Instilling discipline into your kids can be tough. It requires consistency, sensitivity, and thorough communication from both sides, but as a parent, this will come mostly from you.
Building the habit of organization with your kids require the same values stated above. Cultivating this habit with your kids does not only help you in managing your household but will also aid them as they grow up. Someday, they’ll move out of the house and have their own space, schedule, and properties that they’ll need to keep track of. Thus, it’s never too early to start.
Additionally, keeping an organized space and routine is known to be closely related to better academic performance and mental health according to studies done by Nicole R. Keith, Ph.D. of Indiana University.
To reap these advantages, here are 10 ways to build the habit of organization with your kids:
Establish routines.
If you’re from Sta. Rosa, Laguna, schools there often start early in the morning around 7 am like most schools around the country and every parent knows the difficulty in waking a child early in the morning.
To encourage them to wake up bright and early with a positive attitude, it’s best to establish routines that your children will follow.
For example, to help them with their morning routine, start with their evening one first. Have a fixed dinner and bonding time that precedes bedtime. The optimal bedtime for kids, both young and old, is around 9 to 10 pm. Cut off-screen time at least an hour before bed to help them rest their eyes.
Do this consistently enough and their bodies will automatically be sleepy around the same time every night, thus, helping them get a good night’s rest.
Extend this principle to weekly activities such as cleaning their room, folding their clothes and doing their assignments. Having a designated day for each will help them manage their expectations. Provide a good, solid example by showing them your routine and then guiding them in creating their own.
Keep things in the right places.
Similar to establishing and sticking to routines, it will also help if things are kept in their rightful places. Set a good example by applying this in your own home by properly utilizing your cabinets, drawers, and boxes. It’ll also help if you have a label-maker to help them familiarize with items they don’t often use.
Keeping things organized will help them save time in doing tasks that require certain items. For example, if they need to create a scrapbook, they’ll easily have access to the arts and crafts tools they need if they know where they are.
Break tasks into smaller chunks.
Schools in Laguna like Learning Links Academy offers different tracks and strands as part of the K12 law which added two years in the country’s high school education.
This new curriculum tasks students with college-level subjects in preparation for the field of study they want to enter. With projects, papers and practical exams left and right, it can be quite overwhelming.
Sometimes, a big task can seem so paralyzing in its entirety but manageable when chopped into small tasks. To help your children, assist them in breaking large tasks into smaller chunks. This trick will teach your child that each task has a start, middle and end, providing a sense of accomplishment and renewed vigor for each stage accomplished.
Take this situation, for example, your child needs to complete a project that requires them to research on a topic, write a paper and provide additional output. Instead of taking the project as one big whole, help them look at it as small tasks contributing to creating the large one. Do the research first, rest, write the paper, rest again and then, create the additional output.
Teach them how to maximize technology.
Let’s face it, technology is a large part of the life of your child’s generation. The best thing to do is to take advantage of its benefits. If your child is often on their phones, meet them where they are – online – and introduce how their phones can help with their organization.
There are tons of calendar and planner applications available online. Each with different features and interface that your kid can have fun with. Encourage their independence by teaching them to input outings with their friends after school, project deadlines and family gatherings.
Empower them with your trust.
Put their organizational skills to the test by putting them in charge of a family function. If you live in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, there are several nearby establishments like Nuvali and Solenad. Ask your children to help organize a small dinner with a list of tasks, from calling the restaurant to buying decors, and see them step up to the plate.
Keep your tasks age-appropriate. Give your older children the tasks involving heavy organization like calling the restaurants and setting up the menu, and give your younger children the task of providing input in the decor and music.
Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, similar to building habits. Sometimes, they’d slip and forget to do things. Don’t be too harsh but instead, keep an open line of communication. Follow the tips above and set your child on the path of being a responsible, organized adult.
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