As back-to-school has begun, I wanted to share a post about what I learned as a kid about organizing. My immigrant parents were wonderful people and were entrepreneurs, but organizing wasn't their strongest trait. So, as a kid, I had to figure out for myself how to organize my space. I was a fan of puzzles, and doing this task over the years was just another game I would play to keep myself busy.
Jump to:
- Return the scissors
- Keep things in the same place.
- Organize small things.
- Labeling is important.
- Bobby pins and hair supplies need a home.
- Place socks in one drawer and divide by color.
- How to Organize Socks Once and For All {Sock Organization Options}
- Clean out the drawer thoroughly.
- One task at a time
- Make a To Do List
- Create To-Do Lists Challenge
- Sort by Groups
- Use Dividers in binders.
- Middle School Student Organizing Essentials To Help Them Succeed
- How To Reduce Academic Stress For Middle Schoolers
- Supplies should be placed in one area.
- Conclusion
The organizing tips I learned were primarily from middle school to high school, which was through trial and error. As you can see, I have always had an interest in organizing, even from a young age.
Watching me do these tasks, my parents were amazed at what I did and how I was aware that something needed changing without any help from them.
The organizing tips I've learned below can be shared with your kids so they can also realize the importance of putting stuff away and see the benefits of having a home for their belongings. Feel free to share these organizing tips with your kids.
Return the scissors
This is something that really bothered me as a kid. Return the scissors to their home, or you will never find them again. I found that scissors were always moved and never returned to their home. We would cut coupons every week and my mom and I would need to find the scissors before we could do this task, resulting in wasted time and energy.
Keep things in the same place.
Put a notepad and pencils/pens in the same place, or you will be running around trying to find them when you need them. When talking on the phone in the kitchen, there were always paper and pencils missing near the phone. So, to write down an item we needed for a grocery list, we were always hunting for these items.
Organize small things.
Organize small items, like paper clips, into small bins. Mixing small items is usually not a good idea. The dreaded junk drawer was always a mess, with items not organized and small items mixed. Pushpins and paper clips were always in the same area, which was not only disorganized but also dangerous. It was a tricky business to get a paper clip from the pile.
Labeling is important.
Label (affiliate) the bin to help find items quickly, especially if you are sharing the bin with others. We never had our bins labeled. This may seem OCD, but with four people in the household and no one knowing where the items belonged, it was hard to keep like items organized in a bin.
Bobby pins and hair supplies need a home.
Place bobby pins in a box with a lid to keep them from getting lost. Returning them to the box is essential.
Back in the day, bobby pins were the 'go-to' item with my rubber bands (affiliate) so I could put my hair in a bun to get control over my unruly curly hair. So, finding a bunch of bobby pins in one place was a necessity.
Place socks in one drawer and divide by color.
Place all socks (affiliate) in one drawer and divide by color and/or type, black, brown, white, work socks (affiliate), tights, etc… I learned this tip as a teenager. Even if you don't like to match up the socks (affiliate), I found it was so much easier to sort them by color and/or type, so I could easily spot the items to match them up on the go.
How to Organize Socks Once and For All {Sock Organization Options}
Sock organization may not be attractive to many people. Over the years, I have seen my share of sock drawers. None of them was pretty and magazine-ready. Some were not sorted, others were half-sorted, and some had been balled up and thrown in bins.
Clean out the drawer thoroughly.
When you are finding something in a drawer or organizing a drawer, empty the drawer out thoroughly, clean the crumbs and trash from the bottom, organize each item into groups, and only put back the items you want to keep.
I found that organizing a drawer or space was easier if I took everything out of the area and started from scratch. It also allowed me to clean out and trash any crumbs from the bottom of the drawer, which were bound to be there. I like to remember it was OK to clean as I organize.
One task at a time
To finish a project, stay focused on the first task at hand, then complete each task before moving on to the next task. Then, write what you need to do next for another time.
Make a To Do List
Make a 'to-do' list when feeling overwhelmed, even if you don't want to. I learned this one when I was in high school. I noticed that I was constantly stressed about what I needed to do each day. One evening, I decided to write down everything I needed to do the next day and found that it was easier for me to go to bed at night. So, I started doing this often to help control my anxiety about getting stuff done.
Create To-Do Lists Challenge
Do you have tasks that need to be completed? Do you have them written down? Checklists are handy for anyone who has way too many tasks to keep in their mind. Too many tasks are determined by the person.
Sort by Groups
Sort all gathered items into categories. It is easier to remember where you put items if there is a common theme that ties the category together. Establishing systems and grouping everyday items helped me when organizing my craft supplies in my bedroom. I loved to do a variety of different craft projects, and it was easier to have all the similar items near each other so I could easily reach them when doing that craft.
Use Dividers in binders.
Always use dividers in school binders (affiliate) to get to a subject quickly and always write your homework assignments and other activities/tasks in one place. This tip was super helpful in middle school (6-8 grade), where I had to walk around to different classes during the day.
Middle School Student Organizing Essentials To Help Them Succeed
Do you remember your middle school years? Do you remember being afraid of how you would manage changing classes all day long? It can be pretty stressful. Remember, middle school is a transition to high school. It allows students to be more independent and find their style of getting their work done.
How To Reduce Academic Stress For Middle Schoolers
I remember speed walking (because you couldn't run in school) around my large, donut-shaped three-story middle school, worrying that I wouldn't have time to get to my locker, retrieve my books, and arrive at class on time. It was three years of this emotional rollercoaster ride since the locker wasn't anywhere near my classes.
Supplies should be placed in one area.
Keep all the daily supplies together when taking them around with you, whether you carry a separate briefcase, use a purse, or put them in your binder (affiliate). Pens, pencils, lip balm (affiliate), brush, etc. were easier to keep track of if I had them all in one place. Whether it was a carrying case or a purse, I always wanted to be able to find my stuff in one section and not have to hunt two or three different areas to find something I needed on the go. A well-equipped purse with several pockets worked nicely for me.
Conclusion
Well, there you have it. Below is my list to help you teach your kids organizing skills. Which one is the most important skill you want to teach your kids this year? Please leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you.
Remember, by teaching your kids organizing skills, it will help them feel more in control of their lives, whether it is during school or at home. Making it fun is also critical for them to appreciate the results it will give them. Take it from me; if you force organizing on your children, they may resent you for it. So, keep organizing lessons lightheartedly. And, above all else, share with them your experiences as a child and what you learned. They will appreciate it.
Feel free to visit these additional articles I found online to help you teach organizing tips to your kids:
10 Tips to Help Get Your Child Organized
5 Ways to Develop Your Child's Organizational Skills
Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon (affiliate). At no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.
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