How To Train Your Kids To Be Organized

Seeing your kid’s toys, clothes and all other stuffs scattered on the floor can be really frustrating. No one wants a messy house. We want things to be organized so that we can fully relax after a long day from work.

I bet you don’t have enough energy to organize your child’s stuffs, do you? Work can be overwhelming and all you want to do after work is to lie down on the couch or go straight to your bed.

So, what do you have to do?

Why don’t you teach your kids to clean up their mess? Just so you know, being organized is not an inborn gift. It can be taught and learned. As early as possible, teach them how they can arrange their things properly. Let me give you some ideas on how to effectively do this.

Be your kid’s role model. Don’t expect that your kid will be organized if you are setting a bad example. Would you mind checking your house? Are things organized? Are your groceries placed in proper shelves? Is your room a pleasant place to sleep? Is your bathroom clean enough?

Sometimes, kids don’t understand what we are saying. So instead of just telling them that they need to fix their toys, show them how it’s done.

Help your kid to create a daily To Do list. You wouldn’t want to sound like a bad record player saying the same things every single day, would you? That’s why you will have to teach them how to make a daily To Do list. This doesn’t have to be as complicated as your daily schedule.  Check the sample below.

a)      Fix my bed.

b)      Do my homework.

c)       Study the day’s lessons.

d)      Clean up my toys.

e)      Bring my soiled clothes to the laundry area.

f)       Prepare things for tomorrow’s class. (I will discuss this on the next item)

You can make a cute chart and let your kids mark the tasks that they have accomplished. Seeing that they have accomplished some things will boost their confidence as well. Soon enough, all the things that you wanted them to do, will be their habit.

Preparing in advance. Teach your kids to prepare things in advance. At least they will have lesser worries on the next day. If you are going on a vacation, help him pack his things. Don’t make him do this on his own just yet. You have to check if he is packing the right things. Or if he has class tomorrow, make sure that he has his projects, assignments and reports in the bag.

Reward for a job well done. As parents, we know that what your kids are doing will help them when they become adults. That’s form of reward actually. But for now, most of them won’t be able to figure that out. I suggest that you give your kids their rewards. This doesn’t have to be big. A bag of marshmallows or a new shirt will do just fine. Or if you don’t have spare money, you can just allow him to have an extra 15 minute of video games.

It can be very exciting to witness how your kid changes his behavior. And I’m sure you can’t wait. But you have to be patient. This ‘training’ isn’t an overnight process. To make a habit, you will need at least 21 consistent days to do it. Give yourself and your kid a month and let’s see then, shall we?

David Zielinski is a brilliant writer who finished his first children’s book with moral dilemma. This book is about the Misadventures of Fink the Mink where your kids can learn proper social skills.