The back-to-school season brings its fair share of chaos. Between signing endless forms, reading an onslaught of emails and shuttling kids around, the days can quickly blur into one big to-do list.

When it comes to organizing the chaos, Martha Carol Stewart, CEO of Chaos Organizing, is well-versed in the subject. Before beginning her career in home organization, she worked as a teacher while raising her children.

Keep reading for Stewart’s insights on starting off the school year smoothly—and no, it’s never too late to calm the chaos.

Keep a family calendar.

Stewart calls a shared calendar a game-changer. Whether it’s a whiteboard at home or an app that everyone can download, a family calendar is key to keeping up with the ever-evolving schedules. Do what works for your family, and choose a method you will maintain.

“When my kids were young, I would put everything on the calendar. When they got older, it was their responsibility to put things on it,” Stewart says. “My rule was that if it’s not on the calendar, it does not exist, and I do not have to get you there. It taught them independence, how to utilize a calendar and more—all great things to teach kids who are going to be adults one day.”

Evening prep means easier mornings. 

Get as much as possible accomplished the night before, Stewart advises. Create an evening routine that includes tasks like packing bags, making lunches and laying out clothing for the next day.

“The mornings literally only have to be getting dressed, brushing your teeth, eating breakfast, grabbing bags and getting in the car,” she explains. “The nighttime is where I implemented a routine for preparation. After everything was packed, it was put in a drop zone by the back door and ready to go for the morning.”

A drop zone by the door may be a hall tree, a row of shaker pegs or even a set of baskets.

Many hands make light work.

Household organization strategies can be a significant burden on parents, but there are simple ways to delegate some responsibilities to the kids.

“Lists,” Stewart says. “Every child needs a morning, after-school and evening list that they are checking off, not the parents.” At the Stewart house, TV time came after the list was complete with checkmarks.

For younger children, their lists may need to be pictures. While they will need assistance, there are still things the littles can learn to do on their own. Investing time in teaching kids how to handle new responsibilities fosters growth well beyond a little extra help around the house.

“My kids started packing their own lunches in kindergarten with little assistance. I had certain things approved in separate bins in the fridge and pantry that they knew to go to,” Stewart says. “Being a mom is hard. You’ve got a lot on your plate. So teaching them independence not only makes them better adults, but it makes more room for what you need to get done.”

Set aside a study space. 

The kitchen typically houses the dedicated homework space, but this can quickly turn into papers, laptop chargers and supplies taking over the space. Stewart recommends a rolling cart. This way, kids can be in the kitchen near parents, but their homework space can easily be stored away when it’s time to use the kitchen table for cooking and eating.

“I like to do a homework station in a rolling cart that has all the supplies they could need and then tuck it into another room, cabinet or closet when guests come,” she explains.

Less is more.

Stewart says time is the biggest pitfall of organizing family routines. The hustle and bustle of modern life wears everyone out at some point. And when people get tired, they skip things. Most often, it’s the laundry.

Stewart advises committing to one small load a day instead of saving it all for the weekend.

“I would wash it at night, in the mornings put it in the dryer, and then in the afternoon fold it and put it away while the kids did homework. I took one long chore and divided it into small sections,” she says.

This divide-and-conquer method can also apply to dishes, school projects and general de-cluttering.

For more insights from Martha Carol Stewart, follow Chaos Organizing on Instagram.