Cynthia Ewer's Blog, page 61

Home's Cool! Get Organized for Homeschool

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on August 21, 2013

In my years as worker, mother and home manager, I have experienced a full range of life’s little organizational challenges.

I have run a business from a home shared with two tiny children and moved cross-country (and back). I've merged two cluttered households into one small city apartment, and lived for many happy years with a card-carrying packrat husband.

Home schooling a child beat them all hands-down, organizationally speaking.

How do I count the c...

Plan to Succeed: Teaching Kids The Planner Habit

Back-to-School Countdown Day 10

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on August 20, 2013

Kids using planners? I can hear the confused grumbling now. Well, isn't that just the latest status parent affectation!

Wrong! Teachers, parents and homeschool families know that training kids to the planner habit makes for successful students.

School districts throughout the USA issue planners to pupils and integrate planner use into the school day. Homeschool families use planners to track and organize lessons, chores a...

Set Up A Family Command Center

Back-to-School Countdown Day 9

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on August 19, 2013

Each day in your household, the questions fly. What time is soccer practice? Do we need to buy milk? Is the family free to attend a barbecue this weekend?

Even in an age of smartphones, each household needs a one-stop location to find the answers: a family command center.

Information central for busy families, a family command center cuts school-day stress by creating a single location to find calendars, information and mes...

Mellow Mornings Solution: Family Launch Pad

Back-to-School Countdown Day 8

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on August 15, 2013

It's not just our family that exits the door each morning during the school, it's our stuff! Can you find what you need to get the children off to school on time each day?

Briefcases and backpacks, library books and lunch sacks travel with us in and out of the house each day. Arriving home, these possessions scatter to the winds; in the morning, precious time is wasted rounding them up for another day's use.

If you're playin...

School-Day Routines for an Organized Home

Back-to-School Countdown Day 7

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on August 14, 2013

Kindergarten teachers know a powerful organizing principle: reliable routines are the secret to a successful school day.

Well-crafted classroom routines give pupils a sense of security--and ensure that the day moves smoothly through each planned activity.

Put that organizing secret to work in your organized home!

Today in the Back-to-School Countdown, it's time to craft morning, after-school and evening routines for the sch...

Tame Morning Madness with a Family Launch Pad

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on August 14, 2013

Morning Madness! Only the pre-dinner "Arsenic Hour" comes close in the "Calgon, take me away!" category.

Bathroom fights, soggy cereal, and the ever-present, "Mommy! I can't find my . . . !"

Getting the family out the door in the morning can make any parent want to pull the bedclothes up and hide.

One small concept can go a long way to taming the morning beast: the family Launch Pad. Just as a spaceship must have a dedicated structure to support liftoff...

Organize Kids' Rooms for Back-to-School

Back-to-School Countdown Day 6

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on August 13, 2013

The start of school puts new demands on children's bedrooms. Can the kids find clothing during the morning rush? Where will they do their homework?

To kick off a new school year from an organized home, it's time to declutter, deep-clean and organize children's rooms.

Working with your child, tackle kids' rooms now for school-day success. Remove clutter, organize toys and clothing, and bring a fresh new feeling to your childr...

Save Money on Back-to-School Clothes: 10 Savings Tips

Back-to-School Countdown Day 5

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on August 12, 2013

Gearing up for a new school year? Don't get sticker shock when shopping for school clothes!

The cost of clothing the children for a new school year can be staggering. Even clothing in good repair may no longer fit a growing youngster after the summer holiday. If you've got a budding fashionista on your hands, your child's list of must-have items can swell out of all reality.

How to send them back to school in style ... and...

Back-to-School Solution: Prepare For School Paperwork

Back-to-School Countdown Day 4

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on August 9, 2013

Back-to-school on the horizon? Here comes the paperwork!

Today in the Organized Home Back-to-School Countdown, we're preparing for the paper flood ahead.

Each school day, children's backpacks grow paperwork like leaves on trees. Permission slips and lunch menus. Sports rosters and progress reports.

Keep them organized by setting up a simple filing system to track and hold school paperwork.

Whether you add folders to a househol...

Day 4 - Prepare For School Paperwork

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on August 9, 2013

Back-to-school on the horizon? Here comes the paperwork!

Today in the Organized Home Back-to-School Countdown, we're preparing for the paper flood ahead.

Each school day, children's backpacks grow paperwork like leaves on trees. Permission slips and lunch menus. Sports rosters and progress reports.

Keep them organized by setting up a simple filing system to track and hold school paperwork.

Whether you add folders to a household Action File, or designate a...