorful markers, and get ready to conquer the chaos of back-to-school season in style.

15. Create a Shared Family Email & Calendar

One of the best back to school organization tips for moms I can offer is to create a shared family email and calendar. This will help you stay on top of important events like parent-teacher conferences, after-school activities, and doctor’s appointments.

Plus, it’s a great way to keep everyone in the loop, so you don’t have to waste time coordinating schedules over and over again. Our Google Calendar is shared between my husband and I as well as our parents if they are helping out with the kids.

By having one central place to keep track of everyone’s schedules, you won’t have to worry about overlapping appointments or forgotten meetings. Plus, it’s super easy to set up and will save you tons of time in the long run.

So go ahead, create that email address (something like “TheSmithFamilySchedule@gmail.com” is perfect), and get everyone in the family on board.

16. Clean out Closets

Before you start filling your shopping carts with new school gear, it’s important to take care of the clutter that’s accumulated over the past school year. What better place to start than with your kids’ closets?

From shirts that no longer fit to shoes that have seen better days, it’s time to clean out the old to make room for the new. So, grab a garbage bag and get your organization game on, mama! Your kids (and your sanity) will thank you.

17. Organize School Clothes Each Week

You know the drill – you wake up late and race around the house trying to find matching socks and a clean shirt, only to discover that the spirit shirt they are supposed to wear today is nowhere to be found.

Well, fear not! With a bit of weekly organization, you can make mornings a breeze. Every Sunday night, pick out outfits for the week ahead and set them aside in their own designated area. Bonus points if you enlist your kids’ help – it’s never too early to instill a love of organization!

18. Find a System for Laundry

One area that we often overlook when prepping for the school year is laundry. I mean, who has time to worry about washing clothes when you’re juggling class schedules and extracurricular activities?

That’s why it’s important to find a system for laundry that works for you. Maybe it’s designating specific days of the week for washing, or enlisting the help of your little ones to sort and fold.

Whatever it is, make sure it’s something that you can stick with. A little organization in the laundry department can go a long way in keeping your sanity during the back-to-school rush.

19. Have a Few Go-To Outfits for School Events

With so many school events on the horizon, it can feel like you’re juggling more than ever before! The last thing you want to worry about is what to wear.

That’s why having a few go-to outfits can be a total game-changer. Whether you’re heading to parent-teacher conferences or cheering on your little one at the big game, these outfits will have you feeling confident and put together in no time. Plus, you’ll have more time to focus on what really matters: making memories with your family.

20. Designate a Bin for Library Books

Let’s talk about one of the biggest struggles of back to school season – keeping track of all those darn library books! One day they’re in the backpack, the next day they’re under the bed, and before you know it, your kid owes the library a small fortune in late fees.

Well, fear not, because I have a solution that will change your life (or at least make it a little less stressful). Get yourself a big ol’ bin (preferably one with a lid, unless you want your living room to look like a mini-library) and designate it as the official library book spot.

When your little one comes home from school, have them toss their library books in the bin. That way, they’re easy to find when it’s time to head back to school and you won’t have to go on a scavenger hunt every time the due date approaches. It’s simple, it’s effective, and best of all, it leaves you with one less thing to worry about.

21. Establish an After-School routine

You’ve got the new backpacks, notebooks, and pencils, but now it’s time to establish an after-school routine that will keep your household running like a well-oiled machine. It may sound daunting, but with a little bit of planning, it can actually be kind of fun!

Maybe you’ll schedule in outside time as a family, or plan some quality time with the kiddos doing homework together. Whatever you decide, an after-school routine is a must-have for any mom looking to keep things organized and under control.

Having your kid’s routines visible is key to making them stick. Grab my realistic routines for kids bundle HERE!

22. Put Together a Morning Basket

This next back to school organization tip for moms will help you and your kids breeze through mornings with ease. Gather up all the essentials your little ones need to get ready in the morning – like hairbrushes, toothbrushes, and even breakfast snacks – and store them in a cute basket in the bathroom or near their bedroom.

Not only will this cut down on the frantic search for lost items, but it’ll also make for a more relaxing and calm morning routine.

23. Set Up a Drop Zone Near the Door

Going back to school does not mean your house has to instantly turn into a cluttered mess. One simple solution to keeping your house tidy is creating a drop zone.

This is simply a designated spot for all those pesky school items – backpacks, shoes, jackets, you name it – that always end up scattered around the house. Once you have a specific spot for all these items, it’s much easier to keep track of them and reduce your daily stress levels.

It can be as simple as command hooks on the wall and baskets for shoes or as elaborate as pretty little cubbies in the mudroom of your house.

24. Organize and Stock Your Car

I don’t know about you, but during the school year, I feel like we live in the car. It’s like a mobile command center for the entire family.

Keeping it organized and stocked with all the necessities (and even a few extras) is so helpful when you’re out and about and find yourself needing something. Stock it with snacks, school supplies for last-minute homework assignments, sports equipment, a first aid kit, and extra clothes so you’re prepared for any situation.

You never know when a snack emergency will strike or when a sudden rainstorm will leave your little one soaked. By keeping your car organized, you’ll be able to handle whatever the school year throws your way.

25. Create a Realistic Morning Routine for Kids

As most moms know, mornings usually set the tone for the entire day, which is why establishing a seamless but realistic morning routine for kids is so important.

With the start of a new school year, there is no better time to work on those routines. These tips and tricks will help you develop a realistic morning routine for kids to help you start the day off stress-free.

26. Label Everything

Here’s a hack that’ll make your life – and your kids’ lives – so much easier: label everything! With their names on their backpacks, lunch boxes, water bottles, and even their pencils, your kids will know exactly what belongs to them and never have to search through a sea of things again.

And trust me, that means no more mishaps and forgotten items, which means less stress for you! So, let’s get organized, and let’s get labeling!

27. Keep a Reminder List In a Visible Place

As a busy mom, you’ve got a lot on your plate already, but with a few simple organization tips, you can help make this transition a little smoother. First things first, keep a reminder list in a visible place.

You don’t have to be a master planner to make this work. A dry-erase board in the kitchen, a list on the fridge, or even sticky notes on the bathroom mirror can do the trick. If you can see “make sure the kids finish their homework” or “pack lunches the night before” every day, you’ll be less likely to forget and more likely to accomplish those daily goals.

Plus, checking things off a list is always satisfying, isn’t it? Let’s make this school year the best one yet!

28. Find a System for Displaying and Preserving Art and School Work

The kids are back in school and with that comes an onslaught of artwork and school projects. We all want to proudly display our children’s masterpieces, but what’s a mom to do with all of it? I have a few simple solutions for you:

1. Find a system for displaying and preserving art and school work. Whether it’s creating a gallery wall in your home or using a binder to store your child’s work, there are plenty of fun and creative ways to keep their projects organized and easily accessible.
2. Take pictures of your kid’s work throughout the year and print a photo book to commemorate your child’s growth and creativity.
3. Keep a memory box with a few special pieces from each year.

29. Set Screen Time Limits and Rules in Advance

As we gear up for another exciting school year, it’s time to start thinking about the dreaded screen time battle. Whether it’s with the TV, tablets, or laptop, setting screen time limits and rules in advance is a total game-changer.

Not only does it give you peace of mind knowing your kids aren’t spending hours lost in cyberspace, but it also teaches them valuable time management skills. What’s more, it opens the door to a whole new world of activities, from board games to outdoor adventures.

30. Implement a Weekly Reset Routine

If you’re a busy mom struggling to keep up from week to week (pretty much all of us at the beginning of the year) then a weekly reset routine is just what you need.

A weekly reset is a set of simple tasks that will help you prepare for the week ahead. It helps you to clear your mind of all the clutter that has accumulated over the previous week. It’s an opportunity to hit the pause button and focus on what’s really important. It also sets the stage for a productive week ahead.

Grab your weekly reset checklist in my FREEBIE library by signing up for my email list HERE.

31. Don’t Forget You’re Own Goals

While some of us may be relishing the thought of our kids back at school, our main focus is often making sure our offspring are well-prepared and ready to face the school year. But, don’t forget about your own goals and needs!

You deserve to make time for yourself, whether that’s reading a book or practicing yoga. Don’t forget to plan some moments of self-care amidst the chaos of back-to-school madness. Trust me, your sanity (and your family’s) will appreciate it!

Make this school year a success with The Complete Back to School Bundle.

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