Here’s an easy system for organizing your kids’ school papers

School supplies are purchased, the first day of school (also known as the “first day of freedom” for many parents) has come and gone, and now it’s time for the papers to start rolling in. From homework sheets to artwork, your kids are going to come home with plenty of items you need to sort through.

If you can’t easily decide what to keep and what to toss, you’ll find that you have mounds of clutter on your hands, so it’s best to get a sorting system in order before the school year gets too far underway.

Thankfully, the I Heart Planners website teamed up with the Refined Rooms blog to tips for organizing that will definitely come in handy for parents of school-aged kids.

After making the suggestion that parents create a filing system for each grade, they acknowledged one of the toughest organizational conundrums when it comes to school-related papers: deciding what to keep and what to toss. In the end, they say, you have to decide for yourself what guidelines you’ll set in place to keep the mementos manageable. But they do recommend limiting what you save so that it doesn’t take up more than one storage container.

The Storage System

Once you’ve begun to narrow down what you’ll save for later, it’s time to store your papers in a way that signifies that this is more than just clutter. The I Heart Planning website recommends using file folders and a storage bin to keep the important things all in one place. You can have fun decorating each folder, indicating the year, grade and age of your child.

When you’re finished, you’ll wind up with something like this:

With the papers filed away, you can easily store the bin on a bookshelf, under a bed or wherever you can easily access it when your child comes home with more important documents!

More Organizational Options

Of course, this is just one of many ways you can stay organized while your kids are in school. The Reluctant Entertainer blog suggests creating “Memory Binders” for each year your child is in school, which could easily be stored on a bookshelf:

Meanwhile, Kylie M. Interiors found a way to stay organized and keep important items on display rather than tucked away. Their  unique system involves a picture frame and clipboards:

So whether you want to keep things safely stored or have them on display in your home — there’s an organization technique for you. Find what works best for you and your family!