5 Smart Ways to Get the Whole Family Organized for Back-to-School Season

I still remember the rush of walking into Staples and stocking up on everything I needed for the upcoming school year. Pencils, notebooks, binders—the works. As a new mom, I’ve thought about how parents do it all with kids heading back to school. It’s so much more than buying a few supplies, and there’s a lot of preparation involved before summer ends.

To learn more about gearing up for back-to-school season and the top parent hacks, I reached out to none other than Amanda Titchenal, founder of full-service organizing firm Well Organized. As a mom of three, she’s spent years crafting the ultimate guide to getting parents and kids ready for school.

“Prep is always key,” Titchenal says. “Don’t leave anything to the last minute, and do whatever you can ahead of time. Pack lunches or set out uniforms the night before—anything your kids need for their day. It reduces the amount of stress in the morning if you accidentally sleep in or are running late.” 

Below, the pro organizing tips Titchenal puts into practice with her own family:

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1. Reintroduce Your Routine

Summertime sadness is real, and it’s more than likely that you’ve veered off from your usual routine. If you and your family have been traveling or simply luxuriating in longer, slower mornings lately, Titchenal recommends bringing back your routine now. 

“Kids thrive on routine,” she says. “When you’re out of order, then it feels chaotic. When you’re in school, you have a routine and systems and rules in place.”

To dip their toes back into the schooltime routine, Titchenal says she’s already having her kids go to bed earlier (and without devices!), setting her own alarm an hour earlier, and waking up her kids 30 minutes earlier than usual.

“Getting reset in that way and back into the habit of making your bed in the morning right when you wake up helps you start to get everybody back on track,” she says. “It’s almost like daylight savings. You have to start a little bit each day, so it’s not such a shock on the first day of school.”

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2. Bring in the Backstock

If there’s one thing Titchenal suggests, it’s having a “backstock.” This is her term for any extra products her family needs, from their favorite snacks to school supplies. In fact, she has a cabinet dedicated to storing pencils, paper, and more—just in case her kids forget something at school or run out of something. Another one of her pre-back-to-school agenda items? Completing a quick pantry and fridge clean-out and restock. 

“If your home is organized, then it’s easy to prepare because you can easily find what you need,” she said. “Just having a little extra of everything at home so there’s never a need to run out to the store.”

This backstock also extends to lunchtime must-haves like water bottles and lunch boxes, and each of her kids has a backup for these at home.

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3. Set Your Morning Standards

Empowering your kids to participate in the preparation will teach them responsibility and give you an extra hand in the morning, and Titchenal says even preschoolers and kindergarteners can contribute. For example, she typically sets up a lunch station and encourages her kids to take their lunch box and other containers (her favorites include the Progressive Snaplock Lunch Plus To Go and Stasher Food Storage Bags), fill them with their favorite snacks, and put them in their backpacks.

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“Get the kids involved as much as possible and set your standards for them, too,” she says. “Like, I expect when you get up in the morning that you’re dressed, that your bed is made, and laundry is in the hamper. Let them know the expectations you have for them before you walk out the door.”

Of course, it’s easy for tired little ones to forget a thing or two. That’s why Titchenal stocks up on Post-its to remind her kids to pack anything they need for school that day.

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4. Label Anything and Everything

There are quite a few ways to label your kids’ stuff. While most of her kids’ items have labels she makes with her trusty Brother P-Touch Cube or iron-on labels (ideal for school uniforms!), she adds that even a Sharpie will work. 

“I label anything I can, because it’s just a bit more of a guarantee that you’ll get your items back,” she says.

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5. Assign Each Kid a Special Color

If you have multiple kids, it can be challenging to keep their school essentials separate. To tackle this, Titchenal has an annual tradition: Each kid picks their color for the year, and then everything is purchased in that color—the lunch box, water bottle, folders, backpack, and so on.

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