Help Your Kids Get Organized

Help Your Kids Get Organized

Some kids seem to be natural neat freaks and others are far from it. In some instances it appears that kids mimic what their parents do; if a parent is well-organized her kids might be too. On the other hand, some kids tend to take the opposite course; they may be very unorganized.

Organizational skills can benefit people of all ages. In fact, these skills can help in everything from stress management to saving time. With that, helping kids get organized is a great way to help them work more efficiently in the classroom, on home projects, and much more. It can even help when it comes to money management and in workplace settings. In other words, this is a skill that kids can learn and then use throughout their lives.

Start With the Basics

While you wouldn’t expect a toddler to sweep and mop the floors, even very young children can learn to put their toys in a toy box or other container. Teaching them to do this is a wonderful way to help them gain an appreciation for organization. They will know where to find the things they want.

Toddlers Like To Clean

Toddlers like doing things like stacking blocks and sorting according to colors. These basic skills can be used to help teach kids more about organization. For instance, even young kids can ‘help’ with the laundry chores. They can find socks that match and they can help toss clothes into the washer and dryer.

Toy brooms, dustpans, and vacuum cleaners are popular items for toddlers. Kids in this age group do not think of cleaning as work – that is, unless an older person clues them in. That being said, cleaning and organizing tasks should be made to be fun.

Creative Storage

Storage solutions do not have to be the typical and expected. Getting creative can make using the containers more fun. For example, kids can make their own desk accessories. A simple craft project, like painting an empty jar to use to hold pencils can make a child want to keep his or her pencils where they belong.

Out of Sight Is Good

Kids can also be taught about the use of ‘unseen’ or unused spaces. This includes the space under a bed, in a closet, and in cabinets. Showing kids that ‘under the bed storage’ can be ideal for out of season clothing or for certain collections helps them gain an understanding that not everything has to be out, in the open. They learn to prioritize storage solutions according to how often an item is accessed or needed.

Do You Need This?

One way to instill good habits is to ask if an item still fits or if the child still plays with or uses it. The idea is to teach kids that it is important to ‘get rid of’ things that are not needed. This makes space for the things that are wanted and used.

Responsibilities Can Help

Giving kids chores or responsibilities is an excellent way to reinforce the need for organization. Start with something small and age-appropriate. As the child grows his or her responsibilities can be increased. But do keep in mind, everyone is different and some people are simply better organized than others. Setting basic standards is a good idea but you should also be willing to allow some flexibility.

Debbie Allen is a team member at Package From Santa. She writes about everything from home decoration and ways to save money to health topics and tips for parents. Visit her site for women at TheThingsWomenWant.com.