Amber's Organizing - Tips

Organizing your child’s closet is a great opportunity to teach him/her the value of a tidy and efficient space. It does not have to be an overwhelming task. You can make it fun by allowing him/her to pick out bins, baskets, and organizers to give the closet a personal touch. Working together with your child you can edit his/her belongings and create a place for everything. 1. Take Everything Out of the Closet The first step is to create a blank slate. You should start by taking everything out of your child’s closet. This will allow you to see exactly…

Any parent would agree that we want our teens and college students to succeed in the real world and be functional, responsible adults one day on their own. Systems and habits start at home and equipping them with some basic organizing strategies will go a long way. Teach your teens not only how to do laundry but how to schedule it into their week. Your kids might be great at doing laundry but do they have the time management skills to fit it into their busy week with school activities and hanging out with friends? Sometimes teens and college students…

The trick to the completion of a successful school year is maintenance. If you start the year by building good habits into yours and their day and weeks, maintenance will take care of itself. Decide on ONE family calendar, whether it’s an electronic calendar or a physical calendar that hangs on the wall in the mudroom. Get into the habit of writing every parent or kid commitment onto the calendar. If you can review the day’s schedule with family members each morning at breakfast or the night before during dinner, you’ll be set up for success. Empty backpacks every night….

Transitions bring on stress – even those we’ve been through many times before, like shedding our relaxed summer selves and getting back to the school year hustle.  We can minimize start-up stress, however, by planning and putting things in place now.  With proper preparation and organization, we will avoid unnecessary anxiety, arguments, and overall pressure, leaving our kids with more energy to soak up new knowledge and reconnect with old friends.   Also, by engaging our kids in preparation, we not only give them a solid boost this year, but we model good behavior that they may copy throughout their learning lives. Maybe you’re…

A successful first day (or week) of school starts with organizing and planning. Physical and emotional barriers will get in the way. Here are some ideas of how to hurdle over them. Physical Logistics On the day before school starts, run through the morning routine with your kids and have them help you prepare the following items. Check that the bathroom is clean and there are towels, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc. for each child (and yourself!). Layout each child’s outfit in an accessible and obvious location.  Put out everything they are going to wear in one place (shoes waiting…

No matter what the size or layout of a dorm room, organization is a must! With small spaces, there’s no room for disorganization. Our organizing tips for dorm rooms and college students will help you plan for organization. As your student leaves their childhood bedroom empty, consider these options to prevent clutter from building up at home. Tips to Organize Your College Dorm Room If you are planning to visit home after the start of the school year, bring summer clothes home and take winter clothes back to college. Taking just the clothing suited to the current season will help save space…