Make Organization a Game for Kids For most of us, winter means more time indoors, which can also mean the build up of more clutter. The more time you spend in your home, the greater the chance is that you will create clutter by not maintaining your organization systems. If you have children cooped up with you, then you double or triple your chance of having clutter! Most kids are not particularly excited about getting organized. Don’t get me wrong, most children love order and structure. Children look to their parents to establish this kind of order in their lives. Having order in your home gives them a sense of predictability when they are trying to find something. But being organized isn’t high on the typical child’s wish list. What should you do when your kids are contributing to the chaos and clutter, and not to the solution? Think about yourself for a moment. If you were at work and your boss said he had a huge assignment for you, it was going to be boring, and the deadline was the end of the day, would you be excited about doing it? Kids are no different. They also are not motivated by the daunting task of sorting and purging all of their toys, books, clothes, etc. Make a game out of getting organized, and you may have more help then you could have imagined. Here are a few ways to get started:
Use a timer! There is nothing like a game of “race against the clock.” Give kids a sorting task and set the timer, so they can see if they can sort the pile of stuff before the timer runs out. If they do beat the clock, and have done a careful job with sorting, give them a reward. Perhaps a sticker or a treat of some kind. Encourage them through the sorting process to share with others who are less fortunate. This is a great chance to teach kids about the importance of giving back to their community. "Score" points. Once things are sorted, set up bins to “score,” or get items into the basket. This could be socks, bean bags, or even soft dolls. See how many points they can get by "scoring" their items into the correct bins. They think they are playing a game, and they are right. You and I both know they are also putting their stuff where it belongs! | | Have them join you when you go to drop off the items to be donated. Let them "deliver" these items so they can have a sense of ownership about giving back to others. Giving to others feels great, so give them the opportunity to share in this feel good moment. By involving the kids in organization and making it fun for them, you are bound to have success – and fun! Happy Organizing!
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