Let’s face it: children are messy. People who have yet to have kids often imagine that theirs will be different, that they’ll utilize proper discipline and keep their house in order, but it’s not that easy. Parents who already have a lot to keep up with can easily become overwhelmed and worry that they will never get to the end of the day’s tasks when they have so many things to pick up and tidy away and the children just keep on generating more. It’s easy to feel hopeless: you can’t stop kids from being curious, creative or easily distracted, all of which are important as they learn about the world. But there is something you can do, and that’s to get them involved in organizing their own activities.In the bedroomIf there’s one room where the problem is worst, and where it can linger even into the teenage years, it’s the bedroom. Tidying is particularly difficult here because kids want to have the things they value all arranged just so, with favorite toys out where they can be enjoyed at all times. If you can see the world from their perspective, you can work to instill better habits when they’re still very young. The simplest way is to introduce the idea that toys want to be put away, just as they even if they resist at first ultimately want to be curled up in a snug bed at night. If they feel that tidying is about making toys happy, they’ll be far more willing to get it done, and by the time they grow older and wiser they’ll have an entrenched sense of how things ought to be done.In the bathroomBathrooms can be particularly challenging because they get damp, which creates potential health risks. Children need to understand the importance of taking care so bath toys don’t get moldy and have to be thrown away, so show them how drying toys and putting them in a toy organizer can keep them safe. This can become part of a routine as they also learn to dry themselves. Bathrooms are also a good place to start learning how to plan ahead for when things run out. For instance, you can draw rings around the toothpaste tube so that if they’re using it properly, squeezing from the bottom, they can come and tell you when it’s one-quarter used up, half used up and three-quarters used up.In the living roomTo keep toys from getting all over the living room floor, it really helps to have storage that’s fun to use. Storage boxes and cupboards of an appropriate height for small children seem like exciting, secret places that are not part of the adult world. You can also try storage boxes with post-it slots, and try developing routines for putting away different toys. Dinosaurs, for instance, can stomp on their way home, while trains and cars can drive home. When a toy is temporarily lost, talk about how this can be avoided by putting all toys away in the right places.In the kitchenGetting children into good kitchen habits will make life a lot easier for them when they get older, and will keep them safer. They can start helping in the kitchen when they’re very young and you should make sure they see you cleaning up even before they can. Show them how everything has its own place. As they become more capable, teach them the importance of cleaning up as they go, and get them involved when planning meals. They’ll enjoy it because they’ll get more control over what they eat, and it will help them understand how organization makes life easier.Organizing schedulesWhen you’re teaching your children to organize things, you can also start teaching them about organizing time. Help them make a list of the things they want to do in a day and the things they have to do, such as going to school. They can then work out how to fit in different activities, and you can help them learn to prioritize. Many children won’t be ready for this until they are seven or eight, but once they are, it can be very empowering for them. Make sure they feel that they’re in control, and make it fun by drawing up colored timetables and decorating them with stickers.Some people give their children rewards, such as sweets, for showing good organizational skills, but this can backfire if it becomes a long-term practice, because what they really need to learn is that this behavior, in itself, is advantageous to them. If they are doing it because they know it makes their lives easier, and not because they want to please their parents, it will become a skill that they keep.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
Speak Your Mind