Give Them A Hook

Posted by Susan Epstein on April 4th, 2011 at 07:28pm

Purpose: To provide an environment where children can learn and practice organizational skills and to reduce parent- child conflict

How to:

Family calendar. Track everyone’s activities large calendar, that is hung where everyone can see it. ( Kitchen for example,)Assign each member their own color marker for their entries. Always reference the calendar when making plans. Bring the calendar to your weekly Family Meeting.
Checklists. Create lists on 3 x 5 cards for all activities that have multiple steps, such as bed time (shower, brush teeth, read story). Engage your child to create the cards with you.
Focus on chores that involve sorting or categorizing. Grocery shopping, folding laundry (matching socks, emptying the dishwasher and putting dishes away, and other tasks that involve pre-planning, making lists, or arranging things are great choices.
Always get ready the night before. Packing lunches, backpacks and laying out clothing will make the morning a breeze and teach your child the importance of planning in advance.
Use containers and closet organizers. Everything has a place it lives. Take digital photos of toys, clothing and personal items and tape them to the outside of the container where you want them stored. (Think Kindergarten classroom)
Cook together. Cooking teaches measuring, following directions, sorting ingredients, and managing time all key elements in organization. Even the cleaning up and putting utensils and pans back where they belong make the task that much easier for the next time.
Collecting. If your child has a particular interest, encourage him to create and organize the collection. Use your creativity in this area and you don’t have to spend a penny. (Think the great outdoors).
Be a role model: Remember if you are disorganized your child will follow your lead. Always put things back where they live, keep your living space clear of clutter and hang up your coat!