Tips for staying organised with school stuff

[Di11y]

So dd starts reception in September.

I've already emptied a draw for her uniform so it's not mixed with everything.

And I'm planning on taking a photo of all school letters and dealing with straight away where possible, plus shared calendar.

But what else could I do yo make things easier?

[Di11y]

Thanks for the tips, doesn't sound like rocket science so hopefully I'll cope. I already have baskets for shoes but change and envelopes to hand is good. Need more uniform.

[ifIonlyknew]

don't panic that you need more uniform, see how it goes, we have always managed perfectly well with both our kids with just 2 skirts/pinafores/trousers, 2 shirts and 1 cardigan and tie. Shoes off the minute they come in, unpack bag the minute they come in and put it ready for the next day, lunches made night before if you are doing them, water bottle filled and in fridge night before. I agree breakfast and teeth before getting dressed, chance of them looking tidy when arriving at school. If she has long hair I would suggest brushing and plaiting it before bed as it will be nice and easy to brush in the morning! def agree get in routine before term starts in terms of early nights and getting up in the morning. I used to have a piece off paper stuck to the inside of the front door with blutack just saying vitals to check before leaving so lunch, glasses if needed,, coat or whatever. and if anything for a particular day then add that for that day. Just gives a last minute check list. also agree about checking before leaving playground if they have cardigan, coat, lunchbox and water bottle. makes life so much easier. The only times we have forgotten them have been days I haven't checked! never when I have checked have we had to go back in to get something but there have been a few occasions (although not many) when we have got home without a water bottle or cardigan. Show her as well where you have put her name tapes in things so she knows where to look on them after PE, will make life easier for her at school

[Ifeeltheneed]

Everything Bezm posted!

[5000KallaxHoles]

Ikea Kallax boxes fit school book bags in brilliantly - we have a box by the door and once I've emptied reading folders each night, done reading books - they go back beside the front door to be picked up on the way out the following morning.

Carrier bag rolled up inside the book bag and elastic banded to stay rolled up for those days you get saddled with a 2 foot high junk model unicorn with a head that keeps falling off to take home.

I do 10 minutes sitting down every week when the weekly newsletter comes home (ours is very good with the weekly events but also a rolling "future dates" section) and put everything into a google calendar that is on all our family phones. Then when I menu plan for the week I transfer everything across onto a column there so it's all on the fridge and no one has any bloody excuses for leaving all the remembering stuff to me.

It's just keeping on top of things really - our school being very good with communication helps a lot.

[donkeysandzebras]

One more than I remembered today. Have a Sharpie in the kitchen or by the front door and then, when something different has to go in, you can scribble their name on it.
We have 2 DC and always start the year with 4 or so sistema water bottles, loads of mix & match containers etc and I stick a label with the DC's surname on all of them and then it doesn't matter if one of them forgets to bring home their water or something as there is always spare.
If you have a DD, put a pair of socks in her PE bag for when they do PE in the winter.

[PureColdWind]

My children get dressed into uniforms first thing just to get that job over with. Then they each wear one of their dad's big t-shirts over the uniform while they eat breakfast and brush their teeth etc - its like a big bib so their clothes remain clean. They take it off after their teeth are brushed. The t-shirts often are covered in stains from breakfast but the uniforms are totally clean.

[itsaboojum]

Most schools require children to take water along. Unfortunately water bottles leak, ruining everything in their bags. It’s invariably the parents who are left to clean up, and some schools add insult to injury by billing you for any school books.

Avoid this by sending an empty water bottle for dd to fill up at school, then empty at the end of the day. If you meet with opposition, you may need to remind them that they do have a clean water supply (which you’re paying for.)

[Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies]

I had a storage box in the kitchen, and I used to chuck their book bag/all letters/any other school related junk into it. It meant I knew where everything was, even if the letter I wanted had somehow sunk to the bottom of the box below a layer of other rubbish.

[AdelaideK]

Buy a load of envelopes. Schools are constantly wanting 50p for this and a £1 for that.

Check the school bag for letters, homework as soon as you get home.

Uniforms laid out the night before with undies, socks and shoes.

[Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies]

Just to add, DC4 is due to start secondary on Tuesday, and I've continued this - only difference is the children all have their own school storage box in their bedrooms.

[BingerGeer]

Have handy in your kitchen (or wherever you eat breakfast):
Envelopes
Cheque book
Pen
Sharpie
Spare stick on name labels

Mine have school dinners, but I keep emergency packed lunch food (a couple of rolls, squeezy yoghurts) in the freezer in case of last minute trips. It’s not stuff I normally buy, so otherwise I would have to run to the shop before school.

Give kids responsibility for their own stuff and let them mess up occasionally - it’s good learning and they do get better at it.

Shared phone calendar with other parent / carers is a game changer, as long as you update it every week. I do mine every Saturday morning, based on the weekly newsletter and calendar that school send out every Friday.

[Di11y]

This is gold, thanks everyone!

So, big t shirt for breakfast (she’s at breakfast club 3 days so getting dressed first needs to be the routine), empty my pointless kallax full of carrier bags for school sh*t, buy envelopes and acquire loose change.

If only the return to work (after mat leave) would be this easy.