Sometimes I know what I *should* do, but my brain and mouth don't connect. Can anyone relate? #ParentFail
These moments have a tendency to sneak up on me in the morning. It's 15 minutes before you need to leave for school and all the jackets, homework, and gym shoes suddenly ... POOF ... disappear.
This is often followed by whining and statements like, "Where did YOU put my [fill in blank]?" Do you find yourself replying with a snarky, "It's not my job to keep track of your stuff." too? This is not the type of parent I want to be, so last month, on this very day, I decided to make a change.
Our family set-up a school prep zone. This is a single designated area of the house designed to reduce morning stress and help your child independently stay organized. It requires two simple components:
- Sturdy hooks for coats, jackets, and backpacks.
- Cubicles or baskets for library books, lunch boxes, homework, gym shoes and more.
Below are a few of my favorite hooks and cubbies, click the images for details. So many cute options!
**If you don't have hooks, cubicles or baskets, you can still easily accomplish this task by upcycling items from around the house. Scroll down or click here to see how we set-up our family's school prep zone.
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I love this Bird Branches Coat Tree from Pottery Barn kids that attaches to the wall for security.
It can be ordered with a bird or owl at the top. How cool is that?
Here are a few of my favorite cubbie and storage options, click images for details:
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You can also create a school prep zone by simply upcycling items from around the house. Even something as simple as designating a chair to place school items the night before is a great help!
Below are a few shots of what our family's designated school prep zone looks like:
- Our jackets, backpacks, snow pants, mittens, hats and ear muffs go on sturdy hooks. The girls' hooks are designated by these easy-to-personalize Melissa & Doug Heart Plaques.
- We re-purposed an old set of well-loved wood cubbies. The top shelf is for school library books, the middle and bottom shelves are for gear for after-school activities.
- The girls keep homework that is due in baskets on top of the cubbies. This is a great way to visualize that they have something due without having to ask!
Of course, creating the school prep zone is the easy part.
How do you get your child to independently stay organized?
Click here to learn how to make prepping for school an easy routine.
Questions? Let's chat in the comments!
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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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