Blog: Life Management TEACH YOUR CHILD ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS
Do you find yourself constantly picking up after your children? First of all-STOP!
You'll do yourself and your children a huge favor if you take time to teach them how to keep their own rooms clean and their toys picked up. Start by working with them: showing them how to make the bed, where to put the toys, how to fold or hang up clothing, etc. Once your children know how to keep things clean, make it their responsibility. Next, help your children get organized so that it's easier for them.
Pay special attention to storage in your children's rooms. Bookcases with containers such as dishpans, shoe boxes, laundry baskets, and so on are helpful for sorting and storing smaller items. Use a sturdy shoe storage bag hanging on the back of a closet door to store shoe-sized toys, stuffed animals, and equipment such as jump ropes, baseball gloves, etc. Consider labeling the pouches so your child always knows what goes where.
Motivate your child to keep his things cleaned up by using rewards or punishment. One plan might be to "kidnap" any of your child's toys left lying around and hold it for ransom. The child will have to pay a few cents or do an extra chore to get it back. If your child responds better to rewards, try making a clever chart to tack positive behavior. For example, cut out a large yellow circle and several triangular shaped rays. Check your child's room each day. If it's clean, add a ray to the sun. When the sunburst is completely full of rays, do something special (i.e. make your child's bed for him, take him for a special walk, play his favorite games, and so forth).
Kids love charts. Let them help you make them. Use stars on a flag in July or similar seasonal charts. Other theme charts might be feathers on a hat, animal stickers in a zoo, etc. It's worth taking time to teach your child organizational skill and encourage their good habits!
Judy Warmington, Woman Time Management (owner) -- Busy wife, mother of three adult/married children, grandmother of 10 (5 boys and 5 girls!), former high school teacher (M.A. from W.M.U.), Speaker, Author, Radio Personality, and Trainer of Professional Organizers.
If you notice any problems with this site, please contact our webmaster.
And if you don't see what you need you are welcome to "ask the organizer" any question!
To see what people are saying about www.OnlineOrganizing.com, check out our visitor comments.
TEACH YOUR CHILD ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS
Discuss This Post
www.OnlineOrganizing.com is a service mark of Bradford, LLC.
