Description

We have worked with children who love to have everything organized to children who feel that clutter is their filing system and everything in between. It's important to let your child share in the organization process and not to overwhelm them with too many techniques at once.

Organizing is something you learn. Children aren't able to do it unless they are taught and each child has his own organizational style. You need to assess your own organizational strategies and then look at your child's strategies. Then it's time to start teaching them in a style that will work for them.

Take into account your child's age when teaching them how to organize. For young children, it's a matter of showing them where their toy should go when they are finished playing with it. For older children, it may be showing them how to organize their school binder.

These are our general rules for teaching your child to organize.
• Begin early. If your kids are older, it's never to late to start.
• Be patient. Organization is not learned overnight.
• Be consistent with your expectations and where things go.
• Lead by example. Every adult in the house should set the example.
• Label everything with words and/or pictures. These labels can be permanent or temporary.
• Use Organizational and Routine Charts. These keep everyone on track.