How to Teach Your Kids to Organize
When it comes to organizing your home, the idea is to work smarter and not harder. When organizing, it is best to allow children in on the action and get them involved. This helps take some of the stress off of you, while teaching them to be organized and more efficient as well. If you want to teach your children how to organize, here are some helpful tips to get them started.
1. Color code.
If children are not of reading age yet, use colors to help them organize. For example, they can know that socks go in the drawer with the blue sticker, and underwear goes in the drawer with a red sticker. Using colors to help them sort items is easy and even feels fun.
2. Use pictures.
If your children can’t read yet, use pictures to help them organize their toys. For example, on the box that dolls go in you can paste a photo of a doll. In the box the Legos go in, you can attach a photo of Legos. Seeing the photos will help them easily sort and decipher what goes where.
3. Establish organization times.
Establish times where your children know it is time to get organized. For example Saturday mornings can be set as the time to put freshly cleaned clothes away. Directly after play time should be when toys are put away and organized. Establishing these times helps children know when to expect them and be ready.
4. Don’t allow transition until the area is done.
Don’t allow children to move onto a new activity until they have put away their previous. This helps kids stay focused and understand that we need to clean up before we make a new mess. This takes some work, but in the end takes a great deal of stress off of you.
5. Model the behavior.
Model organization in your own life so that your children can see it and try it for themselves. Point out when you are organizing so kids can see it in practice and also see what it is important and what end results look like.
6. Explain the need.
Why is organizing necessary? Take the time to explain why so children will see a need for it. Being organized saves us time so we can enjoy the things we love more. It also helps us feel more peaceful and at ease. Explain so they can get a better grasp of why it is important.
7. Offer praise.
When you see your kids practicing organization, offer your praise. If they know it is appreciated, they will be more inclined to keep at it and practicing it. A reward chart is also a great motivator for kids!
As you can see, teaching kids to organize their own lives isn’t impossible. In fact, it can be quite beneficial to not just them but you! Give these tips a try and see what results you can achieve.
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