Back to School Organizing

Whether your young scholars will be spending their entire days at home with virtual learning, rotating between home and school through a hybrid model, or spend full days in the classroom and only complete their homework at home, all kids can benefit from a space that’s clean, organized and set up to support learning

With a little effort, cleaning up your kid’s room can turn it into a tidy, organized and clutter-free learning space. So, slide into the school year stress-free by following these tips to clean and organize your child’s room for the semester ahead.

Cleaning Supplies Checklist

Kids seem to make a mess without even trying. Tackle their bedroom by gathering all the materials to make it sparkly clean again. Invite your kids to help clean up so they'll learn what to do next time. Here are a few top-down ways to get your kid’s’ bedrooms in order for the semester ahead.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Glass cleaner
• Clean terrycloth or paper towels
• Garbage bags
• Furniture polish
• Microfiber cloths for wiping down furniture
• Feather duster
• Broom and dustpan
• Vacuum cleaner with extension attachments
• Cardboard boxes for donations and garage sale items

How to Clean Your Room: Take a Top-Down Approach

A top-down method is great for rooms that are getting thoroughly cleaned. Start by dusting the tops of bookcases, wiping window casings and sills, and cleaning the top corners of the room. Next, attend to surfaces lower down. If any dust or dirt falls to the floor, you’ll clean that up when you sweep or vacuum. Here are the primary areas to tackle:

• Clean the ceiling fans
• Remove the clutter
• Get rid of the garbage
• Wipe it down
• Wash the windows
• Get the laundry going
• Sweep, vacuum and mop
• Revisit the closet

Tips for Keeping Your Kid’s Room Organized

Now that the room is clean, it’s time to rethink the way your child uses the room. Since your kiddos are likely spending more time learning at home this school year, we’ll focus on ways to organize your child’s room for at-home class time.

Organized rooms help improve focus and make processing information easier and, regardless of your school’s re-opening model, homework is still (by its very definition) work that’s done at home. Because of these reasons, it’s important that the child’s room is orderly, organized and comfortable.

Take a look at these tips to upgrade you kid’s bedroom so it’s more structured for the semester ahead.

Reduce the Clutter

Make sure you have plenty of storage options where the kids can put their toys, shoes and other things that often clutter up a room. Clear plastic containers that can slide under the bed are great for organizing stuffed animals and help to make the most of available storage space.

Dedicate Space for a Hamper

Kids love throwing their clothes everywhere — put a laundry basket in their room and teach them to throw dirty clothes in the basket instead of on the floor.

Make Room for a Calendar

Reserve a section of wall for a whiteboard or chalk board paint so your kids can play and jot down notes across the school year. Have them write out a weekly calendar every Sunday so they know what activities are coming up.

Print a Morning Checklist

Create a checklist that your young ones can easily complete each morning before school. For example, make the bed, get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth and check backpack — their morning routine is about to be less chaotic! A checklist also teaches your kids to be accountable and independent.

Designate a School Corner

Carve out an area in the room that is designated for school. Put up hooks where they can easily hang their backpack, jacket and outfit for the next day. Especially with young kids, save time in the morning by picking out all of their outfits for the week on Sunday and elect a dresser drawer that’s solely for these outfits.

Reward Cleaning Time with Screen Time

Don’t forget to designate Sunday night for a fifteen-minute super-sonic cleaning session and reward them by giving them fifteen extra minutes of screen time. Make it more fun for the kids by cranking up the music. This will help them keep their room less messy during the week.

Kids Workspace Ideas

A tidy space offers a more relaxing, positive vibe. And it can help your kids head into the at-home school week with not only a less-cluttered room, but a less-cluttered mind! Let’s take a look at some examples you can try.

Create Family Time Around Work Time

With many parents also working at least part of the time at home, this gives families the opportunity to bond over focus time and provide examples of positive work ethic in their children. By studying alongside you as you work, children will be less distracted and more focused on their classroom assignments. Another added benefit is that parents can knock out their own tasks while allowing themselves to be available when children need some help with their work.

Create a family-friendly work and study space in your home that everyone can be a part of.

Carefully Select Supplies

Consider the supplies your child will need for success and break that list down into must-haves. Overwhelming a kid with too many things could make their study space feel more like a toy box. Keep essential supplies — writing tools, computer, books and things of that nature — close by and accessible while other items like coloring devices and craft paper are kept out of the way until needed. While less likely to be distracted by crayons and construction paper, older children, on the other hand, may need their computer activity monitored to remove distraction. Parental monitoring software, in this case, could be a good candidate for a supply list.

Help Them Manage Their Time

Many households make use of dry erase boards for things like chore and to-do lists which, along with calendars, can help children stay on track with assignments. By simply creating a daily task list, goal-oriented habits can be taught to children studying at home. Learn when projects and assignments are due and help your children create schedules.

Protect Your Family’s Dreams

The importance of creating a comfortable, productive workspace for your children is no secret. The lessons learned and skills gained by teaching them good study habits will help them far into the future. A future that American Family Insurance protects with life insurance products that fit your every need. Reach out and speak with an agent today to make sure you have the coverage to protect what matters most.

This article is for informational purposes only and includes information widely available through different sources. This article does not afford, offer, or guarantee any coverage.