Organized Chaos

Organized chaos. A term for what looks like a royal mess but is, in actuality, organized! How many of you know someone who lives in a constant state of organized chaos? I am raising my hand! As adults, we can most of the time manage this state of disarray. For adolescents though, this can be a daunting challenge. Below are some tips for helping your student become organized. It is never to late to develop a healthy habit!

• Keep a family calendar. Track everyone's activities on a prominent and accessible calendar, encouraging your child to write his/her own entries and reference the calendar when making plans. You also might consider checking schedules and updating the calendar as a family over breakfast or dinner.

• Introduce checklists. Whether 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 personal time.

• Assign chores that involve sorting or categorizing. Grocery shopping, emptying the dishwasher, sorting photos, cleaning out a closet, and other chores that involve pre-planning, making lists, or arranging things are great choices.

• Get ready the night before. This one's always difficult — for both of you — but it does work if you can get in the habit.

• Use containers and closet organizers. If there's a place for everything, your child will find it easier to locate items, keep neat, and clean up. Build "pick up" time into the daily routine.

• Buy your child a planner. Ask your child to help you pick it out or choose one that will appeal to your child so he/she will be excited about using it. Having one's own planner will show that you consider your child's time valuable and will also encourage your child to create a schedule. Be sure to routinely coordinate the information with your family calendar to avoid conflicts.

• Organize schoolwork. Make sure your child's keeping notes, homework, handouts, and graded assignments in separate folders in a binder. Try to check your child's backpack nightly and set a time aside each week to go through each binder and get things sorted.

• Establish a homework routine. Help your child make a "study hour" schedule and set up a comfortable workspace -- whether your child's room or the kitchen table. Encourage your child to stick to the schedule even when there is not any homework (student can read, review notes, or even do a crossword puzzle.)

• Create a homework supply box. Fill a box with school supplies and encourage your child to store pens, paper, measurement tools, and a calculator in it so they will be ready when needed.

• Cook together. Cooking teaches measuring, following directions, sorting ingredients, and managing time — all key elements in organization. Involve your child in meal planning too, challenging your child to help you put together a shopping list.

• Cultivate an interest in collecting. If your child has a particular interest, encourage your child to create and organize the collection. It can even be something free — such as rocks or canceled stamps — that your child can sort, classify, and arrange.

• Reward and provide support with organizational tasks. Your child may find organizing a challenge, so help your child develop his/her routine and give encouragement for jobs well done!

Source: https://www.scholastic.com/parents/family-life/social-emotional-learning/social-skills-for-kids/12-ways-to-develop-your-childs-organizational-skills.html