Our family has never really had a handle on homework, mostly because we’ve never had a system for the backpacks. Every home we’ve lived in since our kids started school (yes, there have been FOUR), has lacked the kind of entryway that’s conducive to home-from-school organization. No mudroom. No lockers. No closet. No easy way to get any of the above.

But this school year, I vowed to start of on the right foot (you can still join me, by the way), and one strategy, was to cut through the backpack chaos.

Our solution? D and C hang their backpacks over their own chair at the kitchen counter. And as soon as the backpack’s on the chair, and they’re getting a snack, I go through the backpacks to pull out what stays at home, sign papers, and get a handle on the homework that is due the next day. This is where the backpack remains until the next morning, and after snack, the kids do their homework in this same spot.

As a result, we have discovered a method of organization that doesn’t require a closet, a locker, or a mudroom. Works for me!

I’m still working on a solution for messy winter boots, dripping snowpants, soaking wet mittens and hats. But that’s a post for a December Works-for-me-Wednesday;)

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And heaven knows I need to set some.

My greatest challenge is in the area of organization. And my little experiment hasn’t helped my plight. Between managing the home and homeschooling my kids, I barely keep my nostrils above water some days. And I have an exciting project that I’ll tell you about next week — it will stretch my attention that much more.

We know the value of putting things away as soon as we are finished with them, but not a single member of this family can get the hang of it. The kids have their chores and they are getting better at doing them on their own, but there are still organizational issues that plague us daily.
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