4 Neat & Simple Tips to Help Kids Organize for School Success!

locker organizeSome kids seem to instinctively know how to organize themselves to succeed in school. They are never late, always get their homework done on time, and can find anything they need in their backpack.
Other kids need your guidance. Below are 4 ways you can help your child organize for success at school.
** Provide organizing suggestions, but let your child make the final decisions on how to organize.
The goal is to empower and enable them to maintain their new system, so they must be involved in the design and feel ownership. Being involved also helps them develop skills they can later apply to all areas of their lives.
** Help your child make an inventory of all the activities and items that need to be organized. Here is an example inventory you can use as a starting point: Continue Reading

How a Morning Routine Can Lower Stress for You and Your Kids

School busMornings can be tough. Dawdling children are not the only problem. Deciding what to wear, discovering a shirt isn’t ironed or searching for keys can also get us off to a bad start.
Here are a few tips to streamline the morning routine. You might want to practice before school is back in session. There is a hidden benefit. In an article in my local paper, the Star Tribune, Amy Susman-Stillman from the University of Minnesota’s Center for Early Education and Development stated that,

“Kids don’t have a sense of urgency. They are struggling with concepts of time. Time is a very abstract concept for kids.”

For children, this is a developmental thing! Continue Reading

Get Organized to Keep the Peace with Roommates

roommatesignIn a dorm, or an apartment shared with others, the mingling and misplacement of personal belongings can easily create roommate troubles!
Create harmony with your roommates by avoiding these common problems:

1. Mail: Most roommate situations lack a mail sorting routine. Whoever grabs the mail can simply sort it by person when they walk in the door. From multiple slot sorters to individual baskets, there are many ways to avoid lost bills, catalogs, and important documents from the financial aid department.
2. CD’s/DVD’s: If you and your housemates are storing CDs in the same area, avoid mixing them up with individualized storage systems. Using colorful boxes to store media meets the needs for both personalized and stylish organization. Continue Reading