12 Tips to Organize Your Backpack

Posted by Jennifer Benoit on Fri, Aug 03, 2012 @ 08:20 AM 

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1.  Do you need a new one? 

Is your backpack ragged, dirty, or doesn’t meet your current needs?  Maybe it’s  time for a new one.  Don’t just grab one and go.  Carefully look over each one to see it is what you need in terms of compartments and organization inside.  Will things easily fall out?  Will everything fit?  Will it be able to go in the locker?  Often the big office supply stores run sales (or even give them free with rebate!) at the beginning of the school year.  Be sure to try it on and even consider laptop carriers as they may be more efficient for your student.

2.  Empty it out each night – all papers for home stay home. 

Don’t wait until the end of the week or Sunday night to empty the backpack.  Make a habit of emptying it out and reloading it every night to make sure nothing is missed.  Put all the supplies back where they belong before morning so all you need to do it grab the backpack and go!

3.  Get a pencil bag or zipper bag for your pens, pencils, erasers.

If you have spots for pencils, great, but also put in a zipper pouch or bag.  Also put in a sharpener and several of each writing implement.  Often things get lost during the day, so keep a supply of several pens, pencils and erasers and replenish when they get low.  Be prepared.

4.  Put cell phone, wallet, keys, etc in smaller compartment.

If your student has a phone or keys, etc, put them in a spot that is only for those things.  Make sure this is not easily accessible to others and that they cannot fall out.  Inside pockets are usually best for these.

5.  Everything in its place – decide what will go where.

Don’t just assume that everything will fit and your student will make a spot for each item.  Talk together about where things go and how to keep things there when you are on the run during the day.  Also talk about how often your student uses the backpack each day.  Do they take it to class?  How should she remember it after each class?

6.  Decide on a night to replenish it out each week (once a week).

Decide which day you want to replenish anything that is missing, used up, or emptied.  Maybe Sundays or Wednesdays are good nights to work on this.  If you need to replenish each night, do so.

7.  Drinks on the outside.

Such an important rule!  Ruining books, folders and notebooks can create a messy and expensive situation.  Always keep any drinks…no matter how tight they are sealed!...on the outside.  This goes back to making sure that your backpack is equipped to hold a water bottle or drink on the outside.  Also make sure that all food is in baggies and sealed.

8.  Talk about putting papers properly in folders so they don’t get stuffed in.

We’ve all stuffed the papers in, but make sure the general habit is getting out a folder and putting the papers in correctly.  You may just want to get a catch all folder that will get emptied every night so you don’t have to fuss with lots of folders when it comes to your papers, but be sure that you have at least one folder.

9.  Create a home for your backpack.

Make a place in your home for a “backpack home.”  This is where you leave the backpack the night before.  It can be in your child’s room, by the door, next to the kitchen table, in the car, whatever works for you, but make sure you all know where it should go.

10.  Have multiple sections in backpack.

Stuffing happens more frequently when there is just one section.  Have a backpack with multiple sections so you can create an in and out section for your student.

11.  Make sure it can fit in the locker. 

We said this before, but be sure it can fit in the locker and/or under the seat of whatever chair they sit in.  It isn’t a helpful backpack if you can’t leave it safely somewhere.

12.  Keep at the system.

No system is perfect the first time around.  Keep at it and be consistent.  The sooner you help your child to develop the patterns and system, the better and more independent it will be.

Happy Backpacking!