Back when I was teaching, I feel like half my class could keep their desks and cubbies organized. And the other half couldn’t. So I had to teach them some basic organizing skills. These skills were grouping things, using checklists, and setting specific expectations around what was “organized” and what wasn’t. It took time to […]
Back when I was teaching, I feel like half my class could keep their desks and cubbies organized. And the other half couldn’t.
So I had to teach them some basic organizing skills. These skills were grouping things, using checklists, and setting specific expectations around what was “organized” and what wasn’t.
It took time to teach these skills. But once the kids understood what was expected, they could keep things organized on their own.
So I am sharing some ways you can teach your kids how to get organized.
Let’s start with some simple questions. What areas do you feel your kiddo is disorganized? What does organized look like in your home? How are you expecting your child to keep things organized?
When you start with asking these questions, you are able to create a plan for what skills you need to teach your kiddos.
Let’s say your child has piles of things on the floor in their bedroom. You can’t walk in their room without tripping over something.
Set the expectation that there needs to be a walking path in their bedroom.
The child has the power to create a path along with create a plan for organizing the space in a way that allows for that path to be used.
Another way to help your kids get organized is using tools like checklists and planners to create systems they can follow.
When I was teaching, using daily checklists to help them follow through on keeping their desk space organized was crucial.
I do the same thing in my home to keep my kids organized.
We use checklists, planners, and guides to keep our home organized.
The Organized Kids Workbook includes all the checklists, planners, and guides you need to teach your kiddos how to organize.
Imagine your child making their bed in the morning. The piles of clothing are in the laundry basket instead of on the floor. Dishes are put by the sink, not left strewn about.
You can make this a reality in your home. You just need some support.
Which is where The Organized Kids Workbook will help guide you through the process.
The Organized Kids Workbook starts by explaining best practices when it comes to using checklists.
We go into detail for setting expectations, getting realistic about what your child can and cannot do yet, and support for creating chores for the family.
Then you get a variety of checklists to use with your family, including checklists to write, checklists with pictures, meal planning checklists, and clothing checklists.
I use the daily checklists included in the workbook to write out tasks. This includes make bed, pick up floor, and brush teeth. My kids can check them off once they are completed.
We use the weekly planners to plan out our schedules so everyone knows what activities they have on which day.
And we use the gratitude journal pages to write down what we are grateful for every night as part of our bedtime routine.
The food checklists are perfect for that dreaded statement “there’s nothing to eat”. Because when kids get overwhelmed with choices, their first response is to say there is nothing to eat/wear/play with.
So when we give them visual options, the overwhelm goes away.
Print out the food checklist. It comes with a few different display boards.
Choose whichever board will support your child in their decision-making. Some kids are find with a lot of options while others do better with less.
Then print off the food cards. Laminate all the cards. Add velcro to the back of every card along. Then add the opposite velcro side to the main board.
Put up the food options for the kiddos so they can select whichever food they would like to eat for snack, meal, etc.
Family menus are also included in The Organized Kids Workbook. These are menus you can give to your kids for snack and meal options for the week.
Just write whatever you have for the kids to eat, and use that menu like you would at a restaurant. This removes the overwhelm of deciding what to eat as well.
And the clothing checklists are perfect for allowing your kiddo to dress themselves based on the weather.
There is a one-page weather guide that has clothing options next to a thermometer. Print this out and encourage your child to look at the temperature to decide what to wear based on the suggestions.
Or you can create your own using a similar method as you did with the food cards. Just make clothing cards!
Included in The Organized Kids Workbook, you get a blank thermometer with clothing you can print off and add velcro to the backsides. Then adjust the clothing options based on your preferences.
You can also create a picture clothing option chart using the blank square page and clothing picture cards. Laminate and use velcro the clothing cards to the main page.
When it comes to getting kids to organize, you have to get clear on what you expect from them. Then create expectations based on your new understanding of what organized looks like for you.
Use checklists and guides to support you while teaching your kiddos these skills.
The Organized Kids Workbook includes everything you need to support your kiddos on their organizing journey. Download your copy now and start supporting your kids for organizing success today!
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