Organizing with Kids

The school year is off to a great start, but with young preschoolers or a mix of older kids, getting and STAYING organized is the ultimate challenge.  We always have great intentions (can anyone say, working out?) but to maintain that level of organization is tough.  Here are a few tips we have acquired over the years that will help stave off the madness.

1. It seems silly, but really think about the few key places you put important things.  For example, you have patterns.  You walk in the door, where do you put your keys?  Your purse/bags etc?  If you have important papers, invitations, where do they go?  If you have a desk, or a kitchen "hub" do these things get collected in piles placed all over the fridge?

Decide the most realistic and convenient place for all of these things, and stick with keeping them in the same spots.

2. Those important papers get lost so easily.  Especially if you have more than one child. One suggestion is to use three ring binders to sort all of these papers with easy access.  For school, make either a binder for each child, or one big binder for all children.  Make sections for school papers, after school activities or class confirmations and informational papers if they are younger.  That way, when you need the class list or need to refer to when a field trip will be, you know where to go.  Keep another binder for medical forms, information, etc.  How many times are you asked to fill out a form with the dates of the last shots, or for a new class or camp.  Keep multiple copies on file so you can access them easily.

3. Designate a drawer or box for the school papers the kids bring home.  Either they, or you, may want to keep everything, but unless you live in a castle, hoarding all that work is overwhelming.  So on a monthly basis, go through the papers/artwork that can be purged, and transfer the keepers to an under the bed box, or larger flat storage box (with all the papers dated), so you can pull them out when the kiddies get older to remind them of when they were so cute!

If art projects overwhelm you, take pictures of them and keep them in a small album.

So three easy things you can do to get your hectic life in order.  You know what they say, "Happy Mommy is Happy Family".  So go ahead, get happy!