4 Tips To Help Your Child Learn Organization and Manage Clutter

Getting your kids to be organized is not an easy task. They have tons of things to do including studies, activities, hobbies and playtime. In this busy milieu organization and orderliness becomes next to impossible. Unorganized children have an uncanny way of driving their hapless moms crazy, something every mom in Champaign-Urbana area will also vouch for.

A screaming mom may not be motivating enough for kids to mend their ways. You need to start with baby steps and teach your little ones to make neatness and organization a part of their daily routine.

Putting away books and assignment sheets after the day’s work, cleaning up after meals, putting out fresh clothes for the next day, chipping in to help with household chores and playing a role in family decision making all make children adopt a mature attitude, and this may translate into how well they maintain their room as well.

Here are a few tips for you to help your child become more organized and orderly.

1. Help Them Manage Clutter

One of the biggest causes behind closets, rooms and homes becoming chaotic is unmanaged clutter. As we own more and more things the space that is available for our use becomes limited. We try to cram stuff into every nook and corner, and they overflow into our children’s rooms as well.

Teach children the value of their possessions. Allow them to buy only stuff that they need. When they bring in a new toy ask them what they would like to remove from their toy box. Explain to them that this will help them to have space for new stuff and if there is something that they do not want anymore it can be used by another less fortunate child. They also learn that possessing more than necessary is not ideal. If donation is not on your little one’s mind you can help him or her decide which damaged or broken toy needs to be thrown away.

Also, remind your children to check whether their closets, cubbies, boxes or baskets are overstuffed. Help them to recognize signs of clutter that is beginning to build up, so that they can nip it in the bud.

Reward your children for neatness. Appreciate the efforts they put in to tame clutter.

2. Have a Place for Everything

Ensure there is a place for everything in your child’s room. Have a designated place to put books of various class subjects, worksheets and other related work. Make room in the closet or have a floating shelf in the room where he can store activity gear.

Maximize closet space. Stagger rods or add extra bars. Ensure that your kids can easily reach their clothes and use small-sized use small-sized clothing hangers. Hanger dividers will help separate seasonal outfits or clothes of each child if your children share a room.

Bins and baskets are great for organizing almost anything from toys to clothes. Clear plastic shoe boxes can be used to store socks, under garments, nightwear and other accessories. Creativity and planning give a home for everything in your children’s room and color-coordinated baskets and labels will help them organize on their own, since everything is self-explanatory and easy.

Ladder shelves are a clever idea to create a craft nook and store craft supplies. A ladder shelf can also be used to store toy bins and baskets. Do ensure you label the boxes or slap on picture labels to help your little ones find stuff and put them back after play.

3. Buy Your Child a Planner

If you have a slightly older child, get him a planner to make organization easy. Also let him choose a planner that he likes. You can explain to him how he can keep notes and manage schedules. Do check the planner often to see whether there are overlaps with the family schedule.

In the beginning your child won’t find it easy but over time he will gradually learn and make it a habit. This is a small way in which you can build in organization into your child’s routine.

4. Enjoy Activities Together

Find time to accompany your child to activity classes and rehearsals. You can make use of this opportunity to teach your little one to organize and sort his stuff, and also encourage him to pack everything that he requires on his own.

Cooking together is a great opportunity to teach kids about organization. They learn the importance of following recipes and to measure, sort, mix and count carefully. They learn to manage time and work towards creating a delicious meal. These are important skills that your child learns that will help him or her organize better.

Conclusion

Good organizational skills will prove to be an invaluable tool as your child grows up. She will be able to bring the abilities to prioritize and de-clutter to other areas of her life as well. So gear up to teach your kids the most invaluable skill that will help them face life’s challenges better.

/// Post brought to you by Nicola Reynor ///