Organizing Systems to Remedy Back-to-School Chaos

photo back to school organization

It is the end of the first week of school, you have just returned home from picking up your kids, and you take a look around your home.  Your kiddos’ backpacks are tossed on the floor inside your entryway, and a trail of shoes, coats, and debris follows.  On top of that, there is a…

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Homeschooling Tips for Parents during the Coronavirus

As schools across the U.S. close their doors to slow the coronavirus outbreak, parents are now, with little warning, scrambling to figure out how to homeschool their children. So, what do you do if you’re a parent now in charge of continuing your child’s education, in many cases while you’re also working from home? Without knowing…

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Is it possible for my ADHD child to be organized?

ADHD

The symptoms of ADHD generally first appear in children aged 3-6 and the average diagnosis occurs about age 7. It is challenging enough to be a child in the confusing world of today, but imagine being a little one who has a raucous party going on inside his or her head most of the time.…

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Get Your Child Organized for College

photo Get Ready for College

One of the proudest moments of my life occurred when my two children graduated from college.  Alex graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo/Architecture and Hannah from the University of Oregon/Linguistics.  It was a bit nerve-racking to get from San Luis Obispo to Eugene to attend both ceremonies within 24 hours of each other.  And,…

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9 Tips to Prepare for Back to School

Parents, organization, and planning will be the keys to keeping your cool as September rolls around. Those lovely lazy days of summer are waning, and things are about to get crazy… or not. Yes, your family will soon be busy when school starts, but these tips can make a world of difference and help you…

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Back to School Post #6 of 7 – Teach Project Management

Teach Project Management Planners are essential for managing large school projects and papers. I suggest students subtract two days from the project’s due date for each week they have to work on it. (For a three-week assignment, for example, subtract six days and consider the new date as the due date.) This gives the student…

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Back to School Post #5 of 7 – Teach Time Management

Teach Time Management It is a rare middle school student who can gauge how much time an assignment will take. Suggest your student use a timer to develop the skill. If they time themselves reading a fifteen-page chapter, for example, they’ll have a good idea how long to allocate when they have to read thirty…

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Back to School Post #4 of 7 – Use Tools Wisely

  Use Tools Wisely Photo from Order Out of Chaos Most middle school students use binders and planners, but many don’t use them effectively. Help them to choose a binder with several pockets, then designate the pockets as follows:  one for each subject, to hold all completed assignments the teacher has returned one for all…

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Back to School Post #3 of 7 – Make Homework Routine

Make Homework Routine You can help by making sure your student has a suitable space to work without distractions and with homework supplies nearby. Find a place that’s comfortable but not so comfortable he’ll fall asleep. Create a routine of setting aside a specific time for doing homework, not just “sometime tonight.” Have a really…

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