What will you do differently this Back-to-School season? One of our Clutter Diet members said that the new school year feels like New Year’s Eve, and it seems like she should make resolutions. Yes, it is a fresh start, just like a brand new calendar year! So I think it’s a great idea to have Back-to-School Resolutions.

Here are my top ten suggestions of small things you can change to reduce the stress of your family’s school year:

1. Get up earlier. (Yes, ugh! But it's good!) Do you want to start your morning like a gun firing on a race, or with a proper cup of tea? Get ahead of the rest of the family, get your workout done, get a shower, or just get some quiet time to yourself before the wild rumpus starts.

Do your "Sunday Planning"-- just 10-15 minutes a week could change everything! Watch this YouTube video that explains the five “Cs” of Sunday Planning: Calendar, Carpool, Cooking, Chores, and Children.Create a “Donation Station” in your home where items can be gathered for donating to Goodwill®. One way closets become disorganized is that there is no designated place to put clothing when you've decided you can no longer use it. Once you’ve decided to donate something, place it in a cardboard box or a paper shopping bag or grocery sack in a common area of the house like the utility room. When these bags are full, drop them off at your nearest donation center.Pack lunches the night before. Better yet, have the young 'uns start packing their own. Give them some guidance on appropriate menus and combinations and keep your supplies stocked for them. Create a lunch and snack station in your kitchen, with storage for lunch boxes, plastic bags, food containers, bowls, cups, plasticware, and common lunch treats and snacks all within easy reach of the fridge and/or pantry. Use this station to direct their attention to the healthy treats you want them to find. Set up items for tomorrow before going to bed each evening. Along with lunch-making, make sure all paperwork is ready for school and that backpacks are packed. Review your plan for the next day.Use a rotation menu for breakfasts (lunches too!), which is a set menu of one or two weeks of meals that you continually repeat. In our home, Friday has always been Pancake Day, and it’s so easy to shop and cook knowing we’ll always have everyone’s favorites on a given day. Take advantage of the school website resources. Find out if your school has automated email reminders that notify you when your child's lunch money account is below a certain dollar amount. (Ours did and I didn't know that until the end of their first year!) There may be other alerts and notifications you can set up to help you.Set up family policies for homework time, snack time, and how much screen time the kids can have on weekdays and weekends. Agree to these policies together along with the consequences for violating them, and even have the kids sign an official paper about it. Eliminate arguments and constant policing! Drive smart. Organize a carpool arrangement with at least one other family, for school or other regular activities. It saves everyone immense amounts of time and is good for your wallet and the environment, too.

What are your "Back to School Resolutions?" Share in the comments!