4 Ways To Help Your Child Get Organised

The new term has started. You receive that dreaded phone call during your child’s recess period, “Mummy, I forgot to bring my Maths activity book.” What would you do?

If your first instinct is to dig around your child’s room for what was left behind and then rush to the school to deliver it, you might want to think again. This would be the first step down the slippery road of misplaced responsibility and dependability.

Instead, I suggest allowing your child to be punished and learning personal responsibility and independence. More importantly, use this opportunity to teach your child to be organised by: 

1. Using their handbook

The school handbook is an essential tool to help your child keep track of homework, forms, daily admin and communications from the school.

When my students would tell me that they forgot to bring something I reminded them to the day before, the first place I would look was the handbook. If it was noted down, they would get a severe scolding from me. It was written down, hence they did not forget. They did not check their handbook.

Teach your child to check it before they go to sleep and before they leave for school. If you are a working parent, make it a point to check it when you get home.

2. Packing their bag every day

There are two responses when I ask students to hand in assignments: One, they open their bag, look in and pull the assignment out. Two, they open their bag, fumble about for 5-10 minutes, and then look at me with wide eyes, bracing themselves for the scolding to come.

I find that students who do not keep their bags neat tend to misplace things and “forget” to do or bring their homework and books.

The maxim that intelligent people are messy is utter rubbish.

Anybody can be organised if they want to be. Getting your child to pack their bags every night achieves four benefits:

• It serves as a final check that they have brought all the need for the next day. E.g. Books, forms, money, e.t.c.
• It ensures that all required homework has been completed.
• It prepares your child mentally for the next day.
• It lightens your child’s bag.

3. Having a holding file

This helps your child to keep track of stuff that goes in and out of their bag.

I recommend having a “holding” file. It acts like short-term memory. All the homework and forms for the day go into the holding file. At home, forms and homework are not left lying around the house. They are only taken out to be processed and then immediately placed back into the holding file. Nothing should be sitting in the holding file for more than a week.

4. Organising their room

You can help your child divide up his or her room into major sections. E.g. the work table for all the school stuff, the play box with all the toys, the hobbies box with the books or collections.

Items from each section should not be found in any other section. This way, if your child should misplace something, there wouldn’t be a need to search the entire room.

It also helps them to compartmentalise their daily activities, i.e. I am playing now, I am engaging in my hobby now, or I am doing my homework now. If you have a daily time-table for your child, this will go a long way in organising their day.

Help your child mature in independence and personal responsibility for their own belongings. They will build up their self-esteem and develop personal mastery, you will be less stressed, and your child’s teachers will thank you for it!

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