Source: Michele Tocci
We live in a busy world, and we need to be in control to reduce our stress levels. Being organised is a key element in reducing stress. Some people are excellent at being organised, for others it is a constant battle of prioritising, dealing with urgent and important tasks plus the never ending list of daily tasks.
Being organised is a skill and sometimes as busy adults it can be easier to "just do it" rather than spend the time negotiating with the children to take responsibility for their actions and belongings.
I can set the dinner table in two minutes and its not a hard task, however if I get the children to set the table over a year that two minutes adds up to over 12 hours. Wow that's just setting the table, what about:
- making the beds
- putting the dishes away
- packing and unpacking school bags
- and the biggest annoyance for me, putting shoes away.
My job is a professional organiser - I can organise events, offices, systems, etc and it is from this experience that I realised what I thought as basic skills, many people just can not manage. Being a working mum with my own business and 3 children [plus my husband!], I realised that I should start "organisational training" at an early age for the children.
It is gradual learning but I have committed myself to the process. I have decided to share my skill of being "an organised person" with my children. [Given up on my husband!]
It is important to acknowledge that at certain ages, each child has a different skill level so expectations need to be adjusted regarding what I would like them to be responsible for. My 4 year old knows:
- to take her shoes from kinder off outside and empty the sand
- place her shoes on the shoe rack
- place her kinder bag in the spot reserved for kinder and school bags.
My 7 year old has different responsibilities to my 9 year old and every so often I review my expectations of them. It is also important to acknowledge that different children react very differently to these expectations.
My 9 year old son is always willing to help and assist and I love asking him to help because I will not have any problems, he will be polite and go and do the job without hassles. My 7 year old daughter is different, I have to take a deep breath as I ask her to assist, then wait for the "do I have to?" at which I say "yes you do sweetheart" with a loving smile, then ask her again a couple of minutes later with a different tone and continue to ask so she understands by not reacting immediately you DO NOT get out of doing the job.
Key factors in teaching children organisation skills are:
- ensure the tasks are age appropriate
- explain each task until they fully understand the concept and what is expected of them
- be persistent
- be polite
- establish a routine [school bags are emptied as soon as you get home from school]
- use a list as a prompt if that helps
- the list can include photo's
Remember children react differently but at the end of the day it is a life long skill that you are passing onto your child. It really is worthwhile investing the time NOW while they are young and impressionable. The key is perseverance. Keep telling yourself that next year when the kids are trained to set the table you will have an additional 12 hours to yourself.
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