CLEANING OUT

Before bringing in the new shoes and new supplies, we need to say "out with the old" and PURGE. Going through closets, drawers and the desk or homework area is the best place to start. Donate or toss all clothes your child has outgrown. Don't forget to also purge shoes, socks, gloves, jackets, etc. Get rid of any unnecessary papers and unusable school items from last year. Now is the time to take stock of any summer items and clothes that can be stored until next season. Purchase several see-thru totes and pack up items your child will not be using until next summer along with any swim clothes that might be reusable or that could be handed down to a sibling. The hard part is done so take a look around at what is left and make a LIST of the items youˇ¦ll need to buy such as clothing articles, new sneakers or school shoes, backpacks, notebooks, calculators, etc.

DESK AND HOMEWORK AREA

All students should have a quite and well lit area to study. Getting rid of unnecessary clutter on top of their work area will make for an inviting space to open a text book. Place only NECESSARY items on the top of the desk such as a reading lamp and a pencil holder with a few pens and sharpened pencils. Other items should be cleared and placed in the desk drawers. Always keep extra SUPPLIES on hand such as plain and lined paper, markers, rulers, glue, etc. A cork board for messages may also be useful, but watch out for "corkboard overload". Important information that is hung on the board that might be needed at a later date should be transferred within a week to the appropriate place. (ex. -- phone numbers should be placed in a phone book, personal planner or computer address list, etc.)

TIME MANAGEMENT

Aside from the aesthetics of having items organized, time management is crucial in the goal to become a more efficient and productive STUDENT. Teenagers today are inundated with homework, sports and extracurricular activities. A personal planner will help your teenager manage their time most effectively. Most teachers will start the school year with a handout of the course OUTLINE with major projects listed, timelines and information on what is expected of the student. Take the time to go through all papers your teenager brings home the first week of school. Discuss goals for each class and ideas for how much time must be put into each course and the various assignments. Instead of just writing down a due date of a project on a personal planner, write in specific STUDY times as well. Also, dates and times of sporting events and other extracurricular activities should be written in the planner. Learning to time manage as a teenager will help carry over to college and on into the working world.

IT'S A PROCESS

For most teenagers, organizing skills usually do not appear overnight. However, it is an ongoing LEARNING experience that can be enhanced by we as parents setting good examples, using friendly (no yelling, please) reminders and offering continual encouragement. What seems like such an insignificant task such as putting the pencil back in the pencil holder or picking a crumpled shirt up off the floor and putting it into a hamper just may turn into, who knows, the active college student that can juggle a double major with ease that will eventually become a parent that will teach your grandchildren that they can have a successful career as well as an organized, efficient home. This school year, resolve to help your teenager strive to become more efficient and organized. The REWARDS will last year after year.