Moms are such loving, nurturing souls that when it comes time to take care of the family in the area of cleaning and organizing, they tend to over-think things. There have been numerous articles & product suggestions for making your child's room simple and organized. However, when I see the pictures of the end result, to me it feels like the room is pretty for mom to look at but not as functional for the child as it could be. Children think differently than we do. While we can teach them everything we know, we also have to allow them to experiment and learn some things on their own. If they don't get to earn satisfaction from doing certain things themselves, they won't appreciate the learning and carry it through to their adulthood. And to be honest mom, children learn what they live. So if the rest of the house is neat, tidy, & organized, eventually your child will learn.

I'm living proof of this. Apparently I was the messiest kid alive until I moved out on my own. The organization skills I was taught while growing up kicked in and to the amazement of my parents, my home was spotless and organized! {smile} So think of these tips when reorganizing your child's bedroom and closet. 

1. Get on your knees or lower to see at the eye level of your child.

2. With your child, sort all items that need a home. (Read our Compartmentalize to Organize article to help you.)

3. Put them all in piles to see what size container is needed for each category. (Make a list of sizes needed.)

4. Give your child visuals of the sizes needed by using things like string, file folders (these are great because they open up to a larger size). Take these with you as well as write down the sizes you think will work.

5. Go shopping and guide your child to and through the organizing products you feel are appropriate. (By allowing your child to have a say in what type of organizer is purchased and used, you're giving them some ownership. This can go a long way in helping your child to take responsibility in keeping things in their rightful place.)

6. Allow the child to do most of the organizing himself. (It will probably not be perfect unless you gave birth to a Type A Compulsive and they had someone in the house to model after.)

7. Encourage your child by praising the little triumphs and saying things like, "Oh mommy would love to help you with that," when they have trouble. It will take a few weeks, but you'll know if it's it worked or not by then.

In the meantime, learning comes best through trial and error. I heard that from a friend and learned that on my own as well. While the children are young, try to let them learn through the little things. That way, when the big things arrive, they are better prepared to handle them.

©2007 Susie Glennan

Susie Glennan has been in direct sales for over 23 years, home schooled & ran a daycare for 8 years, is a teacher, technology trainer, Toastmaster, Speaker, and Author of numerous articles that have been published in magazines and across the web. She teaches personality based time management & other seminars on various topics. Her passion is teaching others to use their God given personalities to enhance their lives and relationships by effectively managing their time and staying true to the values in life that are most important.

Since Jan. 2007 The Busy Woman, Inc. has been or is being featured in Real Simple, Parents, Parenting, & Blush Magazines, CBS Early Show, WomansDay.com, and listen to B95.1 in the morning, on April 20th while Susie talks about how her products can help secretaries during secretaries week.

Susie has been happily married since 1982, has three children and 2 grandchildren. Her home is in the beautiful town of Thousand Oaks, CA. She is also the President of The Busy Woman, Inc. - DBA: The Busy Woman's Daily Planner®. The company provides daily planners, purses, car & home organizers, Memory Books, and other organizing tools to help enhance the busy life of today's family and can be found at: www.TheBusyWoman,com