Paper organizing

[roseinbloom]

This is my bane. I can be relatively organized packrat about papers. I have every card and letter, I still have all of my first official employment pay stubs and bank account statements from the beginning of time all organized.

I am worried about the influx of paper with my kid starting kindergarten and having a better system. H doesn’t see the need to file papers or even keep them and I am caught in this tangle of “is he ever going to file this? Should I move it and file it with my things? Blah, blah, blah.” Communication about paperwork is a non-interest for him.

So, does anyone have any paper organizational systems/influencers/etc. I can look at? Anything would be helpful because I am willing to reconsider my current system (minus digitizing everything because I don’t have time to do that for the old stuff and I would prefer the paper anyway).

Most especially I am interested in organizing incoming school paperwork for the children. I have a “command center” situation for immediate things, but I know things will accumulate fast and some may feel miscellaneous for a while.

[FlightView]

My important papers are filed in a drawer and so much is irrelevant now and I really need to purge it.

For kids paperwork, it’s not a lot because we don’t keep art work longer than a week. We love and appreciate the art then throw it away.

The homework is placed on the counter in their folders with their library books.

[McBenny]

I have a drawer for each person in the house in a stacked cart. What is very important will get filed later. What's not will be tossed.

[roseinbloom]

Oh man, I am so sentimental with paper. 😂 I would run out of room in one cart even if we each had our own shelf and I have a giant stash of my kids’ art work. Comparatively to you I am a paper horder, so yeah, I’d better work on this.

[roseinbloom]

In progress update:

I currently still hoard papers, but I have developed a secondary system for kids’ school stuff. So:

1. There is a designated spot for papers which are to be returned to school (signed forms, homework, etc.). Filed in a labeled, upright mail-sorter.

2. There is a designated spot for upcoming events fliers. Homemade pin board, to be replaced by magnetic board. This is conveniently right over our paper recycling bin. I pull off and toss when the event has passed.

3. Each child has a 1/2 inch binder (red for R, blue for B). Filed in the labeled, upright mail-sorter. In the front pocket is important, student-specific info. After that is yearly info and correspondence, to be tossed or filed later on. I also keep the calendars in the respective folders and refer to them when setting up the perpetual calendar.

4. Hanging, labeled file-folder system for artwork, homework, classwork. Legal size folders. To be reviewed at the end of the year

5. The upright mail-sorter is just below the pinboard and above the paper recycling. I also adhered those little locker pen/notepad holders to it. That containes: pens (signing stuff) and permanent markers (labeling clothes/personal items); scissors (cutting return slips) and box-cutter (mostly just for paper recycling); and pins for the board

The system needs some little adjustments now, and I am sure it will evolve over time. But for right now, it mostly seems to be working!