Back-to-School Tips and Tricks for Families

Back-to-school season can be both a busy and exciting time for your family. As you prepare to get back into a routine packed with classes and extracurricular activities, here are a few tips and tricks to help your family take on the new school year with more confidence:

A new school year means managing new, hectic and ever-changing schedules for the whole family. I’m talking morning drop-offs, after-school activities, homework, dinner, bedtimes — the list goes on. It can be a lot, but one way to make it all work more harmoniously is to make chores a shared lift.

According to a recent Clorox survey*, nearly all (93%) Millennial parents whose children participate in chores less than weekly or not at all wish their kids were involved in chores more often. However, barriers such as parents feeling overwhelmed by delegating chores (34%) and feeling their kids will be reluctant to take on delegated chores (34%) get in the way.

This is why I love Clorox’s new free, customizable chore charts. I find them to be a fun and structured way to help your children learn the importance of taking care of their spaces and experience how good clean feels. We add age-appropriate chores, from putting away toys to keeping backpacks and lunchboxes organized. Keeping our space clean is most effective when it’s a shared family duty and starting the morning as a team sets a positive tone for the day.

Back-to-school shopping season can feel nearly as hectic as the holiday rush… but for pencils, sneakers and glue sticks. With shopping starting earlier every year, it’s best to plan ahead to ensure that you get all the items on your list. This is also a great time to stock up on back-to-school essentials for the home, like Clorox™ Disinfecting Wipes. They’re perfect for quick clean-ups of breakfast crumbs and sticky fingerprints, and yes, helping to stop the spread of classroom germs that inevitably follow your kids home and onto surfaces, when used as directed. Make a list before you head to the store so you’re not in a stress producing scramble.

I like to prioritize creating and encouraging healthy habits both at home and at school. This can help manage your family’s holistic health. This can include:

• Daily movement: Whether it’s an afterschool program or thirty minutes of playtime at home, let’s get those bodies in motion.
• Sleep schedule reset: Start easing into earlier bedtimes a week or two before school starts so early mornings aren’t a shock. Everyone will need some runway to readjust to the school-year schedule.
• Healthy, energy-boosting meals and snacks: Keep nutritious, easy-to-grab options on hand for lunchboxes and after school.
• Disinfect high-touch and high-traffic surfaces: Your home can harbor germs from the classroom on countertops, doorknobs, light switches and more. Clorox™ Disinfecting Wipes are a great option that kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses when used as directed on hard, nonporous surfaces. With any disinfecting product, be sure to follow the product label instructions to ensure you’re using it correctly.
• Stay organized: The beginning of a smooth school year starts with a more organized home space. If you can start the year off with a clean, decluttered space, your family can jump into the school year with more ease.

The positive effects of bringing the whole family into your household cleaning routine can go far beyond aesthetics. The majority of Millennial parents surveyed* (67%) shared that their children show greater appreciation for their home when they participate in household cleaning and that chores help their kids learn teamwork (61%).

So show up for each other and celebrate how good clean feels this back-to-school season. Print your chore chart and stick it on the fridge today to help get ahead of the back-to-school chaos, reduce household stress and set expectations for a smoother start to the year.