Time to rejoice, parents! School is back in session. After a summer of where to, how to and what to do to keep your children occupied, the time has come to send them back to school. They are ready to go with new clothes, new back packs and new haircuts. The laundry list of school supplies have been bought and the necessary text books procured. The kids are all signed up for football, cross country or dance. Now there is just one problem: what to do with all that stuff!
Here are a few ways to keep their back to school clutter from disrupting your decor.
1. Establish landing zones in a mudroom, back hall, or garage
Hang storage cubes on the wall or purchase a storage bench with cubbies. Assign one to each child and/or your husband. Let them personalize it by lining the back with a contact paper they like, or making their own name tag. This will make a clear spot for them to hang their back pack, drop their gear and shed those dirty shoes.
Image: Rick Lew/Getty Images
2. Organize laundry baskets in the laundry room
Designate one for school clothes/uniforms, one for athletic gear and one for everyday clothes. When they come in from practice in a completely filthy and sweaty outfit, they can go straight to the laundry room and shed those clothes. Keep fuzzy robes on a hook for them to put on before they head for the shower. If your laundry room is more like a laundry closet, place the laundry baskets in the garage or along a back hall. In this case, get the baskets with wheels!
3. Buy some plastic totes with lids
Place extra notebooks, pens/pencils, calculators and chargers for tablets or smart phones in these bins. The lids can be personalized with each child’s name. It will keep your drawers and counters from becoming cluttered plus your child will know where these materials are kept and will be able to locate them on their own when they need something.
4. Hang a canvas magazine rack on the back of the pantry or kitchen door
Ongoing school projects can be separated and stored in the individual compartments.
Whatever you do, choose what works best for your family. The key is to give these items a designated area and then jazz it up with some fun personalization and color coordination with your decor. This will keep these items from overflowing onto your kitchen table, sofa and staircases.
Image: Christy sheffield/Flickr
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