Tips for Improving Organizational Skills in Children
As parents, it’s easy to take for granted how much an organization can help daily life. Organizational skills help us work more efficiently, reduce stress, and increase productivity as students or employees. It can be hard to develop these skills as adults, but training kids to do this from a young age will set them on the right track to being more organized as adults. These tips for improving organizational skills in children will help you start the process.
Organize the House
Kids learn best when they see behaviors modeled. Organizing the house doesn’t necessarily mean that the house needs to be clean all the time. It simply means organizing public spaces, bedrooms, and storage areas like pantries and linen closets. The goal is for everything to have a special “spot.” This will help kids see visually how to keep their belongings organized. This will also make it easier for children to learn how to clean up after themselves.
Schedules
Having daily schedules for children—especially designating certain times of day for things like homework and chores—is an important way to teach children time management and prioritization. Of course, scheduling should not come at the expense of unstructured playtime. Imagination and exploration are essential parts of childhood, after all. Still, putting clear expectations of things that must be done will help kids enjoy the fun times without “business” getting the way.
Teach Checklists
Checklists are essential organizational tools; almost every other organizational system is based on them to some degree. Teaching kids how to do checklists in everyday situations like going to the grocery store will help them master this incredibly useful skill and even more complex organizational structures later in life.
Student Planner
Many schools give students notebook planners free of charge. If your child hasn’t been given one, a student planner is a worthwhile investment. Teaching students to write down homework assignments, due dates, and upcoming events like birthday parties will help students look at the big picture and manage their time accordingly.
In the midst of all the skills that we have to teach our children, from how to eat to how to love, improving organizational skills in children can seem like a small thing. However, this simple skill will help students tackle the bigger, weightier problems in life without getting overwhelmed. Any advantage we can give our children is worth it.
