Getting and Staying Organized with Kids

If you are a parent, you know how difficult it can be just to get your kids to school on time, let alone maintain a tidy home. However, organization is key in accomplishing all that needs to be done and enjoying the journey as a parent. These super simple tips from the National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan will help your family get and stay organized.

1. Set the Tone: If your children are toddlers or teenagers, you better believe that they are watching you and your organizational habits. If getting organized is a goal for your family, start with getting yourself organized. When your kids see you caring for your space and time, they may start to do the same.

2. Involve Kids in the Process: Once you are maintaining simple organizational habits yourself, start to involve your kids. Ask for their help in picking up around the house, meal planning or scheduling family activities. You want to give them ownership of age appropriate tasks and follow through to make sure things get done.

3. Establish Simple Routines: Many household tasks are repetitive in nature and never ending, such as cleaning or doing laundry. As much as possible, incorporate these tasks into your children’s daily routines. For example, the routine habit of emptying a backpack every day after school can avoid a lot of stress and keep the family calendar organized.

4. Utilize Organizational Tools Appropriately: Organizational products can be a lot of fun to buy, but often remain unused. Kids do best with easy to access containers without lids. The idea here is to provide children with the tools to easily help themselves. Placing hooks down low or purchasing lidless bins can make the difference between things being put away or left on the floor.

5. Teach Your Kids to Let Go: Purging no longer needed items is almost always part of the organizing process. Let your children see you purging your abundance and encourage them to do the same. Always let the kids take the lead in order to make letting go become a positive experience of sharing with others less fortunate or earning their own money at a garage sale.

Parenthood is always challenging, but being organized makes it a lot easier and more fun! For more organizing tips, visit http://www.napomichigan.com/.

Article submitted by Chapter member, Carolyn Anderson-Fermann.