August 20, 2026
The first weeks of school always bring backpack overwhelm. It’s normal. And you can organize school papers. I promise. 5 REAL THINGS you can do.
BACKPACK OVERWHELM
What is it? The quick accumulation of random things, ranging from super-important to sticky snack wrappers. And rocks. And tiny items from countless sources.
But where does the panic come in?
Missed permission slips, missed deadlines, missed fees, missed assignments, ultimately leading to missed sanity.
And on this page, there’s nothing new to you. Every single thing is familiar. Because you’ve done it.
But what is new? Your vantage point.
Let’s take out the negative emotion (frustration/overwhelm), and look at what’s really happening here.
Backpacks are one of the first “shared responsibility” centers of parenting. You’re responsible for all the items in a container that is transported by, rummaged through, and stuffed by a person who isn’t used to managing anything.
It’s their office, briefcase, security item, identity, and burden. Your participation involves authority, respect, and assurance. All around the backpack. The management system for their content.
Let’s look at 5 different things that matter, 5 ways to manage, 5 ways to maintain.
#1: THE FOLDER
THE FOLDER is the big thing. Never forget that. Most teachers use this to manage papers, permission slips, fees due, weekly spelling words, behavior info, and countless other things for students. THE FOLDER is the big thing.
They try to make it easy. One side says “Keep at home” or “For Parents” and another says “Send Back To School” or “Needs Signature” or something else.
Learn the system the teacher uses, and your life will be easier.
Review the folder every afternoon. Not in the morning before school. Otherwise you’ll have missed the homework, the need for supplies, or something else you can’t fix in the morning.
It takes minutes to review the folder, and it’s not frustrating. Not compared to if you didn’t review it.
For you and your child, the folder is new, or different from last year, or something else. But learning isn’t hard. Figure it out and pay attention and make it a daily routine.
Complete the assignments, sign the forms, and remove the finished work to keep.
Use your phone to take pictures of permission slips you sign and return. (You’ll thank me for that one.)
And when you’re doing this, relax. No fussing, no complaining. This is your child’s important work. Compliment it, savor it, and reassure.
#2 THE COMPARTMENTS
Oh, those backpack COMPARTMENTS. You will grow to love them. I promise. Backpacks are amazing, if you let them be.
A jacket fits in the biggest place, maybe a lunchbox too. Glasses cases go in a small compartment. Money goes in a zippered flat one.
Now that school has started, take a minute to review the backpack compared to the habits you’re learning.
Here’s the thing: Try to be perfectly consistent in how you use the compartments. Don’t stash the money in a different place. Everything should always be in the place it belongs.
Check the compartments every afternoon. Just to be sure that money is still there, trash is removed, and nothing is misplaced. It takes just a few minutes, and keeps things from getting missed.
#3: LEARNING TO MANAGE
Encourage your child to be responsible. Now that I’ve said that, I know you’ll want to skip this part. But give me five seconds.
The first 2 weeks of school are overwhelming. For children, for teachers, for parents. Teachers know how to say they are overwhelmed. So do parents.
Children often do not recognize or verbalize overwhelm. They need comfort, encouragement, and assurance.
Each year of school, requirements step up. More is expected, and your child has to adjust. And yes, even carrying a backpack is an invisible burden of responsibility. Between the expectations of teachers and parents, children may feel pressured to “manage”
So having a backpack to transport important papers, messages, and assignments becomes a “job.” Move into it gently, acknowledging success.
“Wow. You have a lot to manage. You’re going to be a professional second-grader soon. I’ll help you every single day, and we’ll figure it out together.”
Show pleasure at seeing the backpack clean and organized. Give gentle encouragement each time you go through it. You’re teaching a skill here that is part of a much bigger ecosystem — the education journey ahead.
Assure your child every day that they will be able to manage.
#4: Organize School Papers At Home
Remember the “Keep At Home” mention earlier? You may as well accept the fact that this is only the beginning.
These papers will be endless. Upcoming event notifications, finished art projects, completed assignments, ongoing lists, and newsletters. Things like that.
At the very least, get a plastic organizing bin at Amazon and drop papers you’re keeping in it. These don’t have to be sorted or filed daily, but weekly is probably necessary.
Coordinate your calendar with those upcoming events. You’ll thank yourself. Do I use my phone calendar? Sure. But the planner on the kitchen counter is the visual reminder for the whole family.
I don’t think you’ll ever get my planner away from me. You can get a 5-year flatlay planner that makes sense for so many things. Less than $20. That’s $4 a year. (Some people get the pretty ones, but I never see the cover so I don’t.😉) As soon as I have the school year calendar, I print it, mark the holidays, and tuck it into a pocket in the back.
Pay close attention to announcements you’ll need to respond to later — use a big paper clip or post-it note or even put it into a red folder labeled “UPCOMING” to remind you.
Ultimately you’ll figure out how long to hang on to things. As busy as you are, don’t count on your memory if it’s going to come up again. Just save the paper, the exact notice, and save yourself a lot of grief.
Create a simple system to keep things organized.
#5 Respect the Routine
Living with a need to follow someone else’s agenda can make us feel like we’re not in control. If you’re not careful, you’ll resent the very thing that keeps it all together — your child’s management system.
I’m not trying to create a Love Me, Love My Backpack vibe, but it sneaks in, doesn’t it? 😄
It’s not the backpack itself. It’s the system it represents. The system you’ll recognize with your child daily.
Respect the routine.
Respect your child, and the only management system they can really carry.
Respect the teacher, who has plenty more children and parents to communicate with.
- Review the folder every afternoon.
- Check the compartments every afternoon.
- Assure your child every day that they will be able to manage.
- Create a simple system to keep things organized.
- Respect the Routine.
I hope this helped. As you can see, there’s nothing new.
But a lot is new to your child. Unspoken.
Remember: It’s their office, briefcase, security item, identity, and burden.
ORGANIZING SCHOOL PAPERS
What would I do? Probably set up a file box with hanging folders. Label them — Art, Spelling Words, Finished, Newsletters, Upcoming, or whatever makes sense to you.
Everything in the “Keep At Home” side can drop into a folder. Literally. Drop.
Look:
You can set this up for less than $20.
Get on top of it now. Manage, enjoy, praise.
And now you won’t lose your mind. Which is good. Because when moms do that, kids do that. Ask me how I know.
Recognizing overwhelm is usually an adult skill. Kids are slower to feel it coming on. Help them by teaching gently how to be organized and systematic, how to learn routines, and how to expect better days.
Loving you these first few weeks of school, for all that you do. 💖
Read any of my school topics, or my reading topics, to give your child a huge boost in the early years.
Read any of my parenting topics to maintain your sanity.
Read more organizing tips to help keep your life in order.
By the way, 😎
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-Grammye
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