Back to school is almost here, and if you want your mornings to run like clockwork come September, it all starts with a well-organised bedroom to help your child get back into the rhythm of a new routine.
While a tidy children’s bedroom might seem like an impossible quest, there are plenty of small but achievable ways to help things feel more orderly – from making their uniform easy to access, to creating a dedicated school zone.
Below, we’ve put together a five-step checklist to get you off to the right start for the new school year – and feeling less like you’re in a stressful episode of Motherland.
1. Think twice before buying new
It might be tempting to stock up on fresh stationery and a new school bag before September, but Kelly Moore, founder of Cleaning with Meaning, recommends giving your child’s bedroom storage a quick audit first – what you already have might surprise you.
Doubling up on unnecessary supplies will not only cause further clutter (making mornings more stressful), but will also waste time and money.
“With my son, I always start with the keep, reuse, donate or recycle rule,” Kelly explains. “Check uniforms, shoes, stationery and school bags before replacing them. A missing pencil case might just be hiding under a pile of clothes!”
Once you’ve established your donation pile, find an organisation such as Stripey Stork and The Salvation Army that accepts pre-loved school uniforms, so you know they’re going to a good home rather than ending up in landfill. Or, if items are beyond repair, make sure you check the recycling rules in your area to find out how to dispose of them correctly.
Kelly Moore is the Founder of Cleaning With Meaning, a Kent-based eco-cleaning business committed to delivering exceptional cleaning services without toxic chemicals or single-use plastics.
2. Create a simple school zone
Creating a simple school zone should also be high on your August organisation list before the new term begins. This dedicated space should have everything your child needs in the mornings, including their bag, books and stationery, giving them the independence to manage themselves.
This area could be as simple as hanging up a book organiser (like the one from Amazon below) or putting together an essentials basket filled with bits and bobs you need to easily grab in the mornings, such as tissues, their PE kit or sun cream.
Labelling each area will also do you massive favours, saving you from struggling to find things in a rush or being asked for the 100th time where something is.
It's also a key thing to bear in mind if you're in the early stages of designing your child's bedroom – particularly if they are younger and have several years left in school.
Stay organised with these back-to-school essentials
This Bluetooth-powered label maker lets you print anything you choose with the click of a button on your phone.
Keep books, pens and files in order with this over-the-door organiser, available in navy and grey.
3. Make school uniform easy to grab
By creating a dedicated getting-ready station, where school uniforms are easy to reach, you’ll make chaotic mornings ten times easier for yourself. This could include a coat hook, a visual morning checklist, and a personal basket for things like hair ties.
If you have the time and enough spares you could buy a hanging weekly clothes organiser for their bedroom wardrobe, which has an outfit slot for each day of the week. Not only does this save time scrambling around for matching socks at 6am, but it may also give your child the opportunity to become more independent by sorting out their outfits themselves.
“If mornings are particularly hectic, create space for five complete school outfits rather than storing everything separately. Even something as simple as labelled shelf dividers or hanging organisers for Monday to Friday can take one decision out of the morning routine," agrees interiors expert Katie Malik.
This outfit organiser will give you one less thing to think about in the mornings. Fill it up with fresh laundry on Sunday for a stress-free week ahead.
Katie Malik is the founder and creative director of Katie Malik Design Studio, based in Cambridge. She originally studied at Cambridge University as a linguist, then retrained in Interior Design at Chelsea College of Art in London and the National Design Academy. Katie launched her own business in 2014 after gaining previous experience at high-end London design studios.
4. Don't forget underbed storage
While underbed storage is fantastic for storing things you need but don’t nessasarily use every day, Katie Malik warns that it can also “become a place where clutter disappears for years”.
To make way for the new school year ahead, she suggests pulling everything out and reassessing whether you actually need it – or whether it’s just taking up valuable space that could be used for something else.
Keep things like seasonal clothing, spare bedding or rotated toys, but donate or recycle anything else that no longer serves a purpose. The 80/20 decluttering rule can help you make this decision.
This storage container is easy to roll in and out from under the bed, thanks to its wheels.
5. Have an outgrown basket
To ensure your child's bedroom stays (somewhat) the way you've organised it, Katie Malik recommends adding an 'outgrown basket' inside their wardrobe, where they can chuck anything that no longer fits them.
It's easy to fling things back inside the cupboard when it's just one item, but having a dedicated basket for outgrown clothes means clutter is less likely to build up, as you can donate or recycle the items once the basket is full.
It can also be a good solution for teenage children's bedrooms where growth spurts require lots of new purchases. Giving them an option of somewhere to put unwanted clothes, rather than just on the bedroom floor, is always a good idea – although we can't of course guarantee that they'll use it.
Shop these storage baskets
Available in two different colours, this circus-style storage basket is perfect for a child's bedroom
This handwoven shark basket will make decluttering a little more fun
This basket would look good both inside or outside an older child's wardrobe
“The ultimate aim is to create a bedroom that a child can manage themselves. Hooks they can reach, drawers they can open, clearly labelled storage and a simple place for school belongings encourage independence," concludes Katie Malik.
"If a storage system is too complicated for your child to maintain, it probably won’t stay organised for very long. Parents shouldn’t feel they need to create an Instagram-perfect bedroom. Children’s bedrooms are supposed to be lived in."
For more advice, find out how decluttering could reduce damp in your home or take a look at these small bedroom storage ideas.
