My So-Connecticut Life: The End-of-Summer Reset That Gets My Family Ready for School
This is how I get my home ready for back-to-school season
Of all the unofficial fresh starts during the year – New Year's, spring cleaning, the first summer weekend – back-to-school season is the one that truly motivates me to reset my home. I think part of that is because the start of the school year still feels like a new beginning, no matter how old you get. When I was actually in school, that energy went into a new haircut and fresh supplies. Now, as the parent of three school-aged kids, it goes into getting the house ready for back-to-school.
When I say 'reset my house', I don't mean top-to-bottom. The areas I focus on are the ones that are most important as soon as school starts: the kids' rooms, the kitchen, and the entryway and exit points of our home. These are the spaces that take the most daily traffic, and the ones that make the biggest difference when they're running smoothly.
I've gotten this reset down to a solid routine over the years, so there is a certain list of tasks I do as summer starts to wind down. If you're feeling a similar energy this year, here's a list of the simple, effective ways I've found to reset a family home for back-to-school.
Take Inventory and Declutter
I clear drawers of too-small or stained clothing and take stock of what still works before buying anything new.
Also called: out with the old, in with the new. Before I order any new clothes, gear, or backpacks, I go through what we have to see what we actually need. While I'm doing this organizing, I'll save whatever is in good shape and still fits the child it's supposed to, and I get rid of or pass on anything that doesn't.
Once I have a pile of things I know are staying, I then go in and see what we need. This process helps with ensuring that I don't overbuy, but also that I don't forget something or simply assume my kids have enough clothes because their drawers look full, only to find out five minutes before the bus comes that all the clothes in those drawers are actually too small.
I also do this process with things like sports equipment, the school and art supplies my kids use for homework (markers, printer paper, glue), and the lunch/snack containers.
Make Summer Spaces Feel School-Ready
A clean desk, ready for homework.
I always declutter/take inventory first because it gives me more time to order what I need, and the decluttering naturally helps with my next step: resetting. I like to focus on the spaces we use most to make them more functional for the school year.
In the summer, for example, our mudroom is packed with things like swim goggles, life preservers, and fishing gear. Once school starts, it'll need to house not just backpacks, but fall sports equipment too. The kids' desks, which are generally covered in Legos and art projects by August, need to become homework stations again.
So, right before school starts, I pack away everything from one season and get it ready for the new one.
Reset the Kitchen
In the kitchen, a few small changes make a big difference once the school-year routine kicks in.
First, I do a pantry sweep. I throw out anything that's expired, consolidate half-empty bags and boxes, and take stock of what we can actually fit in there before I start bulk-buying snacks. I then stock a shelf that my kids can reach with things like crackers, nut butter, fruit pouches, and pretzels so they can grab their school snack and help themselves when they get home.
Another thing that helps: making a list of each child's favorite lunch snacks, which I hang on the inside of the pantry door. Preferred snacks change from child to child and year to year, and a list helps me remember the details so I don't end up with a pantry full of snacks that only one of my kids will eat.
Lastly, I reorganize our 'lunch-making station', which is where we keep the lunchboxes and containers that go in them. I wipe it out and make sure all the containers and water bottles have tops, and I put name labels on any bottles or containers that need it.
Create a System
I keep a basket under the entry bench to house my kids' school shoes so we know where they are in the morning.
The final step in my back-to-school reset is to try to systematize the way we flow through our house and where my kids put important items. I don't go overboard with this because I find that if a system is too complicated, no one uses or remembers it.
What I do do is this:
- Put a label with each kid's name over a hook in our coat closet, so they know where they should hang their backpack at the end of the day.
- Put a basket under the bench in our entryway for the kids to put their school shoes in whenever they get home, so they know where they are when they leave in the morning.
- Put a tray on the kitchen counter, where they empty their school folder each day with homework, reminders and library books.
Those small steps help us get out the door in the morning because everyone (theoretically) knows where their things are.
My Back-to-School Favorites
I store baskets near our entry and exit points for housing shoes, so the kids know where they are in the morning.
Horizontal storage makes it easier to find the right water bottle during the morning rush.
I love a storage hook that's a little bit decorative, too. We have similar hooks in our entry for hanging backpacks.
Storage shelves like this one are perfect for organizing small snack containers.
A patterned task lamp makes a homework area feel more fun.
Snack bins are a must in our pantry for keeping single-serve snacks organized.
Even if you only get to one or two of these things before the first day, it'll help. Back-to-school is hectic no matter what, but knowing where the backpacks go and having usable markers for homework means one less thing to trip you up as you're heading into the first weeks.
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