At a recent local area Home Show, a fellow organizer and I played an organizing game with some of the children who stopped by our booth with their parents. The object: to sort out a jumbled mess of office supplies and fit them into a compartmentalized tray. The kids had a timed minute to complete the task and then received a prize. ![]() What the parents learned: Kids can organize and tidy pretty quickly when they want to and are motivated. What I learned: It's not easy for a parent to watch a child try and do a task without "helping", criticizing or correcting before the time is complete. It is to this adult challenge that I would like to speak. that I'd like to offer some tips for parents to help their children become organized adults. ![]()
![]() 2. Make sure they have the necessary tools.
![]() An infant needs help for everything, a toddler wants to start doing things on their own, a pre-teen's hormones make them see things differently. Each developmental stage our children go through is a also a developmental stage for us as parents. We are challenged to learn how much autonomy we should give at each stage. A good rule of thumb is: if there's no harm in trying on their own, let them try. Organizing is a life skill that can support your child at every stage of their life for the rest of their life. Give them that gift. |