10 Things In Your Home To Get Rid Of
The excitement of the beginning of the school year is here! For the kids- they get to see their friends again and meet their new teacher! For the parents- they get the joy of seeing their kids begin their next chapter and I’m going to say it….. you FINALLY get a break (sort of)! This is a great opportunity to clear some stuff out and have a fresh start. The beginning of the new year can be stressful- a good way to relieve some of that stress is starting with a clean slate at home.
Clothes
One of the best parts of the new school year is finally wearing your new school clothes you have been dying to show off. This is an easy time of year to get your kids to donate some of the pieces they aren’t wearing anymore- “If you don’t donate any, there is no room for anything new”.
Old school supplies
Time to throw away all the broken pencils and crumpled construction paper. Make sure with your new things this year, you keep them nice and organized. Organized stationary items are much more encouraging to want to use.
Garage bits and bobs
I know this can seem odd since the garage has absolutely nothing to do with school…. But this is a good marking point of the year to clean it out. After all your summer fun, I guarantee some random things have built up in there and/or have not been put away correctly.
Toys
After a day at school, getting in some play time before or after homework is important! Make sure your kids have toys to play indoors and also outdoors. Not all video games, encourage outdoor activities- fresh air is so good for you!
Lunch containers
If you have the type of kids that remember to bring back their lunch containers without them getting lost or piled up in their school locker, they can pile up and overflow at home over the school years. Make sure you have all matching containers and lids.
Drinkware
I think a couple things that we all have in common are 1. All of our socks somehow disappear and 2. We all have way too many cups/water bottles/mugs. Everyone should have their own reusable water bottle (or 2 so you have a backup) to take with them to school, beyond that is a bit unnecessary and cluttered.
Old paperwork
If you didn’t already do this at the end of the last school year, you’re going to want to go through your kid’s school work with them to decide what to toss and what can be useful to hang onto for this coming school year.
Pantry items
You may feel really nice and organized this year- ready to be the Martha Stewart mom but once school is in full swing, you are going to thank yourself if you have an organized pantry. When you are wrapped up in shuttling your kids to school functions or soccer practice, you are going to have to rely on your kids or significant other to fend for themselves in the pantry and we all know how that goes…
Electronics
Kids are using electronics more and more every year. It will be very inconvenient if they need to find something and it takes 20 minutes to get untangled and come to find out it doesn’t even work. With electronics and miscellaneous cords, the more organized the better!
Books that have been outgrown
Your kid’s minds and interests change so much every year. Keeping up with this through books is very important. Having books available to them at all times that they are actually interested in will encourage them to get lost in the pages and expand their creative minds.
Before this school year kicks off, do your family and yourself a favor and get everything nice and decluttered/organized. Picking out an outfit for school and packing lunches will be much easier with a well-organized home!