Dreading the potential chaos that back-to-school could create? Why not prevent it before it starts by setting up three key areas of your house to help control the disarray? The entryway, kitchen and your kid’s bedroom are prime candidates for an organizational makeover.

Entryway

We know. Getting out the door on school-day mornings can quickly turn into a hectic hunt for an errant shoe or misplaced backpack. Prevent the scavenger hunt by preparing the entryway or mudroom.

If you’re on a budget or you don’t have space to spare by the door, place a cube organizer on the floor and assign a different fabric drawer color to each member of your household. That way, everyone knows where their things are (and where to put them back at the end of the day!).

Build a storage system like this for easier mornings.

To contain more items, like jackets and sports gear, install a system like SpaceCreations or Modular Closets. Each person can have a cubby for a bookbag, rain boots, a soccer ball – anything needed for school or extracurricular activities.

To keep your entryway organizer organized, incentivize the kids (and maybe yourself, too) to return everything to their designated places. This could be in the form of a weekly reward like going out for ice cream or a daily prize such as a sticker.

Kitchen

Whether you make the school lunches or the kids pack their lunch bags themselves, knowing where all the supplies are will help this daily task go more smoothly.

Hang a wire rack on the wall at any height so the kids can reach sandwich bags, granola bars or other lunch necessities.

Think about what you usually send the kids to school with and how best to store all the lunch items (don’t forget the containers and baggies).

Storing lunch bags in a lower cabinet lets even the elementary school kids assist with lunch-making.

Need inspiration to keep lunchtime interesting? Try a few of Food Network’s ideas.

Kid’s Bedroom

You might never get your child to always keep a clean bedroom, but you can reduce the time it takes to get ready in the morning.

Pick out the next day’s outfit the night before. If your child wears a uniform, this task will be even simpler. Either put the entire wardrobe together in a designated spot in the closet or on a piece of furniture in the bedroom, like a bench.

A wire basket in the bedroom closet could be the perfect place to lay out tomorrow’s clothing.

Does your child have a habit of losing homework or forgetting to bring school books to class? Decide where to house these important papers and textbooks so that there’s less chance of these problems. The best location could be in a bin by the front door or in the bedroom near a desk or other work area.

A mini bench at the foot of the bed can be a solution for holding school books and notebooks.