Released Feb. 1, 2008

MURFREESBORO, Ark. -- Kids from the same family are going to be different when it comes to organizational skills. One child may be a real neat freak while the other is on the other end of the spectrum.

"Parents need to model somewhat of an organizing behavior to even toddlers," says Robbie McKinnon, Pike County extension agent with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.

"Age 2 or 3 is not too early for a chore chart," she says. "Start with just one or two chores, and then add responsibility as your child is ready."

She offers the following tips to help your children develop great organizational habits:

• Be consistent. Keep your organizational strategies consistent with children from as early as age 2. From 5 to 8, then from 9 to 12, you can modify your strategies for getting kids organized.
• Keep it simple. Your preschooler may love to "play house" with a broom and dustpan or sorting colored play items into buckets. Scooping, stacking, wiping and matching are all developmental skills you can further develop into a lifetime of good organizing habits.
• Keep a clean plastic dustpan handy. The dustpan can be used to scoop up small toys from the floor. Try setting an egg timer for five minutes, while your child tries to pick up before the bell rings. Your child should love this game, and after he/she finishes, help them sort through their stuff to organize it.
• Let the dusting began! Dusting is a good job for toddlers. Try putting old socks on their hands so they can dust molding, table legs and chair legs while you are dusting tables, shelves and breakable items.
• Give children jobs they like to do. They may like helping you put wet clothes in the dryer. Many love to toss that wet item into the dryer basket.
• Help children to establish zones for their activities. For example, art projects are done at the corner table with all art supplies organized nearby. Reading might take place on the bed, so books are kept on a shelf nearby. Establish limits for how much stuff is in the room.
• Give them a place to keep items valuable to them such as a test paper or a card from their grandparents. Let them deem what is important enough to keep. They will be making more decisions, but they also will learn there’s still a time to play, a time to clean up, a time to watch TV and a time to do homework.
• Help them establish their own routine. Between ages nine and twelve, your children can help with their own laundry. Help them to organize their dirty clothes in a way that they can get them to the laundry area. Let them help you shop for items that will help them get organized.
• Don’t get yourself in a dither about your child’s room. Stop screaming at your child to clean the room. Just ask your child, "What do you want from your room?" See if, together, you can make the room a great stepping off point for their life.

For more information on child development or parenting, contact your county extension agent or visit www.uaex.edu and select "Families & Consumers." The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.

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http://www.uaex.edu/news/february2008/0201kidorganizers.htm

Contact: Lamar James, (501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207, ljames@uaex.edu