If there’s a parenting area/teachable moment I could have handled better it’s this one! Enjoy a guest post from my friend, organizing and direct sales coach Nancy Korzyniewski.
Coach Nancy Korzyniewski
There is data supporting the idea that kids raised in organized homes do better in school, stay in school longer and feel more secure. These reports tell us that organization and efficiency play a role in a successful life….as if we needed one more reason to get a handle on our stuff!
What’s the best way to teach your kids to be organized? Be a good role model. Show them without arguments, nagging or assigning cleanup as punishment. If you clean by the stash and dash method, the kids will do the same.
- Create a sense of pride in clean rooms and organized schoolwork.
- Even the smallest children will feel helpful when the bins that store their toys are within their reach.
- Picture labels to help them remember what goes inside.
- They also love tackle boxes for games and toys with lots of little pieces or items like little cars and building materials.
Most parents say it helps to simply reduce the NUMBER of options that kids have to play with. They regularly clean out and donate outgrown toys or put a few of the birthday gifts aside to help kids keep the choices under control.
A great tip for easing the morning chaos is to use sticky notes. Give each child has a different color sticky, and whatever is needed for school tomorrow gets ‘stickied:’
- gym clothes,
- band instrument,
- permission slips
- homework
- backpack
Kids put all of this in the ‘ready to go’ spot so Mom and Dad can check overnight.
Not only to organized kids feel proud, systems like this cut down on morning stress for everyone… and fewer emergency trips to school to drop off forgotten lunches!
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After a successful 25+year career in the direct sales industry, Nancy has set her sights on sharing her knowledge and experience with others. In addition, she’s a new blogger! Visit her site Nancy Coaches where ‘coaches’ stands for Creativity, Organization, Appreciation, Customization, Harmony, Excellence and Strategies!
