The Importance of Being Organized If anyone were ever to come into my office or even my home, they would see that I may be a tad obsessive in organizing everything. My clothes in my closet are color coordinated and organized by season, my linen closet has plastic shelves/ containers for various supplies – all with labels, while in my office most of my therapy activities are in plastic bins with labels and divided into sections (target goals) so I can find things easily. While some might think I may be a bit extreme, I need to be so that my therapy sessions run smoothly (and my husband can find things without always asking me!). Like my office and home, children’s desks, lockers, backpacks, rooms are no different. They too need order; they need structure. This is especially true for schoolwork. It means a child having one notebook or binder where s/he can store all school assignments so s/he knows what they have to do and when. It also means keeping all schoolwork neat and in a specific place so it doesn’t get lost. Organization at home is just as important, where being organized means your child having a place to put their things and putting them back as s/he goes- such as his/her schoolbag, shoes, school supplies etc. Putting items always in the same place allows a child to always know where to find them. If you look at your child’s classroom you notice that everything is organized and scheduled. That is largely due to the fact that children crave routines and allows them to know what is expected of them. Home is no different. Having a routine allows a child to learn the concept of time management. By creating the same structure at home in the morning and at night, as they have in school can help your child stay organized all day long. For example, in the morning, establish a routine that might include: • Waking up, getting dressed and washing face; • Making the bed (a great daily habit to instill early); • Eating breakfast and brushing teeth; and • Grabbing his lunch, book bag on the way out the door. At night, your routine might include: • Deciding on an outfit for the next day; • Making lunch for the next day; • Checking to make sure all homework is complete; • Confirming your child has everything s/he needs for the next days activities; and • Putting everything in a special spot so its ready to grab as you head out the door the next morning. Being organized allows one to always be ready and avoid time waiting. Something I often hear from the parents I work with is that their child is often running late in the morning as they don’t know where X is. Being organized helps one be relaxed when doing personal things (parents included) and can also boost a child’s confidence. This is especially important in children with learning disabilities- who often struggle at being organized. Children who are disorganized will unfortunately increase the potential to receive lower grades, complete fewer assignments, be less motivated, experience greater frustration with school and have lower self-esteem. These negatives can further contribute to a variety of other issues including grade retention, problems with discipline and ultimately dropping-out of school. For children, it is often recommended that all tasks be broken down into a “1-2-3 process”, which will allow them to know their expectations and ultimately help them complete their work or task. For example: 1. Getting organized means a kid gets where he or she needs to be and gathers the supplies needed to complete the task (this is physical organization). 2. Staying focused means sticking with the task and learning to say no to distractions (this is mental organization). 3. Getting it done means finishing up, checking work, and putting on the finishing touches, like remembering to put a homework paper in the right folder and putting the folder inside the backpack so its ready for the next day. Don’t ever assume that a child knows how to get organized by him/herself. They very often need to be taught. Once a child knows the above steps- and how to apply them, they can start tackling tasks more independently. Of course, a child will still need parental help and guidance, but if you can help your child learn the above steps, you will probably find that you wont have to nag them as much. Remember though, when teaching a child how to be organized it will require a lot of patience as well as frequent assessments in reinforcing organizational skills. Teaching a child one time how do something may not be enough. Time needs to be devoted to help with organization. Also, the more consistent organization expectations are, the more successful a child will be. It is also important that there is collaboration between home and school to help with carryover. Happy organizing!
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 18:42:48 +0000