Get Your Home Back-to-School Ready
It’s been an enjoyable (and long!) summer for many parents up and down the UK. The sun has been shining, there’s been exciting days out and comfortable nights in, but overall we’ve managed to see the looks on our children’s faces when they are having a blast – wherever and whatever they may be doing.
But now, with merely days to go before our little cherubs are back at school, there’s never been a better time to get our children – and our homes – back-to-school ready.
Set Your Alarms!
Ideally, ease the family back into sleeping habits a couple of weeks before school starts and then they won’t be as irritable when getting up on those early mornings to get ready for school. This will make for happier children and, of course, happier parents.
Reintroduce a school bedtime too so they get more accustomed to nodding off at an earlier time. This will ensure your early morning routine is as quick and painless as possible and will mean no frantic running around making a mess trying to find clothes, bags or shoes as there’ll be plenty of time left.
Introduce a Calendar
The summer holidays may have meant countless hours of fun with no responsibility however it’s now time to get organised and create a family calendar.
By creating a family version you can include Mum and Dad’s jobs and reminders on there too thus ensuring it’s more inclusive of the whole family. Remember to jot down any homework schedules, after school clubs, social events and even when to take the bins out!
Throw It Out!
Before the school term starts, go through all your children’s old belongings from the previous year. Think of it like a Mary Poppins-type activity – not only are you and the kids cleaning up but you’re also organising your space and doing it together may make it that little bit more fun.
Throw out any items that are worn, tatty, too small, full of holes or stained. Make a list of what you throw out to remind yourself you need to buy it again. And don’t just stop at clothes – you can do this for stationary, books and allsorts of other items.
Create a Study Area
If you’re itching to do a small DIY renovation in one area of the house but don’t want to spend too much or redesign your whole living space, consider creating a study area for the kids.
It doesn’t have to be large – anything from a small corner to a cupboard under the stairs will do. Try and ensure the area is in a room without a television as there could be too many distractions and invest in a desk, a comfortable chair and a well-lit lamp.
You can easily purchase corkboards to hang important assignment reminders or create notice boards yourself as a weekend craft projects. Next, add in some shelves or some custom-built penholders and hey presto!
If time and space allows, why not create a time-out corner too so the whole family can rest their head on a comfortable armchair and a good book when they need a break?!
How do you get your home back-to-school ready? We’d love to hear your tips so get in touch on Facebook or Twitter and we could feature your ideas in future posts.