Say Goodbye To Clutter With These Back To School Organizing Tips ................... 44

Having a divided receptacle to sort school supplies in is helpful for students working at home, and it can be tucked away in a desk drawer.

for math, etc, or whatever colors your kids associate with each subject. Label them!”

Lunch Boxes

Similar to designating a place in the home for backpacks, Duval recommends establishing a spot for lunch boxes. Setting a routine place will allow it to be accessed when needed and it can be placed there when not in use.

Since some families rotate lunch boxes with different designs, it is important to be cognizant of how many are being accumulated and limit them to prevent accumulating additional clutter.

When it comes to packing school lunches, help children get involved in the process by making the food items accessible.

“Establish an area in the pantry they can reach with labeled bins for categories that you routinely stock, such as: grab-and-go ‘fruit snacks,’ ‘salty snacks,’ ‘sweet snacks’... and teach your kids what they are allowed to pack,” Duval said. “Have a similar area in the fridge (clear fridge bins are helpful to create fridge snack zones) with ready-to-go snacks that are fair game for lunch packing, such as: juice boxes, cheese sticks, yogurts, washed fruit, sandwiches made the night before, etc. Make it easy and empower them to pack their own lunch with minimal oversight.”

Art And Memorabilia

A proactive tip to calming clutter monsters that will inevitably try to creep up during the school year is to create a spot ahead of time where a student’s art can be stored.

“Artwork and school memorabilia [are] a common source of clutter in most houses with children. I suggest having one good-sized, clear, lidded, labeled storage bin for each child to create a ‘home’ for school memories. Have a second bin per child for their artwork,” Duval said.

While it can be difficult, she suggests limiting what makes the cut of getting stored.

“I know this can be hard, but you only want to store the truly special items,” she said. “Imagine showing up in the future at your adult child’s home with countless bins containing every scribble, math work, essay, and artwork they ever made from pre-K through 12. No good!”

Some families find it helpful to photograph the child holding the artwork as a keepsake instead of saving the physical item. It is especially helpful for creations that are large and bulky.

“That way you have captured an image of them proudly holding their creation while it is fresh, and later the item itself can be recycled. After all, the fun is in the making, not the keeping,” Duval said.

Professional Help

Those interested in The Organized Hive’s services can receive a complimentary phone consultation.

“I always enjoy hearing about organizing challenges and talking about clutter, organizing, and how to create spaces that function well and feel great,” Duval said.

She offers in-person sessions with clients, as well as virtual organizing sessions upon request.

Duval can be reached through The Organized Hive’s website at organizedhive.com, by phone at 203-628-2322, or by e-mail at theorganizedhive@gmail.com.

Reporter Alissa Silber can be reached at alissa@thebee.com.

Putting organized bins — such as these labeled “fruit snacks,” “salty snacks,” and “sweet snacks” — helps children know which snacks to grab for school lunches.

Sue Duval says a tip for helping pack school lunches is to add clear bins to the refrigerator and sort out ready-to-go items such as juice boxes, cheese sticks, yogurts, washed fruit, and sandwiches made the night before.