Raising Organized Kids

On a chilly fall afternoon, Claire and I walked into the house. She had her coat; I had my coat and purse. As she took off her coat, I asked if she could hand it to me.

"Nooo," she said in the drawn out whining way that's mostly cute but a little annoying.

Then she did what I thought was the most amazing thing. She walked to the coat tree and tried to hang up her coat. I was equally amazed and proud.

If I had a child-sized coat tree,

I wouldn't have this problem.

Coat tree found here.

That event got me thinking about how to raise an organized kid. Obviously, modeling good behavior is a start, but it isn't enough to build a strong foundation.

• Making it easier to be organized is a good start. Claire knows she's supposed to hang up her coat, but without a hook low enough, she can't do it.
• Making rules regarding toys will limit that big mess. Limit how many toys your kids have and clean them out routinely. Only allow them to play with one thing at a time and teach them to put it away before moving on to another toy.
• Establish a good daily routine. Good sleep and a full belly will help your little one remember what to do. 
• Have your kids do routine chores that can teach them why it's good to be organized. They might also be less likely to make a mess if they know they'll have to clean it up. 
• Get kids involved with the process of organizing and organize the things they use in their own way. 

Claire's continuing to learn how to clean up and keep things organized. She has a lot to learn, but we'll work on it together.

Do you have any tips for raising organized kids?

On Wednesday I'll post some organizers kids will love to use.