Getting the Kids Organized: Tips and Products That Help

getting kids organizedIt’s October and fall is in full swing.  This means school and getting out of the house on time in the morning. You hit the snooze bar and relish that extra five minutes.  But when that alarm goes off again, it’s time to get up and deal with the awful morning rush routine.  Believe it or not, the morning doesn’t have to be awful or rushed.  You just need to be prepared and organized to get the family out the door on time with everything they need for the day.  Here are a few tips and products to make your morning run smoothly.

Give Yourself and Your Family Enough Time

The first thing you need to do is make sure you are giving yourself and your family enough time in the morning to begin with.  Take a few days to make note of the time you actually get out of bed and the time you all head out the door.  Are you all mega-stressed and in a rush?  If you are, ask yourself a few questions:

  1. Are you all getting up early enough?
  1. Are there distractions in the way like TV, phones, computer, video games, and trying on several outfits before you choose what to wear?
  1. Do you and your family spend too much time looking for your keys, your shoes, or homework?

Once you have figured out how you spend your time in the morning you can start to plan a new strategy, and then you all can take steps to change your routine

Prepare the Night Before

It will help your morning routine if you can do some of your morning chores the night before.  Some things you can do the night before are:

  • Pack school and work lunches
  • Pick out your clothes for the next day
  • Sign any permission slips or homework that goes back to school
  • Pack the kids backpacks and your briefcase
  • Figure out what you will have for breakfast in the morning

Making these chores part of your evening routine will help your morning go much more smoothly and be less stressful.

Set a Morning Routine

A morning routine for both kids and parents can be extremely helpful in getting out the door on time in the morning.  Your morning will be much more calm and you won’t be stressed out when you all get to work or school.  Consistency is the key.  Your morning routine can be as simple as waking up, taking a shower, eating your breakfast, and heading out the door.

You Need a Drop Zone

Your drop zone is the area near the front door or the door to the garage (perhaps a mudroom) where you will have set up all the things you need for the morning the night before.  You need a place like this to hang your kids’ backpacks, your briefcase, the baby’s diaper bag, dry cleaning that needs to be dropped off, your jackets and coats, shoes, and anything else you will need for the day.

At Garage Décor and More, we can help you design the perfect drop zone for your family.  Whether it be a drop zone by the front door or cubbies in the mud room, we have just what you need.  A good option might be our Slimline Cabinets.  The Slimline series features a tall, vertical design that can fit where space is limited.  They are available in two different styles; storage cabinets and lockers.  Both are available in variety of depths and colors and the depths can be configured to fit your designated space like a glove.  They are available in over 8 different color finishes, so you can even have a different color for each member of the family.  The powder-coated finish will resist almost any household chemical and stand up to grease, grime, humidity and extreme temperatures.  Minimal maintenance is required; all you have to do is wipe the cabinets clean with a damp cloth.  The Slimline Series cabinets and lockers carry a lifetime warranty, so you will never need to replace them.

Click here to view our cabinet options.  

My beautiful pictureAnother great idea is our SlatWall System.  SlatWall panels can be mounted to an existing and stable wall surface.  There are a variety of colors to choose from including antique white, brushed aluminum, mahogany, maple, black, cherry and gray.  You can hang a variety of storage items on SlatWall including hooks, baskets and bins.  Choose a color to blend in with your existing interior or brighten things up with a contrasting color.  Click here to see examples of our SlatWall System.

At Garage Décor and More, we can build you the perfect drop zone for you and your family.  Our high quality products will give you a lifetime of worry-free use.  No more morning rush!

CONTACT US here or call us today at 618-789-7969 for a FREE CONSULTATION!