tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27782442.post8817093121053931027..comments2008-08-31T20:58:30.766-05:00Katherine@Raising Fivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12887240362516586161noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27782442.post-26295537009921736702008-08-31T20:58:00.000-05:002008-08-31T20:58:00.000-05:00Well, I just have the one two-year-old, so I'm no expert. But he is starting preschool (just 2 hours a day, 2 days a week) and we also leave the house for Bible Study and Church each week. So I figure he needs about four put together outfits each week. Versus our usual sweatshirt and long-sleeved t-shirt look which he sports 99% of the time. When he isn't still in his PJs at four in the afternoon. <BR/><BR/>So I plan to hang each complete "outfit" on a hanger, leaving only the casual/comfy houseclothes in his lower drawers, along with PJs. This way my husband can dress him for out-and-about days with ease, as well. I'm hoping this way he'll look presentable and not wear the same thing over and over.<BR/><BR/>Then just a basket in his room for socks and a basket in the entry for just his shoes. He's getting good about fetching and putting his shoes back so I like to have them in one place for easy retrieval.<BR/><BR/>I LOVE reading about the details of other Mom's organization/household routines, so I'm happy you shared your tips!!kittyhoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413419370677881366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27782442.post-6115131125504083112008-08-22T17:30:00.000-05:002008-08-22T17:30:00.000-05:00A friend gave me a great idea on the paper clutter from school.<BR/>I have a color-coded pee-chee for each child in a magazine rack on my desk. In each one goes that child's important papers, soccer practice schedule, school picture forms, things for Mom to look at and sign, etc. I write the names of class Mom's, and teachers on the inside along with their phone numbers, and e-mails, so they don't get lost, and I don't have a zillion little papers floating around.<BR/>Great ideas! I might try to move into the hanger thing once mine get a little bigger. Thank you!Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13136357927834621203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27782442.post-86411144528403486472008-08-21T16:26:00.000-05:002008-08-21T16:26:00.000-05:00We have a dry erase calendar on the fridge. We use it post the weekly menu, after school activities and next to are the school lunch lists and weekly notes from the teacher or school.<BR/>That way everyone knows where they are and there is no question when we need to pack lunches, what day of the week it is; gym, library etc.<BR/>For some reason no one looks at the real calendar I have hanging in the kitchen but me. <BR/>Nice thing is the week at a glance on the fridge works to remind all of us.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10552826430967783650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27782442.post-39703938570330632022008-08-20T20:39:00.000-05:002008-08-20T20:39:00.000-05:00LOVE the sports drawer idea, I may have to try and duplicate that here somehow. You have the best ideas...Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15873357922478065778noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27782442.post-24117848579890857492008-08-20T20:06:00.000-05:002008-08-20T20:06:00.000-05:00I don't have school-age children yet, but wanted to say congrats on hitting your 500th post! Keep going! I enjoy your blog.katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06744029240763334783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27782442.post-33313208606747998052008-08-20T15:21:00.000-05:002008-08-20T15:21:00.000-05:00Laura (Org Junkie) - When I do the laundry, I hang the school-age kids' stuff on hangers. Most preschool stuff is small and drawers work fine, except for Sunday items, or for obvious "sets" I want to keep together on hangers. My older two do their own laundry in the summer, but they are extremely busy during the school year, and I do it then, too.<BR/><BR/>Little kids can't do hangers, or if they do, they put the clothes on sideways and then you have a "poke-mark" coming out the back of the shirt. <BR/><BR/>So for little ones, if they've strewn the floor with clothes (after we have the talk about how we do NOT do that with our clothes!), I have them put their clothes on the BED, and then I put them back on hangers. We are still working on how to put hangers on from the bottom of the shirt, and how to tell clean from dirty...they will eventually get it...<BR/><BR/>Sometimes even with big kids, I have them start by putting everything on the bed as well. It's such a mental game - it helps the job look not "quite so big" if the room isn't ankle deep in clothes. <BR/><BR/>Besides, they know that if they've put something in the wash because they were too lazy to hang it back up, it will be coming back to them from the laundry room - this time much more wrinkled!<BR/><BR/>Hope this helps!<BR/><BR/>KatherineKatherine@Raising Fivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12887240362516586161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27782442.post-51638122903851818942008-08-20T14:15:00.000-05:002008-08-20T14:15:00.000-05:00I had to buy Jamie (going to KINDERGARTEN--ACK!!!) a whole new wardrobe because he has outgrown his summer clothes for the SECOND time this summer. Not kidding! So I even had to buy shorts and short sleeves! The good thing is they were all on sale and it was tax-free weekend. Hopefully he will stay in those until the November cold snap.Ettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12221055318424865278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27782442.post-89921756245439205032008-08-20T08:51:00.000-05:002008-08-20T08:51:00.000-05:00A drawer for shoes. Who'd have thunk it? That's pure genius!Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17488953794124006956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27782442.post-13952726042764672502008-08-20T08:44:00.000-05:002008-08-20T08:44:00.000-05:00I have four teens this fall, my youngest became a teen in July and I still plan on using the schedule I used last year because it worked! Praise the Lord! None of my kids like to get up in the morning, well, maybe the last one...teenage sloth hasn't hit yet....but I found that if I divided the hour before they left into 1/4 hour time slots it worked well...each person had their own time in the kitchen...a lot of bickering goes on there in the morning!...their own slot in the bathroom, and getting dressed and ready in their bedrooms....cut down on a lot of early morning angst!secondofwetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03462115510280650016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27782442.post-30432346077084297432008-08-20T00:19:00.000-05:002008-08-20T00:19:00.000-05:00Great suggestions! My question is this though, who hangs all the clothes back up on the hangers?<BR/><BR/>I've been busy trying to get the kids school supplies organized and new chore lists. I'm thinking of introducing your clip idea.<BR/><BR/>Congrats on 500!!Org Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15867964298149410340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27782442.post-45701546696049494732008-08-19T23:54:00.000-05:002008-08-19T23:54:00.000-05:00Oh, I forgot to say...congrats on 500 posts...I'm just getting close to my 100th.<BR/><BR/>Keep on blogging!Jamie @ Purposeful Pursuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09567398445753025662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27782442.post-73756041425531116052008-08-19T23:52:00.000-05:002008-08-19T23:52:00.000-05:00Great tips! We do the hanger thing here at our house too...almost everything gets hung rather than put in drawers.<BR/><BR/>My kids are older now so I'm not as involved in their morning routine, but we always talk about the next day the night before. We make sure to sign any needed papers and get as much done the night before as possible...it seems to make the morning run smoother.Jamie @ Purposeful Pursuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09567398445753025662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27782442.post-4929240334372433722008-08-19T21:34:00.000-05:002008-08-19T21:34:00.000-05:00Great ideas! Since I don't have anyone in school yet, we don't have a routine. But I will keep these in mind when I need to get kid(s) ready for school. I love the idea of hanging up all the clothes. We'll need more closet rods for sure.<BR/>Thanks!<BR/>Julie3cookiedayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13974591261986363186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27782442.post-65654575353174563882008-08-19T18:22:00.000-05:002008-08-19T18:22:00.000-05:00I just read a good one about creating a "breakfast station".<BR/><BR/>http://www.poshmama.com/profiles/blog/show?id=896743%3ABlogPost%3A159699Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12403074079317172995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27782442.post-89666959475405370482008-08-19T16:12:00.000-05:002008-08-19T16:12:00.000-05:00I'm linking morning routine performance to screen time later in the day, thankyouverymuch.<BR/><BR/>For years I've had a list, first in pictures, then in words, of everything that needs to be done in the "morning routine" for my son with disabilities. It has helped him a little, I'm sure, but it seems that doing a whole sequence of things will always be a challenge. The OTHER kids, however, I think have benefitted the most from simply having the list up. Just something to keep them on track.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08113642030932260379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27782442.post-72769059523968283512008-08-19T15:42:00.000-05:002008-08-19T15:42:00.000-05:00I do everything you do except the shoes thing which is a brilliant idea..we have loads of shoe racks and NO shoes on them....I may try this one. But I do the sport drawer and I do the outside clothes drawer...and hang all the nice stuff up. we also have clothes picked out and ironed the night before and breakfast picked out the night before and no changing of minds....another thing that is a great idea is to set a timer as soon as they wake up to see if they can get completely ready and to the kitchen for breakfast on time....it becomes a race...and fun...and everyone is normally on time....good luck though...we went back to school 2 weeks ago...and have had 2 tests already....she does however love middle school...I'am keeping a short leash on her though....Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14341970243162181712noreply@blogger.com