Back to School Chaos to Calm

Back to School! Yes, I've said it! I know it's the phrase kids dread hearing right now. While the carefree days of summer are wonderful, there's something comforting about the routine and structure the school year brings, even if it can be a bit hectic.

With one in college and one starting his junior year, my schedule is a lot freer than it ever has been.  That being said, I remember the hustle and bustle of the mornings and evenings with younger children like it was yesterday.  It was so hard!  I like to think back to the many mornings that went off with out a hitch, but who’s kidding? So many times I ended up with someone in tears on the ride to school because by the time I said, “Get your shoes on!” for the fourteenth time, I was losing it.  Some days I was the one in tears on the way to school feeling like a terrible, chaotic mom. How could anyone have a good day if it started this way?  I have a degree in Early Childhood and Family Studies, for Pete’s Sake!  I can manage a classroom full of children, what is going wrong here?? I longed for routine and order.

The truth is we all do what we can, the best we can.  Some days this means we hit all the targets and our children look as organized as the Von Trapp children with the Captain. Other days it means we look like we are herding cats while trying to juggle chainsaws.  It’s ok, we all have those days. We get it! Well, let me tell you what I learned in those days: I finally realized I needed to apply my classroom management skills to my home. Maybe this idea can help you too!

Routines.  Routines were the key to my classroom and they were certainly key to my family having smooth mornings and evenings.  Evening routines were the most important, especially with young children. They thrive on consistency and routines. Think about your mornings.  What could be done in the evening to alleviate stress in the mornings?  For my family, this meant laying out clothes and packing lunches the night before.  

Here is a sample of our evening routine when my children were young:

• Clean up toys 

• Dinner

• Make lunches (Kept in fridge until the A.M.) 

• Get out school clothes

• Pack any papers needed in backpacks and put backpacks at the door. (Should be done at homework time.)

• Bath/Potty

• Pjs

• Books

• Lights out

Every bit of this can be done with the help of your children.  We had approved snack baskets in the fridge and in the pantry for them to make healthy choices.  They were able to help make sandwiches too.  One child didn’t want bread so she simply rolled up lunchmeat and cheese!   

If you don’t want to fight about the clothes every night, get a 5-tiered shelf that hangs on the closet rod.  On Sundays put outfits together (1 per shelf), socks and underwear included.  

If toys are given a specified home, then clean up is easier.  Mom and Dad, you have to supervise this because kids are not a fan of clean up time.  They WILL shove things where they don’t belong if you aren’t in there.  Sorry, but you all know it’s the truth.  15 minutes should do it if it’s a nightly routine.  Clean up to music to make it more fun. 

Another suggestion that children will not be a fan of:  No electronics during the week.  I was not going to fight with my children every night to put away the ipad.  Once they had phones, they were plugged in to charge in our main hall at night.  

Now that all of this is done at night, the morning routine is easy.  (Insert evil laugh)  Well, easier than before?

Here is a sample of my morning routine:

Here is a sample of our morning routine when my children were young:

• Breakfast-try to think healthy and protein filled.  You can make breakfast muffins on the weekends if needed but kids need a healthy breakfast.  

• Get dressed-Hair, clothes, shoes and brushed teeth

• Put lunch in backpack 

• Grab backpack

• Off to school.

That’s much better, right?

Now, here’s the best part.  Type your lists on your computer. (Use pictures along with the words for young children who can’t read.)  Insert these lists into sheet protectors and hang them on the refrigerator.  Tie a dry erase marker to the page.  Now, the kids can check off their own “to do” lists so you aren’t having to be responsible for every step.  You are the overseer/assistant.  The children gain a sense of independence and you gain some peace.   (Each child had its own age appropriate list.)

I unfortunately cannot alleviate the stress of homework and projects that come with this time of year, but with these routines I hope I can help you organize some of the Chaos that going back-to-school can bring.

Need help? Email us at info@ChaosOrganizing.com

How Clutter Effects Our Children

Have you ever walked into your home and felt overwhelmed, overstimulated, and possibly even anxious? In a 2016 study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology scientists declared environments can have a negative effect on a person’s wellbeing. 

That made me wonder, what effect is all of our "stuff" having on our children?

Back in my teaching days, I planned my classroom centers with specific goals in mind. Certain areas were stimulating, bright and full of manipulatives and activity (ex. a math center), but I also planned areas with empty walls, calming colors and no clutter (ex. The reading center). It was interesting to me how children sought out the calming space, sometimes more than the active space. I also noticed the difference in the behavior of the children in these areas. Children in the bright areas were active, chatty, engaged. This area also had more emotional outbursts, aggressive behavior, and chaos. Children in the reading center, which was less chaotic, were found to be quieter and calmer. There were fewer outbursts of emotions and less negative behaviors in these areas. This wasn’t a true scientific experiment, yet I saw first-hand that clutter and stimulation effect children’s behavior, sometimes in a negative way.

What does your child’s homework space look like?  

Numerous studies have confirmed my theory that clutter and chaos can have negative impacts on children’s lives. Excessive visual, olfactory and tactile stimulation may cause our senses to work overtime. If our senses are already working overtime just by being in a room, then how is a child supposed to focus on what’s important?

Look around your home, what message are you sending to your children? 

This sentence makes one thing come to mind, the cardboard box. Why? Because how many times do we buy things for our children only to watch them be more fascinated with the cardboard box? What makes us buy these "things" is great advertising that makes us believe our kids will be better, smarter and have much more fun with "____" item when in truth, the best gift you can give them is your time and a cardboard box. Ok, maybe a few markers or crayons too. Let the fun begin. 

They don’t need more THINGS. They just need YOU. 

 Which brings me back to the message we send our children. If you are constantly needing new things, new stimuli, new stuff to feel happy, then your children could possibly be observing and learning that behavior, instead of learning that happiness comes from within. They too may be feeling overstimulated and anxious from all of the "stuff" you love to buy them. 

Help your family win their day by having a clutter free home where they can play, focus and feel stress free.

Don’t know where to start? Call us for a consultation where we can help you formulate a plan!

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Back to School Organization: Pantry Edition

By now, most kids in Louisiana are back in school and getting in the swing of things again. But your home may not have recovered from the busyness of the first days of school yet.

One of the things I did when my kids were younger, was clean out and organize the pantry before school.

Over the summer, we tended to be more relaxed at home and with the snacks that the kids ate, which means we would accumulate a good bit of junk food while they were out of school. Once they got back to school though, I preferred for them to have healthy options that would keep them fueled and ready to learn.

So, this is your friendly reminder to clean out the junk food in the pantry and replace them with nutritious options that the kids already know are parent approved for them to eat.

Another way I liked to prepare the pantry for school was to have designated bins for salty snacks and sweet snacks. This is a super simple way to keep the snacks in your pantry organized.

I would also recommend keeping your snack bins on one of the bottom shelves of the pantry if you have young children so that they can reach them and get them on their own without needing your help every time they want a snack.

Pantry organization is so crucial to surviving the busy school days with your kids. It not only gives your children more independence, but it helps you to see what you have and what needs to be replaced easily as well as makes packing lunches that much easier.

We hope that you are having a great school year so far and that these tips help make it simpler for you!

Don’t know where to start in your pantry? Give us a call!

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After-School Snacks

I remember so clearly when my kids were in school and the first thing they would do when they got home was yell, “Moooommmm!! I’m starvinggg!!”.

Here are a few of our best tips for keeping snacks on hand for the kids:

1. Keep healthy snacks in the house.

   I learned to keep healthy snacks on hand for a couple of reasons. One being I didn’t have to worry about how much junk food they were eating. And two, they needed nutritious snacks to keep them going and able to get homework done etc.

2. Focus on high protein.

   My son really needed protein as quickly as possible to improve his mood. This will also greatly help keep their energy up to get homework done and keep them full until dinner time.

3. Keep a bin(s) in the bottom of the pantry for kids’ snacks.

   Having a bin or, better yet, multiple bins in the bottom of your pantry for kids’ snacks is super helpful to both you and the kids. This allows you and them to see what you have and gives them easy access to grab their own snacks that you’ve already approved.

4. Have a designated drawer or storage bin in the fridge for kids’ snacks, drinks, etc.

   Same as above this eliminates the need for you to prepare the snack for them and they already know it’s parent approved.

   I hope this creates some peace in your home as you get settled into a new school year!

Need help organizing your pantry? Get on the books now!

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Sending Your Child to School for the First Time

The big day is quickly approaching, and your (not-so-little anymore) baby is starting school for the first time.

This can be such an emotional time for both the child and parent but helping them to be confident and prepared going into it can help you both greatly!

Here are a few things to teach your child before school begins:

1. Bathroom Etiquette

   This is probably the most important thing to teach your child before going to school. Make sure they know not to look at others under the stall, to undress/dress in the stall with the door closed, and to wash their hands when they are done.

2. Hand Sanitizer

   Make sure they know how to use hand sanitizer and to let it dry before touching anything.

3. Carrying a Backpack

   Teach your child how to carry their own backpack, and do not carry it for them. Teaching them how to be independent is super important to their development.

4. Lunch Box

   Teach them how to open their lunchbox and each container you will be sending their lunch to school in (including their water bottle). Have them practice this a few times at home to be sure they can do it all without the teacher having to help.

Now, go prepare your child to have the best school year possible!

If you are having trouble establishing routines for your children or keeping their school supplies organized, give us a call!

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