Keeping Your Kids Organized

My son is forever losing things. His homework.
His library book. That very important note I was supposed to sign and return.

He is also often off-task.

Playing Lego's after I asked him to clean his room. Pretending to slay imaginary storm troopers with his wooden spoon light saber, when he should be unloading the dishes. At nine years old I'm figuring he should be able to self-regulate; control his thoughts, his body; manage his time efficiently. Don't all kids know how to do this when they hit age nine? Apparently not.

My ranting and raving were to no avail, and only made my son tune me out. So instead of yelling and nagging about what needs to be done, here are three simple ideas I implemented that have really eased the tension. Have only one place to put school folders and papers.
After the first few days of fourth grade and the mounting assignments, notes, and papers my son was now responsible for, I knew I had to help him get organized. With two kids in school, it's difficult for me to stay on top of all the papers that come home in backpacks, let alone the mail and bills.

To help everyone in our family, I attached a plastic file folder bin to the front of my son's and daughter's door.

When they arrive home from school, they take out their school folders and homework and place it in the bin.
This allows me to grab and go through it, and gives them only one place to put their work when they are finished.

Before school the next day, they take everything from their holder and place it straight into their backpack.

Having only one stop for papers has really helped my son stay organized, and has kept my interfering to a minimum.

Set the timer. The best thing I have discovered to date is the effective use of the kitchen timer.
Whenever my son is off-task or goofing around, I simply walk to the microwave and say, "You have X minutes to finish unloading the dishes.
" I always make sure to put an appropriate amount of time for the task.

Knowing the timer will go off, and that there is an end in sight to the chore, helps my son kick it into high gear.

He is almost always finished way before the timer goes off.
I use it for showering, cleaning his room, doing his homework, studying, you name it.
He often asks, "What happens if the timer goes off before I'm done?" "You don't want to know," I reply. So far, I haven't needed to figure it out.

Let them take the fall.
In the younger grades, I was used to managing all aspects of my children's education. Now that my son is in 4th grade, the expectations have changed.
The focus is on personal responsibility and accountability.

It's been difficult for me, a former teacher, to let my son fail.

There have been a few tests he has known were approaching, but chose not to study for.
It's been written in his homework calendar every night.
I didn't make an issue of it, didn't strap him to the kitchen chair and force him to study note cards.

When he came home from school with a poor grade on his test, we were able to discuss why he earned that grade, and what he could do differently next time.

Now when he knows he has a test, he at least looks at his notes a few times.

I'm sure there will be more learning curves in the future, but he is starting to learn that ultimately, he is responsible for his education.

We still hit bumps in the road from time to time.
He is still having some trouble accepting that he is growing older and mom isn't always going to come to the rescue.

It is hard for me to let go and realize he's growing up. My goal is to raise a boy who will become a responsible, respectful teen, and ultimately a caring, self-reliant man. We'll get there eventually. One day at a time.