With August being Back to School Month, so many children are heading back to school. With this comes tons of papers being sent home that your child has completed as coursework and paintings or drawings. But what do you do with all of these papers?
Typically, parents just collect these items in one huge pile and not know what to do with them. But, in today’s post, we’re offering a solution for what to do with all those papers.
One of the biggest challenges to receiving all these papers is that you don’t want to throw them out and you want to hold onto them. It would be a nice sentiment to pull that drawing out 25 years from now to gloat over and show off to your child’s significant other.
But, how can you organize the papers without the entire stack overwhelming you? Let’s look.
Get Prepared
Before you can start to organize your child’s papers, you will need to create a system that works for you and then create that system for all your children. Some of the most common items you may need include:
- Hanging file folder for each child
- File folders based on the type of papers
- Filing cabinet or portable filing bin
- Envelopes
Getting Started
The first step in the process is to create a folder for each one of your children and then place it within the filing cabinet or bin. You want to make sure that you determine the system you will use and prepare it right away. Don’t procrastinate because if you do, you may end up in the same situation.
Once you have the files in place, you can place the files into the filing cabinet or bin and set it up the way you want. Remember, you will likely need quite a bit of space, especially if you plan to store multiple years within the bin.
ALWAYS keep the filing cabinet or bin in a place where you can see it. By doing it this way, you are reminded to look through it and use it.
What to Toss and Keep
Now it is time to sit down and start to go through those stacks of papers. You should keep any items you want and toss anything that you do not need or anything that is old news. You can sort the items within your child’s folders and place the papers into their designated files.
If you have your child’s artwork and keepsakes to save, you should take extra precautions with these. You may want a completely different bin for them, to ensure they do not become damaged over time.
Work Hard to Keep Up with Organization
The hardest part about the organization of your child’s school papers is keeping up with it. It is easy to take the papers out of their backpack and simply toss them onto the table – we have all done it. However, once you have this new filing system in place, all you need to do is make sure you file the proper paperwork and keepsakes each day and you will always stay organized in your home and on your toes.
The goal behind the organization bin or filing cabinet is to be able to store multiple years’ worth of your child’s papers in a neat and organized way, as well as keeping them from getting lost.
You may also enjoy reading 16 Common Back to School Supplies from Dollar Tree.
