Are you tired of reminding your child to pack their sports kit, remember their homework and be somewhere on time? If so, you’re not alone. Disorganized kids are the bane of many parents' lives. But did you know that kids who can’t organize themselves have higher levels of distraction and stress, and problems finishing things?
The good news is organizational skills are easy to teach. Here’s everything you need to know, including a selection of our favorites.
Related: Life skills for kids
Some of our favorite ways to help develop your child's organizational skills
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Start small
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Make it easy to be organized
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Be a good role model
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Buy a whiteboard
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Write things down
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Establish and stick to a routine
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Show them how to be organized
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Give them chores that use organizational techniques.
Why do organizational skills for kids matter?
Organizational skills are essential for kids as they help them to learn how to prioritize, feel in control of their lives and set and achieve goals. Good organizational skills also make it easier for them to be productive and able at home or school.
What are the different types of organizational skills?
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Sequencing skills. Being able to follow a routine and manage the steps to do something efficiently.
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Time management skills. An awareness of how long things take so you can work to a time frame.
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Prioritization skills. Being able to work out the level of importance each task has so you know which to handle first.
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Self-care skills. Being able to look after yourself and get dressed, brush your teeth and be clean and tidy.
Different ways to teach organizational skills to kids
Show them how to be organized
Not everyone is naturally organized. Some children need more help than others in learning to prioritize, manage their time and do things correctly.
Start small
It’s easy to be overwhelmed when learning to be organized, so start small. Get your child to put a board game away, organize their clothes in a drawer or stack the dishwasher.
Make it easy for them to be organized
Forward planning always makes it easier to be organized. For example, get your kids to always prep their school bags and sports kit the night before,
Be a good role model
Kids watch everything. If you are always disorganized and running late, they’ll see no reason to be any different.
Buy a magnetic whiteboard
This is an invaluable tool for disorganized kids. Use it to write must-do lists, pin timetables, and place important letters from school.
Write things down
Encourage your kids to always list items as soon as they are given the information they need to follow: homework, important dates, timings for school trips, and money required for lessons.
Establish and stick to a routine
Routines give children a sense of security and control over their environment. When life is organized at home, children also see the benefit of becoming organized.
Give them a chore list
Give them a chore list that uses organizational techniques. Washing the dishes, tidying their room, folding and putting away laundry all use organizational skills.
Let them be in charge of their chore list
Chore cards are a good way to put kids in control of their chores. These cards tell them exactly what to do and add a timeframe.
Break large tasks and chores down
Chunking information into smaller parts is a technique kids learn in math. It also works with organization skills as it helps kids to avoid being overwhelmed by the bigger picture.
Give to charity
Encourage your child to regularly sort through their things and organize what to keep and what to give away. This helps with prioritization and organization.
Reduce clutter
Whether in their bedroom or on their desk, clutter makes it hard to focus on a particular task. Decluttering and being organized leads to improved attention span and focus.
Show them how to prioritize
Explain the difference between urgent and important. Urgent tasks have a deadline. Think about homework and getting to school on time. In contrast, important tasks like revision have a more extended timeframe and should be placed second on the list.
Avoid reminders
If your child always expects to receive reminders from you, there’s no motivation to remember to be organized.
Let them learn from their mistakes
We all want our kids to have a stress-free life, but sometimes kids need to realize that if they aren’t organized about getting ready on time, there are consequences like missing out.
Related: Chore chart ideas for kids
Fun games you can play with your child to teach them organizational skills
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Minecraft. Organization is key to this game. You need to organize your Minecraft inventory and use organization skills when planning how you want your structure to look.
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Ker-Plunk. This game helps kids look at a task closely and figure out a way to move sticks without interrupting the others.
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Tetris game (online) gets kids thinking about their actions and how to be the most efficient with space.
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Jenga teaches kids to be aware and in control of their actions and to plan.
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Game of Life. This board game helps the child learn about planning and making decisions.
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Clue. This game encourages a child to be organized using a checklist and problem-solving skills to determine what happened and where.
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Scrabble. You have to use organizational skills to look at what letters you need to keep, what you can play, and where they may fit on the board.
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Video games. Most games require kids to keep track of in-game items (armor, weapons, potions, etc.), sort through their inventory, or use organizational skills while they play, especially if they’re playing with friends.
Things to remember when teaching your child organizational skills
Be patient
Learning to be organized takes time. It’s not laziness when a child forgets to do things. It’s often due to weak skills in planning and prioritization.
Set expectations
But make things easy for your child. Give them chore cards, write checklists, and encourage them to take control of their lives.
Don’t take over
No one will ever do things the way you do, so if you give your child chores or ask them to get dressed, allow them to choose how to do it. Taking over stops kids from doing things for themselves.
Keep your child motivated
Tell them when they have done something well, and use encouragement to reward them when they start being more organized; this will encourage them to keep going.
How can GoHenry help?
A GoHenry prepaid debit card for kids is a fantastic tool to teach kids how to be financially independent and organized with their money. Not only does it help with tracking spending and setting up savings, but it enables kids to learn how to budget, spend within their means, and track their incoming and outgoing money.
Our in-app Money Missions tool builds financial confidence and literacy with tips about saving habits and spending wisely too.
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