Don't you feel that September is a month of new beginnings, even more so than January? Rested, sun kissed, reenergised, you kiss your kids goodbye on their first day of school and you are instantly reborn!
There is something about that daily routine that you missed all summer. After all the fun, we are all happy to see our children go to bed at a reasonable hour, eat much less sugar, read more. Tis the season for more time for mom, even if it means mom is just back at work. At least it's uninterrupted work.
Photo credit: Unsplash Lucas George Wendt
I just love that September reset, so I have collected my favourite September decluttering and organization tricks, to help you get your life in order again. Many of these apply to little ones and teenagers alike, so enjoy the read and take in only what you find useful.
Get rid of all the CHEAP TOYS, MAGAZINES, BEACH ACCESSORIES, or any other clutter your kids may have accumulated over the holidays. You never wanted to buy that stuff anyway.
Declutter and archive all last year's ART WORK and SCHOOL WORK, like yesterday! There's a lot more where that came from, and it will be coming your way very soon! Get your older kids to organise their school books from last year themselves.
Check your kids' CLOTHES and donate / pass on / sell anything they may have outgrown, bin anything that has seen better days or is damaged beyond repair.
Establish a DROP ZONE in your entryway and teach them what to do with their stuff when they come back from school. Chances are they forgot everything over the summer! This is your chance to somewhat control the mess at the source - your front door! This is useful for little ones and teenagers alike.
Create a school SNACK BOX / LUNCH BOX drawer or cupboard. Throw out old snack boxes, water bottles, leave only a handful of good quality items and keep them together in one place. That is if your child doesn't lose a lunch box weekly, in which case, just keep them all, they will declutter themselves. :)
Plan and prep SNACKS for the week, especially that afternoon snack when they pretty much eat anything that is in their way, right before dinner!
Set up a HOMEWORK STATION if needed. A place where your kids are happy to spend time after school and do any homework. It can be in the kitchen, you can easily create a mobile station - a basket or an art cart with the supplies needed that can be easily put away afterwards.
Organize your CAR! Depending on your commute or after school activities, create a basket of mini games, books, colouring books and pencils, it's a great thing to have at hand and pull out while waiting for a sibling to finish football practice.
Organize some after school ACTIVITIES, but don't overburden yourself and go insane while your kids are learning to play the oboa. It's not worth it, it's OK if you choose only what you can comfortably manage, while trying to work, take care of a household and maintain some social relationships.
Develop a ROUTINE for the kids that is the same every day. They are already used to it at school or kindergarten and they definitely thrive when their life is predictable.
Stay tuned and join me on Instagram or Facebook over the coming weeks, for inspiration and more tips on each of the above!
Love, Maya
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