How Instagram’s Organized Mama Keeps the Train Running in the Throes of Back-to-School

Twin Cities Instagrammer/organizing expert/author Jessica Litman's 11-year-old son Eli checks the printout on the fridge for the school lunch menu as they get ready in the morning at home in Maple Grove, Minnesota, on Sept. 26, 2023. Leila Navidi/Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS

By Nancy Ngo From Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

MINNEAPOLIS—The Organized Mama’s Jessica Litman is used to helping clients run their daily lives and households smoothly, getting the entire family involved so it’s not just the responsibility of one person.

Raising two elementary school-aged kids with her husband, Ben, the professional organizing expert and popular blogger with more than 46,000 Instagram followers admits this time of the year—back-to-school and the resumption of extracurricular activities—is one of the most challenging times for her Maple Grove household.

“The bus comes at 7:15, and we have to be ready,” Litman said. Plus, “I am not a morning person.”

So how does Litman incorporate what she teaches other families into her own household routine? From how to prep and what to pack, here’s how the Litman household keeps the train running on time.

Make a Plan

In the Litman household, Sunday night dinners are when the family plans out their week.

“I have a little weekly calendar and everyone shares what they’re doing. This way my husband and I can take this one to guitar or this one to dance,” she said. “And we plan out what the kids are responsible for bringing for those activities.”

Sunday suppers are also when they divvy up things that need to get done around the house. We have tasks and chores, such as the kids are in charge of the garbage this night. It’s written on a calendar on the refrigerator and everyone has a different color [designation].”

Prep Lunches

The family also uses Sundays to prepare lunches, cutting cheese blocks and fruit. Those items as well as deli meats are stored in different containers and easy to pull from the refrigerator. Snacks are organized in bins within easy reach. That way, her kids know what’s available and where things are and can assemble their lunches in the morning.

“I think it’s really beneficial for kids to be involved in the meal-prepping part,” Litman said. And “it just streamlines lunch packing more efficiently than just kind of throwing it together the night before or in the morning.”

Assemble the Night Before

In addition to chores such as running the dishwasher the night before, Litman is an advocate of her kids packing their backpacks and charging devices before going to bed. When it comes to whether her kids should lay out their outfits the night before, she leaves room for flexibility.

Twin Cities Instagrammer/organizing expert/author Jessica Litman always empties the dishwasher first thing in the morning in her home. LEILA NAVIDI/TNS

“If that works for your kids, then do it. My son has it all set out on a chair and it’s ready to go, but my daughter will change her mind” and want to change into something else, Litman said. “Don’t force the outfit. I’ve seen it turn into a giant battle, and it’s just not worth it.”

Pack Separate Bags for Activities

In addition to school, it’s also the start of after-school activities. The Litmans keep things running smoothly by having a designated bag in the “drop zone” by the door for each activity.

“My daughter’s in a play. We have a bag with the script, pencils, jazz shoes, hair ties. If we do swimming, there’s a swim bag,” Litman said. “Everything has its own separate bag so we’re not misplacing equipment.”

Litman also keeps an extra set of clothes—from shirts to socks that are versatile for any occasion that might pop up—in the car for her kids. “There have been times we’ve been running around from activity to activity. It’s good to have an emergency bag just in case,” she said.

Create Zen Time

As important, Litman said, parents need to make sure to carve time for themselves amid the chaos of back to school.

For Litman, it begins with starting the morning on the right foot. She sets her alarm five minutes earlier than everyone else, timing the coffee maker so that there’s java ready by the time she wakes up.

“Give yourself Zen time, whatever that may be,” she said. “This time of year can be super stressful and you need to be regulated, as well.”

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