Four Great Products for Back to School Organizing

It’s time for a new school year, a fresh start and the chance to get your child organized ahead of the game. And of course, the key to passing on good habits to your kids is to model them yourself! Be your own professional organizer by setting up some guidelines for your child that will set a good example and start the year off on the right foot.

Here are some favorite fall organizing products from the pros at Organizers Northwest that will help you to start the year off right:

1. Homework Caddies

   These plastic caddies are cheap, easy to find and allow your child to create their own homework “station” on any surface of the house. Once they’re done, your child can stay organized by continuing their classroom habit of packing up their caddy and putting it away in their room.

2. Command Hooks

   Utilize large command hooks in major activity centers in your home. Place them at your child’s current height so that they can take responsibility for hanging out their clothes for the morning, or hanging their coat and backpack up immediately after school.




3. Time Timer

   This fancy little gizmo allows your child to see time passing in a truly visual way. When you set the timer, red indicates the time you are allowing for that activity. As the time winds down, the red disappears. This is a great tool for teaching kids time management. Help them (and yourself!) to plan how long homework and chores take to complete.




4. Kid’s Art Portfolio

   The best way to organize kids’ art is to create an archival system. Each year, their artwork should be collected in one container. At the end of the school year, you should review this container with your child and choose pieces to keep and to toss (soothe your child’s need to keep everything by taking photos of those that are being tossed). Place the remainder of their work into an archival portfolio, label it with their names, date and grade and put it into long-term storage. The empty bin goes back to its home for the following school year.

   To store your child’s artwork during the school year, we suggest a clear plastic under-the-bed storage bin, to be stored under each child’s bed.

   Here are three organizing solutions options for storing your child’s archival work:

   • A classic soft paper portfolio like this one:

     

   • Use an archival frame and showcase the latest art and simultaneously store the old art:

     

   
   

   • Make your own:

     For thrifty parents out there, try this blogger’s homemade portfolio created with two pieces of foam core or poster board and duct tape.