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Tips for Helping Your Child Get Organized · 5–Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids.

• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to another episode of 5-Minute Parenting.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: Today we're going to be talking about tips for helping your child get organized.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: It's that time of year where kids are already back in school or soon will be.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: And one of the most important things we as parents can help our children with at the beginning of the school year is teaching them how to get and stay organized.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: Building these habits early in their lives will benefit them throughout their career as a student and later as an adult.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: So first let's consider the physical space.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: There needs to be a designated space in your home where your child works on his or her homework and a place to store all things related to school, such as backpack, books, pencils, papers, etc.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: This designated area will help them know where their things are and avoid morning scrambling to find homework, backpack, etc.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: Depending on the number and age of your children, they may have their own desk in their rooms where they do homework.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: Or there may be a central place like the kitchen table where they do homework.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: One idea is for each child to have some sort of storage container like a plastic bin where they can store their backpack and school supplies all in one place.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Another idea for organization is a bulletin board or large calendar in a central family area where each child can write or pin notes or things they need for school, such as project supplies and due date, school events with date and time, sports or after school activities, etc.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: That will help them, that will help everyone get an overview of the week or month and prevent last-minute panic because your child's project is due tomorrow and he or she doesn't have the needed supplies.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: The next thing we need to look at is the homework schedule.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: Depending on your child's age and the amount of homework they have, they may need some downtime, an after-school snack, etc.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: before beginning their homework.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: But a regular schedule and expectations should be established.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: Let your child help decide what order they will do things.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: Remind them that if they are organized and focused, they can probably finish their homework sooner and have more playtime.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: And if they help plan their schedule, they're more likely to buy into it and have a greater chance of keeping it and succeeding at it.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's look at organizing homework.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: One idea is to provide colored folders with pockets for each subject where your child can keep homework details and completed assignments.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: Also, help them learn to focus on one task at a time.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: If the task is difficult or multi-stepped, show them how to break down the task into smaller steps so that they can check them off as they complete them.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: Younger children love stickers and rewards, so maybe reward them as they complete each step or even the total project.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: Also help them learn to plan ahead by using a calendar to figure out when the homework or project is due and then figure out when they need to start and how much they need to do each day before it's due.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: That helps them avoid frustration and last-minute panic trying to get it done on time.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: Older children may like to use a planner, either physical or a digital one, where they write down their assignments, due dates, materials needed, etc.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: Your role as a parent, it depends on the age of your child as to how involved you will need to be helping them get organized and complete their homework.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, younger children will need lots of help at first.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: Now, some children will try to get you to do their homework for them, claiming they don't understand.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: But you can ask questions to help clarify what they need help with, then show them how to do it, but don't do it for them.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: Helping our children get organized at the very beginning of the school year will save time and help your kids gain self confidence as they learn to become more independent.