Organize and Energize: Is Your Child Disorganized?
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Most kids are hesitant at first and others are very excited to get organized! After working for a little with the hesitant ones, I find they are completely on board with the process. Initially, they don’t want somebody going through their belongings, which I can totally understand. I also think they don’t know enough about the process to see that it’s actually not as painful as they think.
Are you frustrated with continually telling your kids to straighten their rooms? Take a look at how you function in your home. Do you think they are picking up on some of your traits? Is it time to get your kids organized?
Here are 5 areas that your kids may be following your lead:
1. Clothes. Are you constantly telling your kids to get their clothes off the floor and into the hamper or put back into their closet? When was the last time your kids went through their clothes closet? I’ve worked with teens that have donated at least four large garbage bags full of clothes. How are you functioning with your clothes? When was the last time you went through every item of clothing in your own closet? Do you have working systems in place and a home for all of your clothes? Do you leave clothes all over your bedroom?
2. Shoes. Are your shoes thrown in a pile by the door or in baskets all clumped together? How long does it take you to find a match to a shoe? It’s frustrating when you are searching for something and can’t find it and it will often cause stress. It’s ok if you want to keep shoes by the door, but contain them in a better way than having them thrown in a bin or in a pile. Once you set up this system, when you need a pair of shoes, you will find them immediately.
3. Systems. When you tell your kids to straighten their room, they have no idea what that means if there are no systems in place. Do you have a system for everything you do in your home? If you don’t have these systems in place, your kids will be following in your footsteps.
4. Toys. Kids have their toys and so do adults. It’s a matter of setting up a working system according to how everybody functions. Create routines and then those routines will form habits.
5. Paper. Are your kid's school papers thrown everywhere in the home? Think about how you function with your bills and important documents. Do you have a filing system in the home? Do you keep track of your bills and important dates on the calendar? It’s never too early or late to set up your kids with a filing system and a calendar of their own.
The next time you are quick to jump on your kids to straighten up their rooms, pick up their belongings, or get a handle on their paper, take a look at what you have going on and how you are functioning in your home. You may be surprised at what you see.
Developing working organized systems is the key to getting organized. When there aren’t any systems in place, chaos will prevail. Check in with your kids and see how they are functioning. Are they following in your footsteps?
Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, the founder and owner of Organizing in RI, has always enjoyed finding creative ways to streamline the environment around her. She has appeared on air on Patricia Raskin's Positive Business Radio and her articles have been published in the Rhode Island Small Business Journal and New England Home Life. Kristin's CD, Organizing Basics, is a 1-hour guide for the person who wants to get organized but doesn't know where to start. She is also available for organizing workshops. Tune in to her radio show, Organize, Energize! on http://www.talkstreamradio.com.
Related Slideshow: 5 Organizing Blunders
Avoid these mistakes and your project will take less time than you expected. You won’t be as stressed or as overwhelmed as you anticipated. You will be amazed at what you have accomplished. You will be motivated and energized to tackle another project.
Related Articles
- Organize + Energize: How Much Money Have You Lost?
- Organize + Energize: Dealing With Holiday Stress
- Organize + Energize: Get It Together In 2014
- Organize + Energize: Purge Those Files!
- Organize + Energize: The Snowball Effect of Clutter
- Organize + Energize: What’s In Your Kitchen?
- Organize + Energize: 5 Simple Ways to Organize Your Email
- Organize + Energize: Get Organized For the Holidays
- Organize + Energize: The 5 Biggest Organizing Mistakes
- Organize + Energize: Beat Distractions in the Workplace
- Organize + Energize: 4 Ways Getting Organized Will Save You Money
- Organize + Energize: What’s In Those Piles of Paper?
- Organize + Energize: 10 Products To Help You Tackle Your Closet
- Organize + Energize: Organizing Your Holiday Decorations
- Organize + Energize: Are You Creating More Work For Yourself?
- Organize + Energize: 7 Easy Steps To An Organized Junk Drawer
- Organize + Energize: Kick Off Your Spring Cleaning in the Garage
- Organize + Energize: Making A Good First Impression
- Organize + Energize: Are You Too Busy To Get Organized?
- Organize + Energize: Can Getting Organized Help You Lose Weight?
- Organize + Energize: 7 Reasons to Hire a Professional Organizer
- Organize + Energize: Getting Organized For Tax Season
- Organize + Energize: A Beginner’s Guide to Organizing
- Organize + Energize: Clear the Clutter For the Holidays
- Organize + Energize: Simplify the Holiday Season
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It