How To Get Your Kids Organized

If you’re a parent (or hope to be one someday), you probably dream about your future children’s adult lives. What kind of people are they going to be? How will they contribute to society? How fun will it be to visit their homes and play with their own children??

Hey, now that I think about it… what do those future homes look like, exactly?

As a parent, you always want the best for their children. This includes hoping that some day, they’ll live happily in a pretty home that will welcome the eventual spouse and grandchildren you dream of. Well, the only way to ensure that kids grow up to be organized adults is to set them up for success from the very beginning!

Here’s the thing. Organizing is a skill, not a personality trait. That means anyone can become proficient at organizing, but it also means that everyone has to learn and develop organizing skills over time. So in order to set your kids up for future success in happy, organized homes, they are going to have to learn how to organize for themselves. And it’s your job to teach them!

There are two very simple things that parents can do to help their kids learn to organize. They’re not difficult, but just like most things in parenting they require consistency and dedication over time.

1) Teach Organizing Skills Early and Often

Kids can’t learn the key organizing concepts that will set them up for success if you’re always doing everything for them. They won’t suddenly turn 12 and know how to keep their room clean if you’ve always been the one putting away their toys after they go to bed.

In fact, it’s age appropriate to start teaching kids to do their own daily organizing at 2-3 years old: putting away toys, putting their dirty clothes in the hamper, clearing their plates from the dinner table. When in doubt as to whether a task is age appropriate, ask their teacher! You may be surprised at the tasks your child happily accomplishes upon request.

2) Model Organized Behavior Daily

You can’t just talk the organizing talk and hope that your kids pick up the skills they need - you also have to walk the walk. Because the truth is, your kids are watching and taking their cues from you every day. This means that you, yourself, have to stay organized on a regular basis.

If this feels like an overwhelming assignment, consider hiring a pro! A professional organizer can help you declutter, set up organizing systems for your whole household, and teach both you and your kids how to use them.

A Case Study

I’ll never forget a client who hired me to work with her teen daughter. The teen was a sweet, conscientious kid, but her room was objectively disorganized - I couldn’t see the floor - and the mom had absolutely had it up to HERE. I totally felt for the mom, because I knew she was trying everything she could to help her daughter.

In working with the teen, I quickly realized that she wanted, even craved, an organized space, but she didn’t know where to start. She also fretted that even after organizing her room, her mom would just keep dumping more stuff in her space and undo all her hard work.

You see, the teen’s room wasn’t the only disorganized space in the house. Every other room was chaotic and full of clutter. No wonder the teen’s room was such a mess! She hadn’t been able to learn organizing skills from her parents, and she had no model to work from.

Hands-On Tips

If you’re looking for more specific tips on how to teach kids of all ages to organize, check out professional organizer Victoria P. Willard’s Instagram feed: Organize. Design. Create. Not only is she a pro (available for home organizing projects in Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey for those of you in the mid-Atlantic), but she’s a mom to five kids so every single tactic she uses is battle tested and parent approved. She always says that to parent organized kids, you have to “train them up,” and I could not agree more!

And for tips on organizing for distance learning and working from home, a festive new aspect of organizing for families with kids courtesy of the pandemic, be sure to check out my free organizing resources, including a webinar you can watch on demand and a way to get personalized organizing tips from me for free!

LMW