Organizing Your Life

Learning how to be organized is one of the greatest skills anyone can ever learn. It affects school work, and being on time to appointments or class, as well as the future. Helping a child learn the most basic of organizing skills is what most parents try to do. So today’s blog is all about some of the most basic steps in helping your child meet their future need to be organized.

Step One:

From their earliest years children watch us to see what we do. They follow our example and nearly beg to do chores. So the first step in helping your child learn to love to do the things we have to do is to allow them the opportunity to learn by doing and then by praising them for doing even one portion of the chore correctly.

Step Two:

Following through is a necessary portion of any organization skill. If the laundry is carried to the bedroom, but the child is constantly being interrupted to do other things before the clothing can be put away how can he or she learn to finish a project or chore? This may seem a bit deep so let me give an example.

Mary says to her daughter: “Jennie, I want you to take your clothes to your room and put them away.” Jennie walks to her room with her basket of clothes and starts to put them away. Before she is finished the doorbell rings and Lisa is asking if Jennie can play. Mary thinks Jennie has finished her chore because she is at the doorway talking to Lisa so Mary tells Jennie she can go play.

Mary did not ask Jennie if she was done with her chore and yet she gets angry when she walks by Jennie’s bedroom and sees the clothing is not put away. Unfortunately, this has happened many times and Mary starts yelling at Jennie to get back in the house and finish her chores. Mary has then embarrassed her daughter, raised her own blood pressure in the process and lost control.

Another scenario would be that Mary, after answering the door, asks Jennie if she has finished her chore. If she says yes, but is known for saying yes when asked this same question, it would be prudent to remind Jennie that there are consequences (whatever they are) to not completing the assigned chore.

Step Three:

Have a general clean out day. Schools starts here on August 27th this year. If you still have not taken the time to do a general clean out day now is the time! Go through clothing and drawers to remove old, torn or too small clothing. Remove old shoes, old school work, craft supplies that were used over the summer and need to be replaced.

By doing this you will teach your child that they can be organized without having to stress over it every single day for large projects.

Step Four:

Maintenance! Maintaining their room is very important, but in essence takes very little time. A gentle reminder to take 15 minutes, right after school, to pick up their room, remove dirty clothing to the laundry room, and clear their desk or study area so they can study for the day can be as productive as you working in an office or business where you have to maintain your area.

The big thing is to actually schedule that 15 minutes into their day. You can help them by saying “Johnny, take this 15 minutes to pick up your room. I need your laundry to be in the laundry room at the end of that 15 minutes.” I’m sure you can think of appropriate words for your child. Other wording may work for older children.

Think about these four steps. Too many times we as adults let things go until we have no choice but to take care of them. Think about your children and how much less stressed they and you would be if they learned the skills you want them to learn in taking care of themselves.

Well that’s it for this blog!

I’m flying off to Kentucky tomorrow and will be letting everyone know how my son’s Army Basic Training Graduation went (hopefully I will have a few pictures for you too)

Until next time!

Denise

It is summer!  And if you are like the rest of the United States (barring some areas that never get warm) then you are suffering from the heat!  Living in the most southeastern portion of North Carolina usually means that during the summer you melt! or you are overrun by mosquitos from the left over ravages of a hurricane  (almost typed herrican). 

This summer is no exception and I am thankful I at least have an onshore breeze.  I live about 15 minutes from the beach.  We always (well almost year round) have a breeze, up to a gale that cools us or warms us year round.  However, this summer it is just downright blistering. 

So why is the title Slow Down and Prioritize?  And how does this relate to weather?

My thought process came directly from this heat induced feeling that I don’t want to move, let alone work and can I please stay inside where the air conditioner is constantly blowing cold air on me.  My energy is being sapped by the heat.  When we’re hot we slow down, knowing of course that if we continue to move at the speed of light we normally work at we have a tendency to increase our chance of heat exhaustion and not working as well as we might.  The time it takes us to complete a project or to make decisions on just about anything is affected by the heat. 

Planning ahead is the best way to handle the summer months.  Especially in the south, whether it is Louisiana, South or North Carolina or Florida.  If you take the time to Prioritize what you have to do outside you will accomplish more and that by having planned for short stops along the way from one point to the next you will have created a method for finishing your to do list.

Prioritizing your workload in the office is on the same wavelength as it would be for your errands list.  What I mean is, you need to realize that even though you are sitting at your desk in an air conditioned environment,  the heat can still be affecting you.  So arrange your work so that you can focus for a half hour, take a short break, and then focus for another half hour.  I’ve found that this allows my muscles the break they need from sitting in front of the computer.  It reduces stress on my body.  It also allows me to go get some water to drink so I can stay hydrated during this harsh month of the year.

Take time to make sure you are working productively as you can by ensuring your mind and body stay hydrated.  Water is the conductor for our bodies’ processes !

Remember, take time to slow down and prioritize your day.  Plan ahead for the heat and your body will take care of you!

Denise