Back to School at Home

Back to School at Home

This fall kids might still be at home or at least part time - stay organized and sane with these tips!

Back to school time! When most parents are excited to get their kids out of the house and back to the regular school routine. This year is a little different than usual. There is no right answer to what you should do with your kids; send them to school, keep them home, or a hybrid. Trust me, you will feel guilty no matter what you choose but we know you have their best interest at heart and will make the decision that’s best for your family!

If your kids are home part time or full time, staying organized is the key to staying sane! If your kid is anything like mine, routines and schedules have been thrown out the window since March. So, all those articles that tell you to stick to a routine must not have been written by those with young kids! I just try to keep my kid alive most days! Here are some tips I have tried that actually work. Good luck and Godspeed!

Color/Activity Station

Young kids love to use their imagination. I keep different art supplies all together, so it is easy to grab when I am on a conference call to keep my kid entertained for at least a full five minutes! Use a caddy to keep pens, markers, crayons, paint, etc. together so you can just grab it and place it on the table. mDESIGN TIP - grab butcher paper and your table won’t get as messy. Don’t know where to find butcher paper? I have used floor covering paper from a big box home store, too!

Divided Lazy Susan’s are another great way to keep small toys and art supplies together. You can also keep snacks in there, too, so you don’t have to get up every 15 minutes to get them a snack! If your kid isn’t into art, then use the divided lazy susan to work on color or counting skills. Get out your Legos®, mix them all up on the floor and then teach your kid to sort them by color, size, or count them.

Large Plastic Craft & Sewing Storage Caddy Tote Plastic Lazy Susan Turntable for Nursery Storage

Designated Areas

One thing I have found to be helpful is designated kid’s areas/adult areas. You can do this by using stackable boxes with removable lids to create vertical storage solutions for each child. They can keep whatever they want in their box and can hold special treasures that maybe they’d rather not share with their siblings! These boxes are perfect for organizing and storing small toys, dress up outfits, blocks, action figures – anything. Once you have this area all sorted out, putting toys back is less of a chore!

If you are currently working from home, keeping your “adult” area organized is a must. Check out our home office solutions blog for great ideas. My go-to for the home office is this divided organizer with drawers that is usually for the bathroom but perfect for the office! My desk space is anywhere in my home right now, so being able to take all my stuff with me and set it up on the kitchen table, living room or bedroom is essential for my productivity. Another useful tip? Our handy caddy. This is portable, too, with its carrying handle.

Stackable Plastic Household Toy Box with Lid 2 Drawer Plastic Nail Polish Storage Organizer

Snacking Station

Is your kid a bottomless pit when you are at home? Mealtimes might be hard, but somehow, your kid will snack with ease? Yeah, mine too. I can’t tell you how many times I have reorganized my snack drawer at home this quarantine – at least five. What works for me might not work for you but having a designated snack area will help cut down on your kids asking you for snacks. The downfall? They might just snack all day but at least they are quiet, right?

I have a corner Lazy Susan and use these wedges to put all of my kids’ snacks in there. It’s easy for them to reach in and grab what they want. I also have these fridge bins on the lowest shelf with yogurt, carrots, and other healthy snacks to grab. My kid still asks me for snacks but at least now I can ask her to grab them all by herself if I am busy.

Metal Wire Lazy Susan Kitchen Food Storage Basket Wedge 4 Section Plastic Kitchen Food Packet + Condiment Organizer Bin

While no solution is perfect, you must find what is best for your family. One thing I have learned during this time is all feelings are valid and just try your best. We are all in this together. Staying a tad bit organized is better than nothing. Remember, small baby steps!


Laura Sirk is a Marketing Manager at mDesign
and loves all things organization and cats. I’m one cat away from being a cat lady. MEOW!

How do you stay organized? We’d love to hear your story!
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Posted: Sep 8, 2020