6 Ways to Get Children Involved in Household Organization

Does having an organized house seem impossible with children? Getting the children involved can be a little frustrating, if not overly frustrating. In this blog post, we’ll share ways you can get your children involved in household organization ongoing.

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1) Direction

When it comes to getting your children to keep order in the home, you must remember direction and specific, step by step instructions are needed initially and possibly more than once for younger children.

2) Command Center

In most modern-day homes, there is unconsciously an area that serves as the drop zone for all things. Most of the times the specific area becomes the norm as it is deemed the most convenient. Assess the area and turn your drop zone into a functional command center for the family.

Add designated shelves and/or cubbies with hooks and bins for each child. A built-in creation or even a repurposed piece of furniture (bookshelf, dimensional cubicles, etc.) will do the trick!

Create a paper filing system for important school reminders or papers to be signed. One great idea is having a tray labeled “Needs to be Signed/Reviewed” wherein the children will learn to place the documents in the tray. Obviously, this would be for the older children in elementary school and above.

Add a wall calendar that identifies all important dates to include field trips, money due, picture day, project due, extracurricular activity, and more.

3) Labels & Categories

If you think about it, daycare and primary school consist of nothing but labels, categories, and designated areas. Why expect a difference at home? Create the same setting for your children at home. (Tip: add pictures to the labels for younger children)

The Command Center will play a huge role in this section as each child can have a designated cubby and their belongings will be placed in an organized manner. Another key area for label & categories is afterschool snacks. I love the idea of an over the door shoe organizer being used as a snack holder. For example, applesauce, juice, and crackers can be placed in one holder as a snack for the evening or a variety of snacks can be placed throughout the holder and the child chooses. Labeled bins will do the job too. This eliminates the scattered search through the pantry.

• Side note: A client and I were having a conversation via text and we decided to ask her daughter how she felt about the newly organized pantry. Her daughter’s words were “I like our new pantry because I like how it is way easier to find what I want when I want it. In the other pantry, it was hard to because it was not organized and one of my favorite snacks is popcorn so when I tried to find it it took a long time and sometimes it was frustrating. In the new pantry it is way easier to find what I want in a second.” <direct quote>

Let’s help the children and get those bins labeled! There is a bin for everything you ever need to label whether it is drawer bins, shoe box bins, or deep storage bins. Here are several ideas of what to label:

• Clothes (shorts, socks, hat & gloves, etc.)

• Laundry (color clothes, white clothes, your preference)

• Desk area (crayons, scissors, etc.)

• Toys (puzzles, art, etc.)

• Cleaning supplies per task (age appropriate)

4) Routine & Accountability

Believe it or not, children live for routine and structure. One of the biggest ways to get children involved with household organization is routine and accountability. In addition, research shows that children learn best when they’re playing and enjoying themselves at the same time. Make organization fun!

• Allow each child to design their own mason jars with one being the “To Do” jar and the other being the “Done” jar. It is basically a chore jar, but feel free to choose a creative name for your family.

• Discuss with each child age appropriate duties they are responsible for and write them on popsicle sticks. Explain that everyday they are responsible for moving all popsicle sticks from the “To Do” jar to the “Done” jar. In some households, some tasks may need to be completed before going to school. One way to address that is to have a different color stick for morning, evening, and night duties.

• To keep this ongoing, there must be consistency and accountability. Adding a prize to the mix creates motivation. For example, if tasks are completed for two weeks straight child earns money. Your reward system can be set up any way you choose.

5) Discussion

Children learn best when they can ask questions and express themselves. Have a conversation here and there with your child to see how the systems are working or not working for them. If one child is having difficulty with the new order, ask them what would make it better. Asking a child for their feedback makes them feel really appreciated and heard.

6) Recognition & Praise

Research has shown there is a connection between praise and increased motivation. Recognize your child’s efforts on completing tasks even if it isn’t “perfect”, as well as express your appreciation for their consistency. Be sincere and specific for what you are praising your child for. A hug goes a long way! Encourage your child for the progress they have made and be mindful about comparing one siblings mastering of a task to another sibling.

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Remember, the end goal is to not only get everyone involved, but to make the system work for everyone. Let us know if you've tried any of the six ways and if it was helpful!