the kid's approach to getting organized!

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Written by: Karen S. Augustine, Professional Organizer, Neat Niche by Karen, LLC www.Neatnichebykarenllc.com, [email protected], office/cell-614-301-8718.

All rights reserved. September 2014 “An Organizer of Lives Not Just Stuff”

“The Kid’s Approach to

Getting Organized!”

Little ones should

be taught to be

neat and tidy at an

early age!

http://www.neatnichebykarenllc.com/

mailto:[email protected]

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Introduction

Children are a gift and they are under our care. What we teach them and show

them is what they will remember and execute for many years to come. It is our

job to instill in them good values, morals and beliefs. We need to instill good

behaviors, lifestyles, practices and habits.

Along with these traits children should be instructed in the area of their

possessions. We need to teach them in regards to ownership. How we teach them

is by explaining the financial value. They need to realize the responsibility of

having possessions. Making them realize how fortunate they are shows them the

value of their possessions. Also, they should be made aware that possessing items

is not all about instant gratification, but being patient in acquiring possessions

through rewards and hard work.

With all that being said they need to learn how to be organized, orderly,

systemized and neat. They need to be made aware that their lives include systems,

processes, routines and structure for living an organized, non-chaotic lifestyle.

These are essential in the growth of children.

I am offering this eBook especially designed and created for your children. This

tool will assist in teaching your children the techniques of organization. It will

assist them in living an organized, clutter free, non-chaotic lifestyle.



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Preface As a Professional Organizer, in my many years of organizing, I have seen parents

who are frustrated and stressed due to their children being clutter bugs, untidy

and disorganized. They are exasperated as how to maintain an organized lifestyle

when it comes to their children. Their ongoing questions to me are, “Karen, how do

I get my child to clean up their room?” Karen, “Why is my child so messy?” “He

does not respect his stuff.”

There are many reasons and issues that need to be addressed and uncovered.

Easy as 1, 2, 3, there are three major steps to use with your children:

1. Get organized.

2. Stay focused.

3. Get it done!

The trouble for kids is that each of these steps is actually a lot of baby steps.

Figuring out how to accomplish them is a skill that will benefit them in school and

throughout life. Kids have many things to do each day and each one of them follows

this 1-2-3 process.



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There is a Plan for Your Child!

Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way that he should go, and when he

is old he will not part from it.”

Denoting: Train your children in living a godly life. Teach them good values and

morals. Be a role model when it comes to consideration, respect and

trustworthiness. Educate them on how to be a good citizen and humanitarian.

Prepare them for future responsibilities and adulthood. Create for them a

balanced, harmonious, happy, healthy lifestyle.



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Table of Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………….. II

Preface………………………………………………………………………………………………... III

Is Your Child Too Busy……………………………………………………………………..…6

Assisting a Child with Learning Disabilities-ADD/ADHD………….10

Teach Children to Value Their Possessions………………………………….18

Hold Kids Responsible and Accountable For Their Space…………21

Create an Eco-System for Your Child’s Success……………………….24

It’s Family Team Effort…………………………………………………………………….25

Implement Systems and Processes……………………………………………..…28

TEACH - Train, Encourage, Achieve, Cultivate, Hum…………….34 Allow Them to Ask Questions………………………………………………………….39

Congratulations!..................................................42



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Is Your Child Too Busy?

Do your kids complain that they are too busy? Do the parents complain because

their kids are too busy? Some kids have too much to do and not enough time to do

it. It’s hard to determine if it's due to parental pushing or kids trying to compete

with their peers.

Whatever the reason, one thing's for sure — something has got to give.

Why Are Your Kids So Busy?

Some parents feel it's more productive to keep their kids constantly occupied

rather than leave free time for playing, exploring, and learning on their own. They

might also feel that their kids will miss out on key experiences if they aren't

participating with other kids.

Usually parents just want what is best for their kids. Intentions are good but kids

can be overscheduled and overwhelmed. The pressure to participate in a handful

of activities all at one time can be physically and emotionally exhausting for

parents and kids alike.



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Signs That Kids Are Burning Out

Sooner or later, kids who are too busy will begin to show signs.

They may feel tired, anxious, or depressed. They complain of headaches or

stomach aches, which may be due to stress. Missed meals or lack of sleep may be a

sign as well. Falling behind in their schoolwork, causing their grades to drop may

occur.

Overscheduling can also take a toll on kid’s friendships and social lives. Family life

can suffer when parents are driving each child to a different activity. As a result,

some families rarely eat dinner together, and may not take the extra time to stay

connected. Consequently, when one area of the family suffers there is a trickle

affect which burns out the whole system.

Tips for Busy Families

Even those parents who try to help their kids cut back on some activities can run

up against coaches who won't tolerate absences and kids who want to keep up with

their friends. However, it's important for parents to step back and make sure

that their kids aren't burning out.

The key is to schedule things in moderation and choose activities with a child's

age, temperament, interests, and abilities in mind.



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Listed are a few simple suggestions:

Agree on ground rules ahead of time. For instance, allow one sport per

season, or limit two activities to two afternoons or evenings, during the

school week.

Know how much time is required. For example, know how much time is

allotted between practice lessons. Keep in mind that soccer practice is

twice per week. Will practice be right after school or around dinner time?

Be aware if homework time will suffer and schedule accordingly.

Keep a calendar to stay organized. Display it on the refrigerator or other

prominent spot so that everybody knows the scheduled events. If you find

an empty space on the calendar, leave it alone! Use that as a rest period.

If kids sign up for the season of an activity, let them miss one or two

sessions. Sometimes taking the opportunity to hang out on a beautiful day is

more important than going to one more activity.

Try to balance activities for all of your kids and yourself. It hardly seems

fair to expend time and energy carting one kid to activities. Give equal time

to each child. Also, take time for you to enjoy activities, but also include

family time.



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Know when to say NO. If your child is already involved in 2 or more

activities, but wants to add an additional activity, discuss dropping one of

the others to make room for the new choice. Reap the most value from the

favorite sport.

Remember the importance of downtime. Children do need to relax and just

enjoy some downtime to do nothing. Young children can be overly stimulated

and their brains cannot process as fast as an adult. This puts undue stress

and frustration on them. Slow down! Parents need this downtime as well.



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Assisting a Child with Learning Disabilities

(ADD/ADHD)

Every parent with a child having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD,

sometimes called ADD for short), has learned through painful experience that poor

organizational skills come with this type of disorder.

From an early age the tasks of organizing are difficult. This usually is identified

at the early stages of a child’s life. As the child grows up, these symptoms

translate into chronic problems with forgotten or lost homework assignments,

clothing and possessions buried in piles of clutter, and difficulty maintaining any

consistent routines.

All children need structure, but children with ADHD need it more consistently.

Families living with ADHD know that trying to keep such a child organized is a

source of frustration bordering on hopelessness, although there is hope. There

are steps and actions to assist with this type of disorder.

1) The first part in the quest for organization is to help an ADHD child

overcome a natural aversion to it.



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2) The second involves finding the right tools for meeting the specific needs

and goals of the child.

3) The third, and most crucial part of the equation, is making a long-term

family commitment (think months and years, not weeks) to using the required

systems and strategies.

OVERCOMING THE RESISTANCE

Unless a child can see meaningful benefits to becoming organized, the battle is

lost before it even begins. It takes time and effort, and at some point all routines

become boring. This is a low tolerance for children with ADHD.

On the plus side, all children are motivated to succeed. By maintaining an

enthusiastic and encouraging approach to getting organized, and making a child feel

like a participant rather than a victim, there’s a good chance he or she will agree to

at least try it.

Helping an ADHD child cooperate in an activity, identify specific goals that are

important to the child. Begin my asking questions. Ask what items or activities the

child wants to organize. Talk about the problems organization can prevent, and

what benefits will come from it. Monitoring and discussing the frequency of how

often disorganization causes problems, will improve the child's awareness of the

situation and become inspired to change the behavior.



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It’s incredibly important to keep a positive attitude and repeatedly stress the

benefits of being organized. Nagging a child about being disorganized leads to

avoidance behavior. Providing incentives (for example, a larger weekly allowance)

for following the system is great and very motivating for the child.

WINNING THE BATTLE OF

THE MESSY BEDROOM

In the messy bedroom, “clean your room” conversation, much complaining and

arguing takes place. It’s a battle! The goal for managing ADHD children in this

area is to create a system, making it easy for them to find what they need when

they need it. Be realistic in your expectations!

An ADHD child’s room needs to be organized into logical sections. By placing the

bed perpendicular to a wall, rather than against it, the room is divided into halves.

One half of the room can then become the designated area for doing school work

and for school work only.

A second section of the room can be designated as a play

space with storage for toys and hobby materials. A third spot, organized around a

dresser and closet, would be reserved for clothing and getting dressed. Use



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labeled sections dedicated to specific items such as a sock and underwear drawer,

or, a shorts and T-shirt drawer, a sweater drawer, and so on.

The golden rule for maintaining order in a child’s room is that everything has a

place where it belongs. If there’s no room for an item to have its own place, it

belongs in the basement, attic, storage shed or recycling bin—anywhere but the

ADHD child’s room.

THE POWER OF ROUTINES

All children benefit from learning routines to promote consistent behaviors.

Infants and preschoolers are healthier and exhibit better-regulated behavior when

there are predictable routines in the family. For the ADHD child, routines are

indispensable. They make daily activities manageable by allowing a child to focus on

one thing at a time.

Not every activity needs to be, or should be, turned into a routine. The routines

are most important for accomplishing essential tasks and keeping daily life

manageable. Due to symptoms of high distractibility, physical and mental

restlessness, and a low tolerance for boredom and frustration, this places a huge

demand on the child to self-regulate. Completing school assignments on a daily

basis is very difficult and frustrating, so a regular consistent schedule for

homework provides the structure needed to achieve consistent results.

To make a system of organization truly effective, it needs to be viewed as a way

of life. Progress is often slow, frustrating and incremental. Success is measured

in months and years. The work is hard and extremely trying at times. However,

the benefits for a child will last a lifetime.



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HELPING A CHILD MANAGE CLUTTER

Assign every object in a child’s room a designated “home” location.

Establish a daily, five or ten minute routine for a child to tidy his or her room,

returning all items to their proper home.

Every few months, help your child sort and purge unneeded possessions. If

the child uses the item, place them on shelves or in storage bins. If not, then

donate or dispose of it. The less distractions the better and more focused.

Provide reminders, gentle pushes and supervision, but don’t do the child’s work

for them.

Be positive and supportive, no criticizing. Staying organized is harder for kids

with ADHD than for most children. Frustration and discouragement are effort

killers.



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THE “GET OUT THE

DOOR” MORNING ROUTINE

Rise and shine at a set time and head straight for the bathroom.

Wash face, comb hair, brush teeth, etc.

Get dressed with the clothing that was picked out the night before.

Eat a healthy breakfast. No computers or TV while eating.

Put on a coat and grab the school bag, which should be waiting by the door.

Be walking out the door at an established time.

THE HOMEWORK ROUTINE

Since most children with ADHD need a mental break after school, allow at

least 30 minutes to an hour of downtime for playing or watching TV.



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Establish a regular place and time for doing homework.

To help with the transition to doing homework, give the child a 10 minute

warning.

Help the child review the assignment and make sure needed materials are

handy.

Allow the child short breaks as needed. Getting up and walking around for a

few minutes reduces restlessness and can work wonders in clearing the mind.

(But be watchful and ready to redirect the child’s focus, or answer questions

as needed.)

Praise the efforts, not just the results. Praise motivates!

Check the completed work. Criticize or correct gently!

Gather all assignments and supplies needed for school the next day. Put

everything in the school bag and place it by the front door.

Do something fun and relaxing together after homework is completed.

THE DINNER ROUTINE

Whenever possible, schedule a regular family dinner time.



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Have the child assist in preparing the meal, and cleaning up after, by assigning

age appropriate tasks.

Keep dinner conversation pleasant. Save discussions about work, school or

family problems for another time.

Keep the TV off.

THE SCHOOL NIGHT BEDTIME ROUTINE

Cue the child five or ten minutes before the start of the bedtime routine.

Turn off the TV or computer. Put away toys.

Allow the child to have a healthy snack, if hungry.

Select and lay out all clothing for the next day

Bathe, brush teeth, put on pajamas and get into bed.

Read a book together or talk. (The goal is for the child, and the parent, to

unwind from the day.)



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Teach Children to Value Their Possessions

All possessions were well taken care of when your child received them. As time

goes by, the possessions get tossed into the toy box or drawer and never seen

again. This story just might sound familiar to many parents. It is a fact that many

kids don't know about placing value on their possessions. What they know to do is

ask for more or for replacements, if their current toys are broken, or they get

bored with them. Normally, what parents do is show anger towards their kids if

their toys or possessions get lost for the 10th time, or there is repetitive damage.

Without thinking of consequences the parents remind the kids to be more diligent

and more careful next time.

This kind of discipline technique has been proven to be ineffective for many

generations of parents. Many parents believe that children will always be children

and that most of these parents don't have the conviction of reprimanding their

kids because they've already spared them of guilt. One can't expect children to

show responsibility at a very tender age. However, one shouldn't think that kids

can't be responsible either.

Children will know how to value their possessions if this is taught consistently at a

very young age. This is one very important value to instill in kids. Advertisements



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are focused on children. They will focus on the newest, latest and greatest

updates, more advanced and sophisticated than before. It is unfortunate that

parents spoil their kids by buying more of these fancy toys and gadgets.

It's become a habit of many parents to replace old toys with new ones impromptu,

without even considering if the old can still be repaired or mended.

Action the parents can take:

1) Teaching children to value possessions is not like teaching an adult. Kids will

forget lessons you have taught them in regards to value so be repetitious.

Over time the behavior will improve. Don’t expect instant results!

2) Lead by example. If you don't role model value towards your possessions as a

parent, your kids will mimic this same attitude. Consistently show your kids

neatness and practice in caring for their possessions.

3) Children are very observant, control your impulses. This is one strong force of

learning. Don't be extravagant in your purchases because your kids will think

this is proper behavior. Always justify the need before purchasing anything

that is out of the norm for your spending habits.

3) Teach children to be tidy. Show them there has to be a specific place to

store their possessions. The items should be organized and stored properly.

Don’t organize for them let them attempt to do it themselves. Your



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organizing techniques and theirs may be totally different. Let them do what

works for them.

4) Explaining reasons why you purchase an item will show the child the value of

money. They should know that money is a reward or benefit for working hard.

Explain that it's not always easy to earn money where they can luxuriously

spend. Teach them how to save for future purchases, and no instant

gratification.

5) Hold your child accountable for damaged goods. If kids help pay for

possessions they learn a valuable lesson about valuing what they have. Knowing

this will not allow them to assume that someone else will simply "buy another”.

Explain your actions, but expect your child to help make things right.

6) The value of sharing should be taught to your children. This teaches them

good morals and standards. If they no longer play with a toy or item explain

the value of donating. This will make them realize how fortunate they are and

also realize there are those who are less fortunate.

7) The rules for children in regards to handling their possessions should be clear

right from the day of acquiring. Teaching children to value their possessions

means equating irresponsibility with losing privileges. Explain that if they do

not care for what they have, or tidy up what they have, things will be revoked,

and they will receive no additional items. Discipline is the key.



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Hold Kids Responsible and Accountable For

Their Space

A child's room is their personal haven, their personal space within the household.

It is not only where they sleep, but where they play and live and retreat. It is

important that your child be held responsible for the general state and appearance

of that room. They are the ones using it and messing it up, after all.

Teaching your child to clean their own room at an early age is something that can

be rewarding for you and your child over time as it will also help them gain

important skills. Skills such as cleanliness, organization, structure and systems will

be able to transfer and apply to other tasks in the future. It will help your child

begin to take on responsibility and accountability within the family unit.

Teaching your Child to Clean their Room

It is not enough, as a parent, to simply demand that your child clean their room

and expect them to do it. A dirty, messy bedroom can be overwhelming even when

you know what you are doing, so it is important that you provide your child with

some direction and guidance. Depending on how young your child is, they may even

need a little assistance. Begin early to teach your child habits of responsibility



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when it comes to their space and their belongings. This will instil in them good

habits, cleanliness and routines into their adulthood.

Even a toddler can learn the rule of putting one toy away before taking another

one to play with. If you can instil that concept early then you will be on the right

track. As your child grows engage them in an age appropriate way, in cleaning and

tidying their rooms.

Once they are old enough to maintain their space then hold them responsible for

cleaning their room on a consistent, regular basis. Before you hand over the reins,

take the time to properly teach your child to handle their responsibility. Allow the

room to get good and messy and then walk them through the process of cleaning it.

At the end of the task you'll both feel a sense of accomplishment. Once the task

is completed celebrate with a reward of some type. You want your child to

remember the positive feelings that come with a clean room since you will be asking

them to clean their space regularly from now on.

Learning Lessons of Accountability and Responsibility

Having regular chores can help your child learn to be responsible in small ways.

Make sure that when you decide to ask them to clean their rooms that you hold

them accountable for completing the task. Set a regular deadline for the chores

to be completed and hold your children to that timeframe. In time, they will learn

to meet that deadline without your interference. This will help them to take

control of their space and be responsible for their actions within it.



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Skills learned by regular room cleaning include organization and prioritization-two

very important skills for when they start school and need to manage their

homework responsibilities. These and other simple skills can be taught just by

asking your child to clean their room and expecting them to do it.



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Create an Eco-System for Your Child’s

Success!

Create an environment for your children that is clean, tidy and organized. Their

environment must have rules and habits implemented. This teaches them to be

disciplined and self-controlled. Children should be taught time management skills.

This will help them set priorities and keep them on task. They should feel safe and

secure in their environment, making them feel peaceful, comfortable and calm.

Tidy Environment

Habits Time Management

Peace/Calm



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It’s A Family Team Effort

Developing good organizational skills is a key ingredient for success in the home

and for the family. Organization affects the entire family system and the entire

family function; this then carries over into the school, social life, personal and

professional life. Systems, processes and structure can be easily implemented in

assisting the family coming together as a team.

Listed are 10 steps to assist the family in creating a team effort in the organizing

and maintaining of the household. These steps will keep the household organized,

orderly, non-chaotic and under control.

1) Use checklists. Be a family that gets into the habit of keeping a "to-do"

list. Use checklists to post assignments, household chores, and reminders

about what activities and events are taking place in the family. Cross the

task off as it is completed, giving a sense of accomplishment.

2) Assign tasks. Each family member should have assigned chores or tasks.

Of course tasks should be age appropriate. Set a time of day and implement

a schedule to accomplish these tasks. 15 minutes before bed time is a good

time to rally up the troops and tidy up the house. Waking up to a tidy home

and space will assure a calm environment and quiet morning.



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3) Designate a space for each item or possession. Every item you own should

have a home or resting place. If it does not then maybe you don’t need it.

Teach your children that if they remove an item from one place and take it

to another; they need to return the item back to its original home. This will

eliminate having to pickup later on.

4) Set a designated study time. Set designated times for your children’s

studying and doing homework. Allow children to unwind after school for a

little while. Even if they don't have homework, the reserved time should be

used to review the day's lessons. Use this time to read for pleasure, or

work on an upcoming project.

5) Keep an organized notebook for each child. Having a notebook or binder can

assist in keeping your child’s school papers, activities and notes in an orderly

fashion. This will help them find things easily and reduce the stress of

trying to find lost papers. Find a central place to keep this notebook so it is

easily accessible when needed.

6) Conduct a weekly cleanup. On the weekend gather up the family and

conduct a cleanup party. Again, make the tasks age appropriate. This helps

prevent things from getting out of hand from the week and the household

becoming overwhelmed. This could be a fun family time if you are creative.

With work come rewards!

7) Create a household schedule. Establish and stick to a regular dinner time

and a regular bedtime. This will help your children fall into a consistent



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pattern of behaviors at home and school. Keeping children on a routine

schedule will assure they are going to school well-rested and not cranky. Try

to limit television watching and computer play to specific periods of time

during the day. A little downtime for these activities is acceptable but keep

them to a minimum as they can be overly stimulating.

8) Keep a master calendar. Keep a large, wall-sized calendar for the household.

List the family's commitments, schedules for extracurricular activities, days

off from school, and major events at home and at school. This will help

family members keep track of each other's activities and avoid scheduling

conflicts.

9) Prepare for the day ahead. Before your children hop into bed they should

review schoolwork and pack their book bags. The next day's clothes should

be laid out with shoes, socks, and accessories. Lunches should be prepared

as well. Doing these tasks will cut down on morning confusion and chaos.

Discuss any last minute concerns.

10) Provide patience and support while you are teaching your children to become

more organized. Help your child develop organizational skills by creating

checklists and schedules, and then taping them to the refrigerator. Gently

remind them and hold them accountable in filling in calendar dates and

keeping papers and materials organized. Most important, set a good

example.



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Implement Systems and Processes

In order for your children to be organized, they must have systems, processes and

techniques in place.

Label drawers identifying to children what is

inside the drawer. This will also show them where

to return the item when finished using it or

wearing it.

Teaching children how to organize their closet

will keep their items neat and easily found.

Items used infrequently should be on the higher

shelves. Items they need to easily access should

be on the lower shelves.



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Listed are a few samples of charts, checklists and worksheets to teach your

children systems and processes in order to stay organized. This will also add fun

and be challenging at the same time. As well, this will empower them, build their

confidence and heighten their self-esteem.

Fun Charts, Checklists, Worksheets and

Puzzles

Daily To Do Chart Date Time Task Estimated Time

to Complete 12/3/2013 2:00 pm Study spelling 30 minutes



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Goals Chart

Goal Deadline Read 10 books in one week 1/10/2014

How do I achieve this goal?

Read 2 books per day for a week.

GOALS!!!



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Sample Checklist Compile a list of tasks to do in the morning and evening. Check off each task

as it is accomplished. This will give your child a sense of accomplishment.

Suggested AM Checklist - Wake up at 7:00 am

- Make Bed

- Take a bath

- Eat breakfast

- Feed Fido

- Read bible for 15 minutes

- Brush teeth

Suggested PM Checklist - Eat supper

- Put on PJ’s

- Wash face

- Read over homework

- Ready for bed at 8:00 pm

- Pray

- Brush teeth



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Sample Worksheet Compile a time record of how your child actually spent their time. Be honest!

Time Activity 7:00-7:30 am

7:30-8:00 am

8:00-8:30 am School

8:30-9:00 am

9:00-9:30 am

9:30-10:00 am

10:00-10:30 am

10:30-11:00 am

11:00-11:30 am

11:30-12:00 noon Lunch

12:00-12:30 pm

12:30-1:00 pm

1:00-1:30 pm

1:30-2:00 pm

2:00-2:30 pm

2:30-3:00 pm

3:00-3:30 pm

3:30-4:00 pm After School

4:00-4:30 pm

4:30-5:00 pm Dinner

5:00-5:30 pm

5:30-6:00 pm

6:00-6:30 pm

6:30-7:00 pm Homework

7:00-7:30 pm

7:30-8:00 pm

8:00-8:30 pm Bed time

8:30-9:00 pm



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A fun puzzle. Challenge your child. Unscramble

the words.

1) crsheo

2) dyti

3) necal

4) ganiroze

5) edwrar

6) rawdre

(Answers at the bottom and no peeking.)

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

Answer to puzzle:

chores, tidy, clean, organize, reward, drawer



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TEACH -Train-Encourage-Achieve

Cultivate-Hum

Train your children. Most children learn by

watching, listening and performing. Today’s children are engaged in the media

and other sources that think for them. This is a very passive form of learning and

training. This does not allow them to use their own mind, senses, or body.



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Allowing children to use their own muscles, as well as their unique senses in

play, they develop healthy, strong, and complete neurological connections in

their brains.

Training them and directing them in the areas of organization, arrangement

and structure will develop their muscles and their minds. You might try

puzzles, games, crosswords, color schemes, or building blocks.

Encourage your children to live an organized

lifestyle. Explain the benefits and advantages of living this type of life. Your

actions will encourage your child. Encourage them to do and be the best they can.

They will not always do things properly from the start, so don’t expect too much

too soon.

If you educate, encourage, and empower your child in establishing routines, habits

and structures, not only will they grow, but this will trickle into your life as well.

From the time your child is old enough to understand the world around them, your

job is to set them up for success. Giving your child the encouragement they need,

you are setting them up for success, strength, and spirit. Continually guide them in

the right direction.



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Achieve It is very important that you instill the

right mindset in your children. If the mindset is of achievement, then so shall it

be. Help your child to achieve their very best in life. Achievement in your child’s

life rewards them with high self-esteem, confidence and a sense of worthiness.

Focus on their strengths and encourage them in these areas. Acknowledge them

when they improve or accomplish a task. Give praise when there is an opportunity.

This will motivate them towards achievement.

Take an interest in what your children are doing and learning. If they sense you

think something is important, they will think so as well. Empower them by listening

tentatively when they express a concern, no arguing or judging. If you give them

this attention at home, they will be more apt to be an achiever in the classroom.

Cultivate Cultivate an interest in organization

in their lives. If your child has a particular interest, encourage them to create and

organize whatever the interest happens to be. It can be something easy and free

such as rocks or a stamp collection. This will teach them to sort, classify, and

arrange.



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Cultivate ways to develop your child’s organizational skills such as assigning chores

that involve sorting and categorizing. Introduce checklists as this will help them

develop their ability to strategize tasks and organize their time.

Focus on ONE task at a time! Think of how hard it is to change one of your habits.

If you try to change too many things at once, success is elusive. Identify one or

two behaviors and focus on those first. Then build on those as they are cemented

in.

Your child may find organizing a challenge, so give them a prize for a job well done!

Reward and provide support with organizational tasks.

Hum and dance with your children. Yes, I said hum,

sing and dance when doing chores or unpleasant tasks. Make cleaning and

organizing a fun task. Singing, dancing and acting silly will make the tasks less

tedious, boring and monotonous.

Music in children’s ears makes them happy and joyful. Play their favorite upbeat

and happy music. Sing and dance around even if they don’t know the words. The

adrenalin will surely start to flow. The important thing is to have fun!

Laughter is a great way to make your organizing and cleaning projects more fun as

well. There are many health benefits as a result of laughter such as decreasing



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stress and frustration. Everyone's mood will be altered by laughter and it is

definitely good medicine.

Make organizing and cleaning a team effort. Recruit the entire family and get

them on board. This causes a family bond to form in a positive way. Everyone is

engaged in laughter, fun and just having a good ole time together.



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Allow Kids to Ask Questions

When teaching and assisting your children with organizing there may be

differences in techniques, ideas and learning styles. Be open and receptive to

their ideas. Allowing your child to participate, give opinions and ask questions

validates their ideas and feelings. This lets them know that what they say or do

is important and has value. Don’t let the organizing and cleaning sessions be one

sided, hear them out and REALLY listen. Give your child freedom to express

themselves as this space is theirs and this is where they spend most of their

time. Questions or concerns they may have may sound something like this:

Question: My mom is really messy yet she tells me to clean my room. This makes

me angry. What should I do?

Answer: Since your mom is messy maybe you can combine efforts and work

together to clean the house. You can find techniques that work for both of you.

Maybe you could drop subtle hints that an organizing book may be helpful for the

two of you, such as this eBook. The important thing is that you get organized.



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Question: When I clean my room my mom and dad say it is still messy. How do I

explain that it is really clean?

Answer: Maybe your room really is messy. Have your parents make a checklist of

what they consider clean. When you do clean your room, make the noted

adjustments and check them off your list. Perhaps you can strike a deal as to

what is or is not messy.

Question: What do I do? I have posters on my wall that my parents to do not

care for. I love them.

Answer: Explain to your parents that as you get older you would like to have

posters that are YOU, and are acceptable and not offensive. Ask them what the

real issue is with these posters. Are there too many? Are they ruining the walls?

Are they off-color? As long as the room is neat the posters should be

acceptable.

Question: My parents don’t allow me to do anything at home. I feel left out. I

want to participate in family cleaning activities. They tell me I am too young.

What should I do?

Answer: Tell them you feel left out and want to do more. Pick a chore that you

know you can tackle and suggest that they let you do it. You can also volunteer to

help them with a chore and this will help you to learn.



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Question: What do I do, I share a room with my messy brother?

Answer: Age appropriate, teach them how to put things back when they are

finished playing with their things. Tell them how you feel about the mess they

make. You may need to remind them a few times. Make room rules and agree on

things that can and cannot be done in your room. Maybe they can find other

places to play.

Question: My mom forgets to sign my notes for school, and she

also gets angry at me when I ask for money for lunch or school trips. What

should I do?

Answer: You should leave forms and reminder notes where your mom can see

them. Designate a specific area where these things can be placed and where she

can easily see them. You can also purchase a special vertical file for placement of

these forms. As far as the money issue, if you know in advance how much you will

need, ask her immediately, allowing for a “heads-up”.

Question: I have no room to put anything in my room. What can I do?

Answer: Move things from your room that are not special or you do not use. Look

for options of hanging things on walls or doors. You may also use under-the-bed

storage bins where they will slip in and out easily. Most importantly, go through

your things to see if there is anything that can be sold or donated.



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CONGRATULATIONS!

You have just learned “The Kid’s Approach to Getting Organized.” I hope these

skills and techniques will facilitate in the growth, accomplishment, and knowledge

of your children living and maintaining an organized lifestyle.

I took great pleasure in writing this eBook and my hope is that you have fun

utilizing it in your own family.

After all their Future

IS in your hands!

Please contact me for additional information, or with questions or concerns. I look

forward to assisting you and your household with your organizing needs.

