Organized Kids: Five Habits to Cultivate
Get summer off to a great start by helping your kids cultivate some clutter-busting habits. You might learn something too!
1. Teach kids that less is more. The less stuff you have, the easier it is to keep things organized. Encourage kids to ask themselves why they are keeping toys that are broken, missing pieces or that they are no longer interested in. The same applies to clothes that are in disrepair or they no longer wear.
To avoid creating a future packrat, give your kids the opportunity to decide what stays and what goes. It’s okay if they can get rid of only a few things at first. But be a good model by letting them see how you’re simplifying the rest of the house by getting rid of stuff.
2. Help kids find a “home” for everything that they can easily access. It is frustrating to children if toys, books, games and clothing don’t have a “happy home” that they can reach easily to put away.
Provide different containers for different items so kids know where to put things away without having to make a decision. I learned this lesson the hard way when my children would clean up their rooms by shoving everything under the bed.
If you let children help label containers they are often more likely to use them. Allow them to be as creative as they want with the labels either with writing or drawing pictures. Teens love to use a label maker so let them have at it! For younger children, take photos of the them showing what goes in each container. Have fun with it and your children will be more open to making the system work.
3. Make it easy to keep clothes neat. Pare down closets and drawers so kids can put away their clothes without trying to squeeze them in the space.
Put shoe boxes or other containers without lids in drawers to help keep clothes socks, underwear and other smaller items from getting jumbled. Put a large tub, box or basket in the closet for shoes, sandals and slippers.
Put a clothes hamper or laundry basket in each child’s room. Any dirty clothes not in the hamper, don’t get washed.
4. Keep surfaces clear and clutter-free. This is more visually pleasing and make it much easier to clean.
5. Instead of buying books, check them out from the library. Encourage relatives to give gifts that are consumable such as movie tickets, a zoo pass or gift certificates to a favorite restaurant.
When your child receives a new toy or stuffed animal, encourage them to give one of their old toys to charity. Children love the thought of helping others. Make this easy by establishing a family donation container by setting up a box or plastic bag in a permanent spot in the house . Encourage children to contribute items and when the bags are full, donate them to your favorite charity.
Now, don’t forget to celebrate! When the family works together to de-clutter, reward them with a special treat or family outing!
