How to Keep Kids’ Schoolwork Organized
By now, school is in full swing, and you’re navigating work life for yourself and school for your child. You’re probably exhausted just thinking about it, let alone living it. We know how hectic life can be, so we emphasize organization to maintain a tidy home and your sanity.
Clutter in your home because of schoolwork piling up can make it difficult for your child to focus on household responsibilities and homework. Plus, organizing can reduce household chores by 40% and lower cortisol, your body’s stress hormone. And who among you could benefit from less stress? (Don’t worry. We’re raising our hands right along with you.)
Ready to get that schoolwork organized? Merry Maids® has several tips to get you started so that your home is more comfortable and relaxing—as it should be.
Create a System
The best way to keep your kids organized is to first design a system that works for your household. It may seem overwhelming at first when you start organizing your children’s schoolwork, but you have to start somewhere, right?
Physical Filing System
A traditional filing system works well for kids who aren’t tech-savvy yet (think Pre-K to 2nd grade). Although most children probably know more about the computer and smart devices than all of us adults combined. Keeping schoolwork in a physical file will make it easily accessible to everyone with little hassle.
Before you start, consider filing schoolwork:
By subject (alphabetical order) – Your child may only have one or two assignments in their early academic career, so organizing by subject might be an ideal organizational strategy for younger students.
In numerical order – High school and college-bound students may benefit from organizing assignments by class number (e.g., English 102, Chemistry 301, etc.).
By semester – Most schools cut the year into semesters or terms, so a filing system broken up into semesters could help your student remember what’s current and allow them to refer back to previous assignments.
Feel free to use a series of these filing systems together or separately. Whatever works best for you and your child to keep schoolwork off tables and counters is always best.
Electronic Filing System
In our modern world, a physical filing system may appear archaic to those with a bit more tech knowledge. Again, we say choose the system best suited for your family and lifestyle.
Electronic filing systems that could work include:
Microsoft OneNote – If your child consistently uses Microsoft Office products for their schoolwork, saving files, texts, and emails in OneNote allows for file sharing. So, you can take a peek at your child’s schoolwork if you want. One hang-up about OneNote is that it’s free, but you have to pay for a Microsoft Office subscription monthly or annually.
Google Docs – We’re sure you have at least one email that ends in “@gmail.com,” which means you have access to Google Docs. You can create various folders as an organizational strategy for students of all ages. And what’s more, this platform is completely free.
Be Consistent & Make It a Habit
Organizing only works if you’re consistent about it. There’s a myth that it takes 21 days to form a habit. Fortunately, everyone is unique, so putting parameters on consistency and habit building could psych you out and have the opposite effect. The truth is forming a habit starts with just being consistent about it. A way to keep you consistent with your organizational strategy is to recruit the entire family and ensure everyone understands how the filing system (traditional or electronic) works.
Prioritize Organizing
When organizing schoolwork falls by the wayside, your space quickly becomes cluttered. After all, your child will likely come home daily with projects, artwork, and paperwork, so you can’t afford to become idle with organizing. We suggest prioritizing this important household task to keep your home clutter-free (of course) and show your children how good it feels to have a specific place for all the schoolwork they bring home.
Don’t Obsess Over It & Give Grace
Give yourself some grace when it comes to organizing your kids’ schoolwork. As vital as it is to have a system that keeps everything in its place, it doesn’t mean you have to make it the center of your world. Life is messy and unpredictable, so things may get a bit out of order sometimes. That doesn’t mean you’ve failed or set a bad example for your kids. It simply means that you’re human and can get back on track.
Need More School Organizing Tips? Consult Merry Maids®!
Of course, you know our cleaning professionals at Merry Maids are disinfection experts, but we’re also organizing mavens with your unique needs in mind. The back-to-school season doesn’t have to be stressful because of clutter. Our team is here to lighten your load, so you can focus on your kids and help them create an organizational system that lasts through this year and several to come.
With various cleaning services to take advantage of, call (888) 490-4227 or find your location and request a free estimate today.
