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Writer's pictureMaeve Richmond

DNAinfo.com: How To Get Your Home and Kids Ready for Back-to-School

Maeve shares back-to-school tips with DNAinfo.com for busy parents and kids.


 


How To Get Your Home and Kids

Ready for Back-to-School


As originally featured in dnainfo.com



Clear out the old together


Before your back-to-school shopping, take inventory and purge last year’s supplies of things like non-working pens and crumpled paper, as well as other items that have accumulated, advised Maeve Richmond, of Maeve’s Method, which teaches home organization through coaching.
Clear out the old together
With #backpacks, for instance, she suggested parents sit with their children once a week, like on Sunday evening, to go through them.
“Clear out whatever has fallen to the bottom, clean it if it is dirty and get it prepped for a new week,” Richmond said. “Eventually your children will be able to sort through their backpack themselves as part of their Sunday routine.” #declutter

Create a workspace for your kids


Create a workspace for your kids
The reality of New York City living often means we don’t have a lot of space to create dedicated workspace — and that’s OK.
“It doesn’t matter what size space you have. So many New Yorkers think, if only I had more space. But any home can be a haven," Richmond said. “Kids need just a few simple things to help keep them grounded during the school year: paper, pens and/or markers, a good chair, and a clean surface."
It doesn't need to be huge, she added: "a small table in their room, a quiet corner of the living area, a cozy nook, or a shelf at the end of a hall are all great places to start.” #workspaceforkids


Create a “drop zone”


Create a “drop zone”
Richmond is a big fan of having a “drop zone” — ideally near your home’s entrance — where you can deposit things you are constantly taking in and out of your house.
“Teach your children that the drop zone is the place where they can store anything they bring into the house, or need to take back out for play or for school,” said Richmond, a former preschool teacher. “The furniture you use doesn’t need to be complicated, just a simple table will do, or cube shelving is great — my favorite! — as it encourages small hands to drop things in a targeted spot." #dropzone


Create a nerve center for you, too


Create a nerve center for you, too
To keep your kids on track, you have to keep yourself on track, too.
Having a “nerve center,” or “command central” where “you can clear your brain for two seconds both at the start and the end of your day" can help, Richmond suggested.
It’s a spot for your daybook, papers on upcoming appointments or your digital devices. It can be a corner of a kitchen counter, a home office desk drawer (if you have one), or a basket that you keep in your bedroom.
“If you can," Richmond added, "bring something calming to that spot to help you ground, like a favorite picture, or a friendly decorative item, something that can help you to take a deep breath and get yourself both mentally and physically prepared for the day." #commandcentral


Speak your kids’ language to get them on board with organizing


Speak your kids’ language to get them on board
Once you’ve got your organizational systems in place, how do you make it last?
Richmond suggests parents personify items to give them some life to a kid.
“Just a slight change in language with help to empower your kids to actively participate at home. Try replacing, ‘Please put that away’ with ‘Where does that live?’ or ‘Would you like to find a home for that?’," Richmond said. "You’ll be amazed how excited your children will be to pick up on their own." #OSL

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