Teaching the organization of children
5 ways to teach kids organizational skills
1. Clean toys daily with children. Notice the word DAILY. If this is done daily, it is manageable. Walk through each room if the toys have fallen all over the house and make it a game. Search for lost toys. Put them all back in the containers and on the shelves they came from. As your kids get older they will be able to play this game on their own and even a babysitter or grandma and grandpa can play with them if mom and dad are on a date. Designate a specific time to do this each day. Children need a routine and will adapt quickly.
Absolutely don’t pick up after them. By 15-18 months, most babies can walk and understand how to hold Mom’s hand and look for toys. I know it takes more time to do this with them, but it’s not about saving time. It’s about teaching your kids to organize and teaching them to help mom and dad.
two. Be intentional with toys. Hold up special or delicate toys that need to be supervised: Play Doh, paint, Legos, etc. Games and puzzles work well for little ones too. They won’t be able to throw them away so that they will eventually mix or drop pieces. Again, this is more work (to get asked for a toy) but it will be worth it in the end.
3. Store toys logically. Storing toys in a large, deep toy box is not conducive to children. Things break at the bottom and kids don’t always take the time to dig into the 60cm deep toys. You never play with the toys in the background because they are forgotten. Storing small parts and games in containers on shelves or in a closet is always helpful. And large items work well just lined up on the shelves. Always label if it is with words or pictures. And be realistic. The toys are going to get mixed up. They will not be perfect. It’s fine. Do your best. Have a system in place and make sure that 80% to 90% of the toys are in the proper container or bucket.
Four.Donate toys on a regular basis. Before their birthday and Christmas they pass for toys. Whether or not your children help make those decisions is a good question. It really is your decision. I know it can slow down the process, but I try to involve time even if it’s only a few items. It helps if you maintain positive decision making. Ask them, for example, what are their three favorite dolls? (If they have five, let’s say) The negative way to ask that question would be: which ones do you want to get rid of?
If you start early in life, your kids can get really good at helping you donate or throw toys because they are used to having mom go through her toys with them. If your children receive toys more often than their birthday or Christmas, donate a toy for every new toy that arrives. If you do this each and every time, at least the toys are not growing. They will be kept in the same amount.
Hosting a yard sale is another great way to get kids involved and motivated. Yes, they are a lot of work, but researching how to plan and execute a successful sale can be a huge success.
5. Integrate the organization into your daily family routines. The following are small examples to instill organization and responsibility in your children.
– make their beds before school
– put your clothes in a basket
– remove your own plate from the table or set the table
– put away clothes
– store your bikes
– empty your backpack every day