How to Teach Kids Organization Skills

Differences in personality and learned habits cause kids to vary in organizational abilities. While some children naturally have good memories and are organized and tidy, others seem to be more forgetful, messy and have problems following through with activities. Parents can help less organized kids learn organizational skills over time by following routines.

  1. Explain the Importance

    • Kids respond better to doing things they might not enjoy when you fully explain the reasoning behind it. Discuss the benefits of living an organized lifestyle with your child, such as saving time when looking for things or doing homework. Give your child examples of how being organized at home and at work helps make your own life easier. Be honest with your kids about being organized. It's not always fun or quick, but it helps out in the long run.

    Lead by Example

    • One of the first steps in teaching kids organizational skills is to create an environment that reflects organization. Create a family calendar that tracks the family activities in a prominent area. Allow your child to write his own entries on the family calendar and to reference it regularly. Demonstrate organization around the house as well. Make use of containers, closet organizers and other organizational tools. If everything in the house has a specific place, it will be easier for both you and your child to find things. Using a system of organization around the house also encourages kids to put things back and keep things neat.

    Give Kids a Strategy

    • KidsHealth from Nemours suggests a three-step strategy to help teach kids organizational skills. The first part -- getting organized -- involves getting where you need to be and gathering the supplies needed to complete whatever you're doing. Staying focused means sticking to the task and resisting distractions. The third step involves getting it done -- finishing up and double checking the work you've done. You can apply this process to a variety of tasks, including brushing teeth, cleaning a room and completing homework.

    Help Your Child Get Organized

    • Once kids learn about organizational skills, they'll need help applying their new knowledge to their home and school life. Help your child establish a homework routine, including a specific study time and a designated homework area. Encourage your child to figure out in which order he will do his homework before he starts every day. Create a system of organization for schoolwork with your child. Help your child label separate binders or folders for notes, homework, announcements and other paperwork he might get.

    Provide Support as Needed

    • Kids don't develop organizational skills over night. After you explain and demonstrate organization to your child, be prepared to help him as he works on becoming organized himself. Provide gentle reminders about things like cleaning up, using the homework system and writing on the family calendar. With your support, your child will learn to remember these things on his own over time.

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