Organizing for School: Why It's Important For Kids

Organizing for school is so important for your kids’ success now and in the future.

You might be craving some structure and organization as summer comes to an end, and the good news is that it’s the perfect time to get your kids organized.

I’m sharing easy ways to get your kids organized while you are home, and how the benefits of these will last long after your kids go back to school.

I break down why it’s so important to create order and organization at a young age and how you can do that.

Side note: A lot of people cringe when I talk about structure, but I promise: you’re not taking away creativity by giving them structure. You’re actually giving their brains safety so they don’t have to wonder. You’re freeing up their mind to be creative.

The Organized Kids Workbook

Organizing for School: Why It’s So Important For Your Kids

Break days down into small chunks.

Think about their school day. Your kids have snack times, recess, time for math, time for reading, and time for special classes.

They’re shifting frequently, and that keeps them engaged and stops them (and you) from getting overwhelmed.

So start to break days into chunks of time for required work like putting away laundry and leisure time. These activities will start to help their brains get ready for school.

Give kids visual supports.

Visual supports are things that you can look at to see what comes next. This is especially helpful for younger kids. Or kiddos with any neurodivergence.

Checklists, picture labels, picture schedules or routines help them create structure and routines that will last them their whole lives.

Think of visual supports as a flowchart or checklist that shows what comes next. This is very important when it comes to creating routines for your kiddos before school starts.

These posts will help you with visual supports…even if your kiddo doesn’t have ADHD:

How To Make Labels For Organizing– this post is about how to make picture labels!

Are You Using Checklists Wrong? Checklists For ADHD

ADHD Life Hacks: 4 Simple Systems When Executive Function Fails

Set up daily routines to help with organizing for school

Start with checklists for morning routines. This will help when the kiddos need to get up and moving in the morning before school starts.

Create a bedtime routine to help the kids get ready for bed. And start bedtime a little earlier to get everyone ready for the new schedule.

These posts are really helpful on setting routines:

End The Bedtime Battle And Get Your Kids To Sleep Well

How To Create A Kids Morning Routine Chart with Free Printable

Daily Routine Of A Stay At Home Mom

Make a plan.

Plans keep my mind at ease, even if we don’t end up following it at all. It just helps to have a guide.

The key is to set realistic expectations and be flexible.

For me, I pick two things I want to get done on any given day. This also helps keep me sane because I’m being realistic.

I use checklists to help keep everyone in the family on track.

Family Checklist Templates

Keep all of their school stuff together.

Put everything they might need in one spot–pens, crayons, notebooks, and calculators… We’re using a magazine holder, but you could also use a basket or a box.

This is huge because my kids know where everything is, and they know where everything gets put away when they’re done.

It’s kind of like having a desk and imitates the same organizing for school.