1. Your children should be involved in the process

No matter how old they are, your children should be involved in the process. Start by talking about the situation first, asking them questions. Why do they want to be organized? What can’t they find? What’s too hard to reach or put away? Where do they wish they had more room to play? You can tell them why you would like them to get organized, but this is really the time to let them talk, and for you to listen. And this is not the time to remind them how unorganized they have been in the past, but to focus on the future. Of course if children are very young, they will not be able to make the major decisions, but you can still involve them in the process. Explain to them what you are doing and why. Have them help you put things in boxes. Ask them to draw pictures to go with the words on the labels.

2. Their space should reflect who they are and what they love

Does your child love his/her room? Are there many books, toys, or clothes around that they have outgrown? It should go without saying that kids are more likely to take care of rooms and areas that they feel good about, that they feel ownership of. Is there something they really enjoy doing that they want to do more of? Maybe your child wants to do more art, or science experiments. Creating a space, or a shelf just for that can make it easier and more enjoyable for them to do that.

3. Organizing should help your kids become increasingly independent/self-sufficient

If your children are just beginning to dress themselves, make sure their clothes are in low drawers and shelves. If you want them to pick up the dirty clothes off their floor, make sure they have a hamper in their room, preferably in the same area that they change their clothes.

4. Organize one project at a time

Don’t try to do everything at once. And when you find items that do not belong in the category you are working in, put them in a box labeled “to sort later” so that you do not get distracted by the other areas in your home that still need to be organized.

5. Emphasize the importance of helping others

The value of giving to others in need can never be learned too soon. When deciding what to keep and what to purge, remind your children that there are many children in the world (and in our own communities) that don’t have as many toys or clothes and that they can help them by letting go of what they don’t use. You may even want to involve them in the donating process so that they can better see the good they are doing.

6. What they use the most often should be the most accessible

Often people put things where they “fit” or where they have always been. If you use something all the time, but keep it high up on a shelf, or in a box in the back of a drawer, chances are you will be less likely to put it away. You will also be less likely to find and use it in the first place. Take a look at the “prime real estate” in a room (top drawers, shelves at eye level, tops of surfaces, anything that is easy to grab) and ask yourself or your children if the things that are kept there are actually the things that are used and loved the most. Or think about the things you use the most and ask yourself if they could be stored in a way that makes them easier to see and to get to.

7. Every drawer, shelf, and container should have a category

I usually play a quiz game with kids after an organizing process where they have to name what category of items is in each drawer without looking in it. This game is a learning process itself because it helps improve our memory about what is kept where so that we can find what we need easily.

8. Staying organized takes effort, make it a routine

No matter how organized you are, if you don’t make time to keep it organized, it will not stay that way. When children are playing before dinner, for example, give them a ten-minute warning that they have to time to pick their toys up and put them away. Think about setting aside a weekly or even daily 15 minutes to an hour for “staying organized time,” or “putting everything in its home time.”

9. Your kids will follow in your footsteps

This almost goes without saying. Take a look at your own space and organizing habits and ask yourself what your children are learning from you.

10. Organizing can even be fun!

I like to play upbeat music when I am organizing and my guess is your kids (and especially your teenagers) will too. Most organizing projects can be made into a game with a little creativity (the old, “let’s see how fast we can do _____”, is always a good one.) Alternatively, consider hiring a professional organizer who specializes in working with children. Kids, especially teens, often find it easier and more enjoyable to learn how to get organized from someone new. And it helps if they are “cool.” J


Nicole Levine is a professional home organizer in Portland, OR who specializes in working with kids and teens. She can be reached by calling (503) 493-7320 or by visiting www.getorganizedwithnicole.com


Copyright by Nicole Levine. Please do not reproduce without permission.