Looking for a sock, important paper or hair tie at the eleventh hour can cause a lot of frustration. After all, a chaotic school morning is far from a good start to the day, both for you and your child.
Ease kids into a seamless back-to-school experience, by anticipating their needs. You can get them out the door with no cause for panic, when you implement a host of organisation tricks (think reusable sticky notes for reminders!) around the house.
The little ones could use some help with time management, while teenage students will appreciate a clutter-free space to study. We scoured the internet for some of the best trending hacks suggested by parents, this back-to-school season.
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1. Best Hack for Time Management: Preschool Collection Visual Timer For Kids
Pros
- Visual aid for time management
- 24-hour timer
- Animal indicators for younger kids
Cons
- Not rechargeable, needs batteries
- Doesn't remember previous settings
Time can be a slippery concept to grasp, for young children. The minutes between waking up and getting out the door can seem blurry, and the urgency is lost on kids. Try visual aids that could be extremely helpful in building time management skills, like this digital timer that's divided into different colours and animal shapes. Countdowns can be set for up to 60 minutes, and as the allocated time for, say, getting ready for school, is nearly up, the coloured circle becomes smaller until it disappears completely. You can even pair the passing of time with an optional alarm. Kids can hit the button at the top to stop the alarm when they're all ready. Guardians in the reviews find this timer a great help for kids with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), and for preschool kids who can't necessarily understand numbers, but do identify animal shapes. Other mums and dads use this visual cue with homework, screen time and transitioning between activities. The only qualm is that the timer has to be reset manually every day, as it doesn't store your settings.
2. Best Hack for Shoes: Scotchgard Fabric Water Shield (Pack of 4)
Spotted on TikTok and Instagram are mums spraying down their children's school shoes and backpacks with a can of Scotchgard. If your kids usually come home with their new belongings soiled the next day, then this hack is for you. The Fabric Water Shield spray helps repel liquids and block stains, before the mess can seep into the cloth. There's no crunchy feel to the fabric after treatment, and it must be reapplied every time the bags or shoes have been washed. Users say their handbags, shoes and jackets look brand new even after years of use. Our pick is a pack of four cans so that you can generously spray objects for extra protection.
3. Best Hack for Uniform: Youdenova Hanging Wardrobe Organiser, 6 Shelves
Another trick that's gaining a lot of traction from parents, is using hanging shelves to store the week's school clothes. They have open compartments, so kids can reach out and grab the day's uniform along with fresh socks. There's less time spent getting ready, especially if kids get confused with physical education (PE) days. The Youdenova hanging wardrobe has six spacious cubbies for setting out clothes ahead of time. Two additional side pockets offer storage for belts, umbrellas, ties and other trinkets. Stick labels from Monday to Friday onto each compartment for ease. Reviewers say it holds a lot of weight and significantly cuts down the morning rush of digging through the closet.
Warranty: The manufacturer offers a one-year guarantee. Amazon offers a one-year extended warranty for Dh18.
4. Best Hack for Backpacks: Amooca Car Hook (Pack of 4)
Do you drive the kids to school? Then, it's time to deck the car out with useful tools to reduce clutter. Don't toss the backpacks into the trunk - get headrest hooks so that kids can easily access their books, if need be, for revision. Plus, it keeps the bags from taking up legroom. These four in a pack are the perfect design to hang up bags and a lunch box bag or water bottle. Each hook holds up to 6kg of load. Reviewers praise these hooks after long-term use, saying they're durable and useful. Choose from over a dozen colours to match your car's aesthetics or your child's personality.
5. Best Hack for Trinkets: Hantier 3-Tier Stackable Organiser
All of your daughter's miscellaneous hair ties, clips and pins seem to vanish a week in. Instead of sifting through drawers and checking the bathroom counter, keep everything organised in a grid tray. This Hantier organiser features three layers, each with 10 individual storage sections for a total of 30 adjustable compartments. It even has a lid to secure the contents in one place. The case works great for jewellery, gem stones, beads, hair ties and more, say reviews.
6. Best Hack for Homework: Aewio 3-Tier Utility Rolling Cart
A caddy on wheels can be repurposed to meet several needs around the house. Each tier could feature interchangeable labels for the day's homework materials, and kids will have a visual reminder of what needs to be completed. The utility cart can be rolled to different areas of the house, too. Or, the caddy could stand by the front door and hold files, papers, keys and other items they need before they head out. Children can also drop in important circulars from school to be signed, lest they be forgotten at the bottom of the bag. The Aewio cart is made from high quality steel brackets, metal frame and plastic trays. It rolls on four rubber wheels, two of which are lockable, and comes with three hanging cups for stationery. Many five-star reviews mention that it's easy to assemble, roll around and sturdy enough to take on quite a bit of weight.
7. Best Hack for Notes: Memoking Mini Printer T02
Pros
- Inkless printing
- Pocket-sized printer
- Connects wirelessly to devices
- Comes with a roll of paper
- Prints templates, diagrams, photos, graphics and more
Cons
- Rolls run out fast
Older kids heading to higher grades will come across complex diagrams more often. Help them practise labelling these drawings faster with a thermal printer in the drawer. It's a trending tool on TikTok, and highly recommended by students. This Memoking T02 unit makes printouts using thermal technology, so there's no need for ink replacement. Simply connect this pocket printer to an iOS or Android device via Bluetooth, then access the app to print out black and white images in your gallery. You can also choose from hundreds of free templates, such as to-do lists, and graphics. Reviewers comment on how useful it is for subjects like biology, as well as note-taking. Others print diagrams for flashcards to help with studying. What's more, it's great for labelling items around the house. All you need to do is stock up on enough rolls.
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