Strategies to Help Build Organization Skills in Kids

There Is Hope

• A messy environment can create chaos and confusion and may help explain why your child may seem a bit scatter-brained at times. The promising news is that your child can learn to become better organized if you're willing to teach her strategies that will help her get things together. A little planning, commitment and a heaping helping of patience -- think one day at a time -- can set your child on an orderly path, explains Education.com.

Write It Down

• Relying on your child's memory can be like asking for scheduling mix-ups and missed appointments. Displaying a calendar or planner in a prominent spot such as the side of the refrigerator will remind your child -- along with a little prompting from you -- to write things down. Jotting down homework due dates and other important information is a simple yet invaluable method for helping kids stay focused and on track. Important family events such as visiting an ill grandparent over a weekend can help your child learn to plan ahead, explains Scholastic Parents. For example, if your child writes down that he'll be with his grandmother on specific days, he won't schedule a sleepover with a friend. Although it may seem like a hassle at first, your child may come to depend on planners and calendars.

Staying On Task

• The ability to concentrate and shut out the persuasive little voice that prompts your child to "Do it later" can be a tough hurdle to overcome when learning to get organized. Breaking things down to a few steps can make a task feel less overwhelming, explains Kids Health, a website published by the Nemours Foundation. Ask questions that will help your procrastinator find the discipline she needs to stay on track. For example, you might say, "So you have a science project to wrap up this weekend. What do you need to complete the assignment"? Ask your child to make a list of necessary supplies. If getting a science book at the library is on the list, check it out and ask your child to write the due date on the calendar.

Pay Off

• A child with reasonably solid organizational skills -- after all she's not an executive assistant or city planner, at least not yet -- will develop a "can do" attitude and a sense of independence. Helping your child design a simple but effective system to keep track of homework, extracurricular activities and chores, along with creating a designated workspace, lay the groundwork for an orderly life.