Being a good organiser is part of the basic life skills that we need to pass on to our children. Having good organisational skills will help them in their school schedules, and also when they grow up and enter the workforce.
So, what should we do to help our children become organised and learn the important skills to maintain it? Here is a quick guide to help you get started:
Help Your Kids Get Organised Without Nagging
First of all, do not nag if your child is being disorganised or running around without a clear plan in mind. After all, children are meant to play around and they are still adjusting to their surroundings too. Moreover, if they are still young, they may not immediately understand why they should do things in a specific way.
The best way to encourage them to be organised is by using positive prompts. Even if they are young, your children are still human beings and they deserve to be respected. If you ask them to do a certain task, request it nicely and thank them afterwards. In return, your children will keep doing a good job and will also learn to appreciate what you are teaching them. This way, they can even become more responsible in doing tasks.
Have a special study space for them
Another good habit you can teach your child to become organised is by providing them with their own study space. The area will be dedicated only for studying and everything they need to complete their work will be available there. This is also one of the ways to improve your child’s study habits.
Let your child help you organise their things and be responsible for the tidiness of the study area. When doing homework, give them all the space they need and the important school supplies like books, dictionaries, rulers, and calculators.
Color Code Subjects
You can also help your child organise their study materials for each subject by teaching them how to do colour coding. Let them assign a colour for a specific subject and buy the necessary supplies that they need for it.
For example, if they said that they want the red colour to represent Math, their notebook and homework folders should be in red. This will help them find their notes better and keep them organised with their tasks.
Give them chores that involve sorting or categorising
There are a lot of things you can arrange at home and if you want your child to develop their organisational skills, you should let them do chores around the house that deals with sorting things in order. It can be as simple as organising your pantry after buying groceries, sorting the shoe rack, and even folding and stacking their clothes. This will even help to instill a sense of responsibility in your child.
If your child is not interested in the said tasks, you can try asking them to do simpler things or the things related to what they like, for example, to help you make a shopping list or to sort out their toy closet.
The list of household chores is endless and you will be surprised at how educational it could be. Simple tasks can even help them to develop some cognitive skills especially if they are just starting to learn numbers, colours, and shapes.
Checklists
Checklists are also a great way to be organised and teaching this method to your child can help them a lot in the future. This method is also a great way to learn about time management.
You can start by giving them a short checklist of what they need to do before they sleep or when they wake up. You can also make a checklist of the things they need to put in their bag when they go out for a trip or when they go to school.
Get them a kid planner
Did you know that there are planners that you can give to your children? Getting your child a kid-friendly planner can also inspire them to become organised. Some of these planners can even be personalised depending on the user’s preference. A planner can get them inspired to understand how they should sort out their time and how to remember important dates and tasks.
A good way to see if they are following their planner is by asking them what they have done for the day and counter checking their list of things to do. It will also be nice if you can reward them when they successfully finish their daily tasks so they can be encouraged to use it consistently.
Establish a homework schedule
You should also take some time in helping your child settle into a routine, especially if they are schooling. In this case, introduce a homework schedule where they will pause the other activities that they are doing and focus solely on their schoolwork. Let them do their homework in their study area or in any area where they can concentrate without any distractions.
While you are familiarising this routine, make sure to watch them and encourage them to stick to their routine even if they don’t have pending homework. Make them review their notes or do an advance reading before their next class.
Get them into collecting stuff
If your child likes to collect certain types of toys or books, why not encourage them to pursue it? Even if they only like simple stuff, it can be a good step for them to learn how to organise and maintain their collection.
This hobby can also help them develop an interest in collecting specific and more valuable things as some collections can be worth a lot in the future, especially if they are stored and preserved very well. Of course, make sure to give your child sufficient space to keep their collection so that they can be inspired in continuing the hobby.
Conclusion
Teaching a child to become organised can be a very tedious job to do. However, once your children pick up the rhythm, they will definitely be on the right path to becoming organised. Eventually, they can even develop and maintain it as a habit as they grow older. Let these tips guide you in helping your children build their organisational skills and help them get on track.
For more skills to impart your child at home, check out these articles:
10 Life Skills that Singapore Teenagers can Learn during Circuit Breaker
Practical Learning – A Learning Tool You Can’t Afford to Not Use
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