September is on our radars, and a new school year is about to begin. Are you ready? With summer still on the skin, it may be difficult to fathom the school lunches and evening homework just around the corner. We came up with some tips on how to prepare your home for the next school year.

KITCHEN

Start experimenting with school lunches. Spend an few hours with your kids searching for or inventing new recipes to try out. Create fun menus and themes for different days of the week. And make sure your kitchen is ready to go with re-usable containers, cloth lunch bags, and whatever else you’ll need to send your kids off with healthy snacks and lunches. Take a look at how iHeart Organizing keeps her kitchen in check.

Get inspired by these recipes from bon appétit and Real Simple.

Consider putting together a meal plan for dinners too, so you’ll never scramble at the end of the day.

BEDROOM

Purge and organize your kids’ wardrobes so they can easily grab their favourite clothes every day. Give away or consign clothes that no longer fit, and get your kids involved in creating new outfits for the coming year. We love how Posh Space organizes outfits for every day of the week.

Encourage your kids to find success and motivation with some inspirational words and images hung on their bedroom walls. Artwork by Violet and Alfie is fantastic!

LIVING ROOM + DEN

Organize school supplies in bins, boxes, and folders so they’re easy to grab and get to work. Polka Dot Chair shows you how to create a homework station with everything your kids will need.

Image: Good Housekeeping

ENTRYWAY

Get out the door quickly and efficiently with a well-organized entryway. Real Simple has some tips on how to keep backpacks, shoes, umbrellas, and coats easy to grab on the run.

MORE TIPS

Shop for supplies early

Avoid the crunch of last minute shoppers and check off all those school supplies now. Stocking up on pens, paper, and folders is the last thing you want to do on Labour Day weekend.

Re-introduce the school schedule

To decrease the shock of a new schedule, ease your kids into their school bedtime and wake-up routines a week before school starts. You can even begin to align meals and snacks with the school routine.

Build your calendar

Keep a digital schedule or pop a calendar up on the wall with afterschool activities, chores, and important dates. We love the idea of chalkboard walls and dry-erase boards.

Create a locker kit

Help your teen or pre-teen put together a kit to keep in their locker. Fill with items like Kleenex, lip balm, hair elastics, deodorant, spare change, and Band-Aids. You may already have these items around the house.