10 Solutions to Teach Organization Skills to Your Child
of reading - words
When it's time for your child to leave for school: their backpack isn't packed, their homework is missing, and yet it's already time to go.
Does this scenario sound familiar?
If all this feels too familiar, your child is disorganized. Of course, you already knew that. What you also know is that it's a big problem.
- For you, your child demands a lot of attention and energy.
- For your child: these bad habits will be a hindrance to their success, both academically and socially.
Nevertheless, solutions exist to help your child progress and shed these bad habits.
This article is here to help.
Without further delay, let's get straight to the point!
Disorganized children tend to struggle with what is called executive function:
Executive function describes a person's ability to manage themselves and the resources around them to accomplish a given task. It refers to areas such as planning, organizing, and focusing. Children who often lose things and have trouble keeping their workspace tidy, and who sometimes forget tasks.
Consequently, they are likely grappling with an executive function problem. This can make a child's school day extremely difficult and negatively impact their academic success.
Children who seem unable to get organized are likely to feel stressed about school, and this anxiety can spill over to you as a parent. That's why the Abacus Universe team has compiled these helpful tips to assist your child in getting organized and on the path to school success.
Allow Enough Time for Planning
- Help your child break the habit of doing things at the last minute by working together and preparing tasks in advance. Each evening with your child, make sure their backpack is fully packed and ready for the next morning. Ensure they have their books, musical instrument, sports cleats, and/or any supplies and equipment they'll need for the next day, placed in a designated spot before bedtime.
Create an Organizational Plan
- Discuss with your child the tricks they find useful for staying focused and organized. Involve them in creating an organizational plan. Every child is different, and no plan will work perfectly for everyone. So be aware of your child's specific needs and requests. The plan can always be adjusted later if necessary.
Be Consistent
- Schedule homework at the same time every day. Always keep important papers, books, etc., in the same place. Make organization a routine your child gets used to keeping.
Emphasize Prioritization
- Teach your child to prioritize by setting up a bulletin board for their most important tasks and assignments. Make it the place where they keep things that require special attention. This will not only help them prioritize their most important tasks but also make it easier to track important assignments.
Beware the Backpack Trap
- A trap many disorganized students fall into is using their backpack as a storage container for unnecessary clutter. Set a weekly deadline to empty your child's backpack, and have them repack it knowing it's only for transporting school supplies. Candy wrappers, crumpled papers, and old flyers don't belong there!
Color Coding
- Give each of your child's school subjects its own color for folders, binders, and supply pouches. This is especially helpful if your child has different classes on different days.
Introduce an Agenda
- Even adults—even organized adults—use agendas to keep track of all the things they have to do. Agendas are good tools to help us all remember the many tasks to be accomplished. Ask your child to cross off tasks or entries from their agenda as they complete them.
Take It Step by Step
- A large task that takes a lot of time can be discouraging and seem insurmountable, especially for a child who needs motivation. Help your child make more effective progress by breaking large projects, homework assignments, or chores into a series of smaller tasks. Add these small tasks to their agenda so they can feel a sense of accomplishment by crossing them off.
Schedule Non-School Tasks
- Establish a schedule of all the non-school activities/chores your child has lined up for the week, such as sports practice, music rehearsals, chores, and outings. Ask them to help fill in the schedule so they can see when each activity will take place. (Try not to over-schedule!)
Plan for Mistakes
- Even the most organized among us make mistakes, lose important items, and forget things. Help your child limit the damage by making copies of assignments, keeping a second set of textbooks at home, or anything else your child might need. Make sure these things don't become an excuse for not being prepared!
Remember that while it's sometimes quicker and easier to do things for your child, it doesn't help in the long run. In fact, it will only make things worse because it teaches them that you will do it and they don't need to. That's why it's important to take the extra time now to teach your child how to get organized. Not only will it make your life easier in the long term, but it will also help them be happier and more successful in life. Everyone wins!
Also remember to always set an example for your child. To learn more, we recommend reading our article on family organization.
