When your child is old enough to start cleaning their room or begin attending school, organization skills can be crucial in helping them succeed in school and in their careers later on in life. To help your child get organized, you can develop a daily routine that teaches them how to maintain the order of their room and how to complete certain tasks on time, such as their homework. Continue reading this guide to learn about the many ways in which you can teach your child skills that will help them become more organized.

Maintain an organized household with belongings in their place. When you have a designated place for each belonging, your child can become accustomed to the same type of organization.

• Consistently put your belongings back into their designated spaces; such as placing shoes back into the coat closet, placing clean dishes in the kitchen cabinets, and putting books back onto the bookshelf.
• Remind your children to do the same.  Even though many times it is easier to just pick up after them, resist the urge to do so.

Develop a routine that requires your child to clean their room regularly. This will help teach your child the habit for keeping their personal space organized.

• Tell your child to clean their room nightly before bedtime by having them place their toys and belongings in the appropriate spots.

Develop a list of basic organization guidelines your child can follow. Since children may have their own idea of how to keep things organized, a basic to-do list will help enforce a sense of organization in your child.

• Place basic tasks on the to-do list; such as making their bed, picking up toys from the floor, and separating clean clothes from dirty clothes, then allow your child to complete these tasks in their own way.
• Allow your child to organize their room according to their personal preference. This will help instill motivation and a positive attitude in your child in regards to staying organized.

Teach your child time management skills. When your child knows they must complete tasks within a specific timeframe, they will learn how to develop organized methods for completing those tasks.

• Give your child a specific time frame in which they must clean their rooms or finish their schoolwork.
• Remind your child when tasks are to be completed or when appointments must be met. For example, inform your child they must finish cleaning their room within 15 minutes of dinner being ready.

Help your child make lists of tasks that must be completed. Lists can help your child get organized for large-scale projects or tasks. For example, if they must create a diorama for school, have them make a list of steps that need be done in order, such as obtaining a box for the diorama in step 1.

• Show your child how to cross off completed steps from the checklist so they feel a sense of accomplishment when tasks are finished.

Perform certain activities at the same time on a daily basis. This will teach your child how to stay organized in regards to developing routines or rituals.

• Have your child perform their homework daily after school has ended while sitting at their desk in their bedroom.
• Eat dinner with your family at the same time every night, and send your child to bed within a specific timeframe on a nightly basis.

Praise your child when they are staying organized. Positive compliments and praise will encourage your child to continue staying organized.

For other excellent parenting tips for both moms and dads, check out JM Cremp’s Parenting Resources page.

The instructional portion of this article was provided by wikiHow, a wiki building the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual – How to Help Your Child Get Organized. Content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons License.