Organizing Kids

Kids will be kids, as the saying goes. Which means it may seem like organizing kids - whether tyke or teen - requires a super-sized miracle!

There's an ugly, dark, messy side to every child that sends shivers down the spines of even the best moms and pops out there.

Untidy tendencies in children are an inescapable reality for all parents, but luckily there are some viable work-arounds.

Considerations When Organizing Kids

Kids mirror the behavior of those around them.

That's evident when, one day, you slip up and say *@#%$! and then, the next day, little Johnny says the very same word in front of an audience...and you are mortified.

In the same respect, it's hard to expect your kids to be organized when you aren't organized yourself. So set a good example by keeping your own room tidy.

(2) Straight talk.

Clarify your ground rules and expectations. After all, you can't get upset with kids for not straightening up when you have given them little to no guidelines to follow.

Talk to your kids about the 5 Ws - who, what, where, when and why.

Who = You.
I expect you to clean up your messes.

What = Your stuff.
If you use it, you put it back after you're done.

Where = Your play area and room.
That's where you spend most of your time.

When = On your own, on command, or at a scheduled time of day.
When you are done playing, pick up on your own. ~ Do so when I tell you to pick up...the first time I tell you. ~ It's 730pm! Ready for Nightly Neaties?

Why = My little helper.
You're mommy's / daddy's big helper when you do this...

Of course, you'll have to adjust your speech to the age and responsibility level of each child. Just remember that it's never too early to start organizing kids and instilling the habits of proper organization.

And be sure to reward good behavior!!!

(3) Stick to your guns.

Once you lay the groundwork of the 5 Ws, don't allow your kids an escape route. You've made your rules very clear, and thus they must be strictly enforced. This is a huge foot stomper when it comes to organizing kids!

7 More Tips For Organizing Kids

Kids have a completely different perspective of the world. And whether you are organizing kids' rooms or organizing kids' toys, you must be in tune with this perspective.

Even if it means getting down on your knees for a few minutes to see their area from their point of view.

Hang hooks, place containers, and situate closet rods at a height that fits the child.

(5) Mark your calendar.

Look at your chilren's school schedule and note when they have an extended break from school. Pick 2 - 4 of those time periods for bi-annual or quarterly organizing sessions.

This is where you resist the urge to go it alone because it would be easier to do everything by yourself. Organizing kids should be like a learning lab. You, as the parent, guide your children through the entire process: toss, sort, categorize, and store.

As a result, children are more likely to understand and maintain the organizational system.

(6) Safety first.

Part of being organized is being prepared for emergencies, and kids most definitely need to be in the loop.

First, get the adults together and create an escape route in the event of a fire, a place to hunker down during a tornado, etc. Then, bring the children into the picture.

After walking the children through the exit routes and safe zones, have a pre-made blueprint sketch of the house and ask them to draw out where they need to go in certain emergency situations.

Have them place these drawings in a special place in their rooms, such a "treasure chest," where they can look at it whenever they want or can access it quickly if they need a reminder. (As the adult, make sure it's a wise place to stash this info.)

This is a simple way to show your children the importance of certain papers and being able to retrieve those documents if necessary.

Also, think about putting key contacts on the back of the blueprint. Their own address and home phone number, parent's cell numbers, emergency numbers - in case the kids find themselves in a troubling situation.

(7) The rainbow connection.

Children respond well to colors. They're the most basic label around, and it works like a charm!

Allow each child to pick a color and assign that color to him/her permanently. When it comes to picking out organizers for your kids, keep to the color allocated. So if Bobby preferred orange, all his containers are orange; if Susy wanted purple, then all her containers are purple.

When it comes to organizing kids, this is a great tactic. This is especially true if they are still learning to read, as they will always recognize colors. But it also works equally as well with older children because it allows for a quick I.D. of what's theirs and what's not.

(8) One more time, pleeeeeeease!

If your kid likes to do the same things over and over or has a special affection for a certain activity, then play up those interests. Give them an area to draw, paint, sing songs, play house, have tea parties, pretend they're cops and robbers, be a princess or pirate, or play video games.

Then give them the tools they need to organize this area (aka organizers) and teach them the knowledge they need to keep it that way (aka how to's).

(9) Basket toss.

Buy a basket and strategically place it for clean-ups.

For multi-story homes, position it near the stairs so that you can cover both the up and downstairs quickly. For single story homes, position it in the most high-traffic room, since this is where the most "stuff" will likely concentrate.

Make a sweep of the house once or twice a day, picking up toys or other items that do not belong in one room and move them – via the basket – to their proper place in the home.

The basket technique is great for organizing kids stuff! It'll help you gather everything in one spot and transport it with ease. Plus, it saves you from running back and forth between rooms to straighten.

(10) Ready, set, go!

If you want to include your little ones in the process, then make organizing a game.

Put some clear plastic containers in the middle of a messy room, and then assign a container to each child. (The number of baskets should correspond to the number of kids.)

Tell your children to grab things on the floor and put them in their basket, set a timer for 2 - 3 minutes, and race! Give the one who places the most items in the basket, therefore helping you the most, a small prize.

Another idea: make pick-up a game of "I spy," asking them to locate and dunk a specific toy in the basket.

Additional Organizing Tips

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