Facing a new school year can be a daunting task for both parents and children — even a month in, when children are still getting settled and parents are working out schedules. Organization can help the whole family feel more prepared to take on the challenge.
Starting from that first shopping trip for notebooks and folders, you and your child can work together to get organized. By giving children some ownership over their supplies, they may be more inclined to use and take care of them. Even very young children can have a hand in selecting what they need for school.
Now that you have all the supplies, make sure that everything is labeled clearly with your child’s name. Pencil boxes, lunch boxes, notebooks, and food containers are much more likely to find their way home again if they are easily identifiable. Sites like namebubbles.com provide easy-to-customize labels that are both dishwasher- and washing-machine safe.
If you don’t have it already, you should come up with a morning routine that can help prevent those last minute searches for homework and sneakers. Consider having children pack their bags and lay out their clothes (including shoes, socks, and underwear) the night before to save time in the morning. A laminated tag on your child’s bookbag with a verbal or picture list of every item that needs to go in each day will help both you and your child remember important details like water bottles or math worksheets. Planning lunches for the whole week on Sunday can be another morning time-saver. Lastly, consider creating a photo book for young children to help them remember everything that needs to be accomplished in the morning. Laminate pictures of getting dressed, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, putting on a backpack, and any other morning tasks onto a metal binder ring to help children navigate the morning more independently, and free up your time for other chores.
Also, create a similar routine for the afternoon. Consider designating a special homework spot where children have the space, quiet, and all the supplies they need to successfully and peacefully complete their work daily. Fun, brightly colored homework-only supplies can help to add special appeal to the task. Similarly, there should be a designated area for school papers — permission slips, parent notices, and activity schedules. Make sure to check your child’s bag every night for important papers. Many of these often come home at the beginning of the school year.
Lastly, if you haven’t done so already, send your child’s teacher a short e-mail to say hello and introduce yourself. This is a great way to introduce yourself or to reintroduce yourself if you met during a chaotic parent’s night with many other families. An e-mail can help to make a connection and establish a relationship for the rest of the year.
Jenny Grace Torgerson is a head pre-school teacher at an independent school in New York City and is finishing her masters degree in early childhood at Bank Street.
