Back to School/Fall Organization Tips

In 23 years of improving St. Louis' spaces, the Beyond Storage designers have been to school a few times. They share these tips for getting organized as you get the kids back to school, and staying organized throughout the fall.

1. Have a space for everything - find a home for every item in your house.
2. Get rid of junk - if you haven't used it in a while, you probably don't need it.
3. Collect photos, school work, projects and other keepsakes together in a storage box, and label by child and year.
4. Each evening have a 30-minute family clean-up to return everything to its proper space.
5. Find a space for a wall calendar and invest in one that fits your family's needs. If you have more than one child, consider using a different color pen for each.
6. Create a designated space for the kids to place their backpacks, perhaps in a mudroom or bedroom closet.
7. Create a homework space. Stock with extra paper, pencils, crayons and other supplies needed to complete homework. Be sure it's not near a television.
8. Create a space for paperwork - utilize trays or bins for school work, "to be signed," etc.
9. Create a special hamper in the laundry room for school uniforms and other rush items.
10. Purchase a five-compartment sweater hanger for the closet and have your child choose a wardrobe for the whole week.

If you can't find the space you need, Beyond Storage offers a free, no obligation, whole home storage consultation. A Beyond Storage designer will show you how to make your space work harder for you and find space you didn't even know you had!