Instilling a sense of organization in your child may sound like a hefty task. However, by infusing daily routines with fun — from making homework time cozier to celebrating special days a few times each month — your child can learn how to keep things organized in a breeze. To get started, try these five activities:
- Introduce checklists. Even if it's as simple as "3 Things To Do Before Bed" or "What To Take On Vacation," creating and referring to lists together will develop your child's ability to strategize tasks and organize time.
- Give them chores that involve sorting or categorizing. Emptying the dishwasher, sorting socks or shoes, cleaning out a closet, and other chores that involve pre-planning, making lists, or arranging things are great choices. A workbook like Little Skill Seekers: Sorting & Matching is another great way to develop sorting skills.
- Get your child a kid-friendly planner. Having their own planner will show them that you consider their time valuable, and that organization is something worth celebrating. (Here's one mom's experience with giving her daughter a planner.)
- Establish a homework routine. Help your child make a "study hour" schedule and set up a comfortable workspace — whether it's in their room or at the kitchen table. Encourage your child to stick to the schedule even when they don't have homework (they can still read, review notes, or even dive into a fun activity book.)
- Cultivate an interest in collecting. If your child has an interest in particular items, encourage them to create and organize a collection. It can be something as simple as leaves or used stamps — anything that kids can sort, classify, and arrange. To spark their interest in collecting, check out this Rock Stars Kit (which comes with collectible rocks!) or this Dinosaur Bites Kit (which comes with collectible fossils!).
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