Organizing Your Car for Back to School
The new school year is right around the corner. I love the start of the school year, as a former teacher, it feels more like a new year than January does. And now having kids, it definitely feels like the new year! This year, I have a kindergartener! And that means we’re getting into more activities. My schedule looks way different than it did a couple of years ago. We have swim lessons for both boys, art lessons and tennis for one as well.
Along with my work schedule, we have to be very organized in all aspects of our lives through the school week. Lucky for my kids, I’m all about organization, especially when it comes for a new school year. I create routines and habits for our family to have a successful school year and now, I’m adding some car routines to make the week run more smoothly and help me not drop the ball on anything.
The first step when it comes to getting your car organized is get it cleaned! If your car looks anything like mine, there are lots of treasures in the back I didn’t even know were there! With three kids, I have a 5 year old in the third row and there tend to be lots of things he’s left behind and many times there are shoes we’ve been missing!
When I clean out my car, I take out everything – either put it back in the house or throw it away. I do this right in my driveway. Right by the trash can and a door for inside the house. After this, I spray everything down with a multipurpose spray (Branch Basics is my fave!) And wipe it down. And vacuum the whole car, cleaning up a lot of the treasures from the back.
After my car is clean, I will take the time to get it organized and think about systems that will work for us for the school year.
Weekly Items
This year, I plan on taking time on Sunday to pack all sports bags for the week. When I do this day of, I constantly forget towels for swim lessons! This way, I pack towels and swimsuits on Sunday and place it in the back of my car ready to go for the week. I also make sure to have the tennis racket and tennis clothes ready to go. Our mornings are quick from wakeup to getting out the door and this way, I don’t add to my list of what I need to do in the morning.
Eventually, my children will be in charge of these things. I plan as they get older for them to pack their sports bags and place them in the car on Sunday, but with a 3 and 5 year old, it’s still my job to make sure everything is ready to go for the week.
Car Supplies
With more after school activities, I have a feeling we will be having snack in the car more often. My kids are definitely hungry and thirsty after a long school day. So, I keep snacks and water in the car ready to go. I keep snacks that I like too because I tend to get hungry as well when I have a busy day and forget to pack enough food for myself!
I also like having a trash bag in the car. We create a lot of trash in the car eating snacks and having a baby that needs diaper changes, so I keep a trash bag in the back that I clean out every week (or as needed if we have a stinky diaper!). This keeps the trash contained rather than all over the car. The plan is for this to keep trash from accumulating at the back of the car where my kids don’t see it and I can’t see it.
I also like having items we may need in the car ready to go, like tissues, wipes and chargers. This way, in an emergency, we have what we need already in the car. I also keep extra diapers and baby supplies in the back. I don’t usually have a diaper bag with me anymore, but I don’t want to get caught without a diaper when we need it! I also used to keep a tiny potty in the back during potty training times and a little afterwards, but we have a break from that for now.
Car Routine
The key to keeping the car clean and to the point where it can be maintained (much like your home) is systems.
For our house, the boys (ages 3 and 5) know how to get their items into the car. They pack their backpacks in the morning with what they need and bring them to the car. We have this down for sure!
We are working on routines for getting out of the car (or at least maintaining them). The plan for this school year is each child is, again, in charge of their own backpack and items that are in the car. I have enough items to bring in anyway, so having them bring their own backpack in works well. This will keep shoes and everything from piling up in the back of the car.
As many routines with kids work, it helps for them to be in charge of their own items. Once inside, we have a routine for putting their items away as well.
In our house, I’m all about making systems more efficient and making our week easier. Are you going to get your car ready for the school year? Comment below and let me know if you have any other supplies you always have in your car!
