I have a simple parenting credo: teach them to fish. Give them the right tools and lessons, and then let them go fishing.
That’s why, every August, we start the school year with intention. Not just with fresh supplies, but also with systems. The goal? A smoother school year from August to May with these school-aged children learning to care for themselves and their everyday needs. (okay, with a bit of oversight and nagging from their parents…)
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Here’s how we do it:
THE PLACE
The Laundry Room Is Command Central
Our kids enter the house through the garage. That means cleats and trail shoes go into a designated shelf before anyone steps inside. Once they’re in the laundry room (the first room off the garage), bags get hung up, and sports clothes go straight into the wash sink.
If it’s for school or sports, it lives here.
No rogue soccer socks migrating to the living room. No ballet tights tucked under a bed. This system saves our collective sanity—and prevents last-minute gear hunts. Things can only go so far if we corral it all in the laundry room!
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THE TOOLS
The Wall Calendar (Yes, Even in 2025)
We love tech. But there’s still something magical about a big visual calendar on the wall—ours lives in the laundry room.
It shows trips, camps, holidays, and school closings. When the kids ask, “When’s fall break again?” the answer is, “Check the calendar.”
Bonus: They can fill it out themselves now. It's an excellent tool for teaching time management and spatial awareness (two weeks feels different when you can see it).
Sports Bags: Built to Be Standalone
Each sport has its own fully stocked bag.
Volleyball? Knee pads, brush, bobby pins, deodorant, and uniform.
Soccer? Shin guards, socks, hoodie, jersey.
Yes, this means buying multiples. But it’s so much easier to restock individual bags than hunt for a communal “hair accessories bag” that floats from ballet to soccer and back.
Bonus: If you have a daughter, consider outfitting each sports bag with a DIY “first flo kit”. I used a medium travel pouch and placed each of these things into the pouch. One kit lives in each sports bag, plus one for her bookbag, and I carry one (4 total kits) when we are out together.
The Perpetual Calendar
Every May, I start with a blank weekly calendar. As the kids express interest in things—camp, clubs, tryouts- it gets penciled in. We can quickly see if any particular day starts to look hectic and discuss before making commitments.
Once we finalize schedules, I color-code them, type them up, and hang them in the mudroom. It's a straightforward, visual way to make sure we haven’t overcommitted ourselves before the year even starts.
Want a copy? Here you go! Please download it and keep for yourself.
DAILY (Monday - Friday) UPKEEP
Daily Reset
After every practice or game:
Clothes off and into the wash
Water bottles in the kitchen sink
Hairnets, bobby pins, gear back where it belongs
It’s 3 minutes of effort that prevents 30 minutes of chaos later.
Post-It Notes = Daily Briefings
Every morning, I write a quick Post-it for each person in the house. It's a mix of brain dump, reminders, and “hey, check your email for this form.” Simple but effective. I wrote more about this daily system here.
Google Sub-Calendars for Digital Reinforcement
In December 2024, we added shared Google calendars for the kids. They can see their sports, school holidays, and yes…even chores. Each child has their own sub-calendar, and everyone has access to see (but not edit) each other's. They use the Gmail and Calendar apps on their devices, with private “training email addresses” we’ve set up for them. (Curious about the “training email addresses” we are using with them now? Comment below and let me know, and I can share the hows and whys in a future Substack.)
They don’t have access to my or my husband’s work calendars unless needed—we’re sharing to empower, not to overwhelm.
WEEKLY UPKEEP
Friday Backpack Clean-Out
Fridays are our weekly reset. After school, backpacks go on the kitchen table. Everything gets pulled out.
Is this their favorite part of the week? Absolutely not.
Do we find forgotten permission slips and mystery fruit roll-ups? Every time.
Weekly Whiteboards for Each Kid
Instead of cluttering the wall calendar with the weekly grind (ballet, soccer, volleyball...), each kid has their own whiteboard.
They fill out the week every (fine…most) Sunday—what activity, what time. It builds memory, independence, and accountability for their commitments.
Fridays = Closeout + Planning Time
Our week ahead starts on Friday with a meeting at 5 PM. The week ends with the “Tacos & Tequila” meeting—my husband and I debrief the week, plan the weekend, and prep for what’s coming. This tradition deserves its own post, but for now, just know: it’s mission-critical during the school year.
AD-HOC UPKEEP
School Break Inventory Audit
On long school breaks, we wash backpacks and audit the sports bags. Need new shin guards? Running low on hair ties? Bigger size on soccer cleats needed? This is our window to replenish and reset.
None of these systems are about being perfect. They're about setting up the year so that when (not if) things get busy or stressful, we have a solid baseline to fall back on.
It's less about control and more about confidence—for us and our kids.
For the complete list of materials we use for sports bags, everyday calendars, etc., plus some other fun things to keep handy around the house…please see the link here!
PS: If you found this helpful, give it a like ❤️ — it fuels the flywheel of discovery and helps more people find these posts. And if you have a school-year system that saves your sanity, drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear it.
The Business of Adulting is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
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