Mountain Surfing

Getting organized is more than eliminating clutter and creating neat storage systems. One of the most important areas of organizing is task management. Its never too early (or too late) to teach kids how to get and stay organized with schoolwork. The skills for huge selection of Video Games>they learn now will carry over into high school, college, and ultimately, their careers and home management as adults.

1. Establish a great homework routine. With your child, determine the best time for
daily school work and stick with it. For some kids, it will be right after school.
Others may need some downtime to play, and then its time to hit the books. The
most important thing is to stick to the schedule so your child knows whats
expected.

2. Set up the space. Have a designated study area, such as the kitchen table. But for
unique assignments, allow for some flexibility such as moving to a rocking chair for
reading chapter books. Create a school supply box and keep it well stocked with
supplies (paper, pens, pencils, crayons, scissors, glue, ruler, sticky notes, calculator,
etc.) so kids dont have an excuse to get up.

3. Make sure you know whats going on. Instruct children to unload their backpacks
as
soon as they come home. Have them hang up their bags in a designated area (try a
coat rack, pegs on the wall, or a wicker laundry basket near the front door) for easy
access tomorrow and bring homework to the designated study area. Check in each
day so youre aware of their workload and take special care when they seem
overwhelmed.

4. Encourage the use of lists and planners. The older kids get, the more homework
and
activities theyll have. Teach them to manage their tasks with the use of simple lists
or a planner/calendar of some sort. Office supply stores sell ones with cute kid-
friendly designs, or use computer lists (or even PDAs) for techie kids. When they
learn of upcoming assignments, tests, or events, they should write them down
in their planners.

5. Encourage color coding. Color affects our mood and memory. Let kids pick the
colors of their folders and notebooks to correspond to different classes. If green
reminds them of science, then theyll know instantly to grab the green notebook
when looking for their science notes.

Copyright 2005 Time to Organize. All rights reserved.

Sara Pedersen, veteran professional organizer, is the author of the FREE e-newsletter "Organzing Dreams." Sign up today at http://www.time2organize.net to receive your FREE quarterly subscription. Then, make YOUR organizing dreams come true by visiting http://www.time2organize.net where you'll find dozens of organizing tips, before and after photos, an interactive quiz and much more.

Dear Abby - DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are going through a financial situation which many families seem to face these days, where the wife has to take care of the family's finances.