Prepping your kids for their return to school can be a challenge all by itself. New morning routines, remembering packed lunches, and keeping track of extracurricular schedules can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.
Tips for Surviving the Back to School
- Have the kids lay out their clothes the night before
- Repackage leftovers into containers to make quick packable lunches – and pack the lunches the night before
- Make sure all homework is done, papers are signed, and the backpack is packed before bedtime
- Have your kids get up early enough that they can have a decent breakfast to start their day
- Create a “homework first” rule so that video games, TV time, and other distractions don’t happen until the books are closed for the night.
Remodeling Tips for the Back To School Season
A few simple remodeling touches can format your home to fit your back-to-school needs and keep everyone on track.
Under-Stair Storage
This is the perfect way to utilize space that already exists and carve out a beautiful and useful storage area. This can hold books, school supplies, and whatever else your child needs handy for their school year. Some staircases offer even more potential depending on their design, and you can create a small reading space for your kids to complete those reading challenges.
Front Door Cubbies
This is the perfect addition to a busy entryway. Hooks by the door aren’t enough to catch everything that comes racing through, so think about what a custom-built cubby area could accomplish. You could have a bench for taking shoes on and off, shoe storage below, and hangers above for coats and backpacks. If you have a mudroom, this location is ideal, but a smaller version could also fit in your entryway,
Sports Storage
For families that juggle multiple sports, a cool remodeling project is an at-home locker. Built into your mudroom or garage, your kids won’t have any issues putting their sports equipment where it belongs. A shelf for balls and gloves, with extended space for lacrosse sticks and bats, will be perfect for your growing athlete.
Homework Corner
It can be hard to have your kids doing homework at the kitchen table when you’re also trying to prep dinner, but there is often a perfect space in the home that can be designed to be a perfect homework corner. Desks can be custom-built into bookshelves, with shelving for pens, pencils, and paper. A quiet, well-lit space for homework will minimize distractions and give your kids a designated area to get their work done.
You don’t have to renovate the spare bedroom into a make-shift classroom to prep your home for the school year. Small remodeling projects can make a big difference, and it can also reinvent your home to meet your current needs.
Dream big!
