subject: Help Kids be Successful Organizers [print this page] What type of child do you have? Do you have one who loves to keep everything clean and organized, or are you like most parents and you worry about whether or not your child will ever clean their room without being threatened? It can be a struggle because cleaning isn't always seen as fun. It can take a lot of work on the parents' part to get a child to realize the benefits of keeping their room clean. Use these tips to help your child not only like to clean, but to be able to keep it that way for longer periods of time.
1) First, you have to try to make it just a little more fun. This can be difficult if your child is used to throwing tantrums, fighting, screaming, or just flat out not doing it when you tell them to. However, there are ways to motivate kids to clean up after themselves without resorting to yelling or punishment. First, work on positively reinforcing the behaviors that you like. Don't be afraid to offer rewards for good behavior and cooperation. However, there is a right and a wrong way to reward.
2) When rewarding or bribing your child to do what you want them to do, make sure that you make the prize something that they want. One child may be motivated by a new toy while another is motivated by a quarter. Choose something that is affordable, the goal is not to spoil the child. Don't offer a grand reward that can be difficult to follow through with. Make sure that there is a reward that is not only motivating to your child, but present when you offer it. There's nothing like a dangling carrot to get someone moving!
3) Don't make the mistake of overwhelming your child. You might find out just how stubborn they can be if you tell them that you want a disaster of a room spotless in a certain amount of time. Give them small goals that can quickly and easily be accomplished. Have multiple rewards ready and help them if you can. Talk about things that they want to talk about while you clean so that they associate cleaning and organizing with positive attention and experiences.
4) Make it easy to stay organized. Use open containers and label them with what goes inside. Keep buckets with small pieces across the room from each other so that they are less likely to get intermingled. Let your child use infant hangers, children's hangers, or baby hangers to hang their clothes. They are easier to handle, come in interesting colors and cartoon designs, and won't damage small clothing.
Help Kids be Successful Organizers
By: Kurt Adams
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