Organizational skills are in large part a result of the habits you form every day, and it’s crucial to instill a healthy routine into children at an early age. Attention to detail is important when it comes to organizing, and that falls under the larger umbrella of occupational therapy.
With school coming back around in September, you’ll want to make sure your child is ready for it by having the tools they need to stay organized and succeed.
Develop Routines
A child with daily routines is more likely to want to stick to them. Do this as much as possible for every part of their day. Every morning before school, pack their backpack and their lunch, put homework into labeled folders, and have them eat breakfast. Do everything in the same order, and do the same when they come home from school. Once you establish a routine, your child will tend to be more regimented during the school day when you’re not with them.
Separate Items In Backpacks
Backpacks don’t have to be in complete disarray. Find an organizing solution like pouches that fit things like an iPad, folders, or writing supplies and keep them all separate in your child’s backpack. Make a point out of putting the same items in the same pouches every day, and your child will be less distracted by rummaging around in their backpack for a certain item during school hours.
Label Everything
Labeling everything you can solves two problems at once. It helps your child remember where certain things go, and it helps them work on their speech and language skills as well! Children are more inclined to stay organized when they know all of their belongings have a certain spot already chosen for them instead of leaving it up to them to figure out where everything goes.
Use Desk Organizers
We’ve all been there as children ourselves. Under-desk storage looks great the first week of the school year, and it slowly devolves into an unorganized pile of chaos. Don’t let that happen to your child by sending them to school on day 1 with a desk organizer. When everything has a section it fits into, they don’t have a choice but to keep it organized!
Succeeding at organizing leads to succeeding in school. Get in touch with Allcare Therapy’s licensed occupational therapists for more great organizational ideas!