| iv id="body"> | | | | 3. Make sure you know what's going on. Instruct |
| "Getting organized" is more than eliminating clutter | | | | children to unload their backpacksassoon as they |
| and creating neat storage systems. One of the | | | | come home. Have them hang up their bags in a |
| most important areas of organizing is task | | | | designated area (try acoat rack, pegs on the wall, |
| management. It's never too early (or too late) to | | | | or a wicker laundry basket near the front door) |
| teach kids how to get and stay organized with | | | | for easyaccess tomorrow and bring homework |
| schoolwork. The skills they learn now will carry | | | | to the designated study area. Check in eachday |
| over into high school, college, and ultimately, their | | | | so you're aware of their workload and take |
| careers and home management as adults. | | | | special care when they seemoverwhelmed. |
| 1. Establish a great homework routine. With your | | | | 4. Encourage the use of lists and planners. The |
| child, determine the best time fordaily school work | | | | older kids get, the more homeworkandactivities |
| and stick with it. For some kids, it will be right | | | | they'll have. Teach them to manage their tasks |
| after school. | | | | with the use of simple listsor a planner/calendar of |
| Others may need some downtime to play, and | | | | some sort. Office supply stores sell ones with |
| then it's time to hit the books. Themost important | | | | cute kid-friendly designs, or use computer lists (or |
| thing is to stick to the schedule so your child | | | | even PDAs) for techie kids. When theylearn of |
| knows what'sexpected. | | | | upcoming assignments, tests, or events, they |
| 2. Set up the space. Have a designated study | | | | should write them downin their planners. |
| area, such as the kitchen table. But forunique | | | | 5. Encourage color coding. Color affects our mood |
| assignments, allow for some flexibility such as | | | | and memory. Let kids pick thecolors of their |
| moving to a rocking chair forreading chapter | | | | folders and notebooks to correspond to different |
| books. Create a school supply box and keep it | | | | classes. If greenreminds them of science, then |
| well stocked withsupplies (paper, pens, pencils, | | | | they'll know instantly to grab the green |
| crayons, scissors, glue, ruler, sticky notes, | | | | notebookwhen looking for their science notes. |
| calculator,etc.) so kids don't have an excuse to | | | | Copyright 2005 Time to Organize. All rights |
| get up. | | | | reserved. |