There is so much that parents can do to help their kids learn some of the basic organizational skills. It is not uncommon to have your child showing signs of weak organizational skills, or even lacking awareness of things like time, especially for those who have ADHD. If this is the case, you need not become too critical of them or their speed of development. Occupational therapists advise that need as much support as we can accord them, to coach them and help them eventually become more successful in life.
Unbeknown to so many parents, there are actually lots of things that you can do to help your child with their organization skills. Most of these are things that you can do with them at home, and will eventually go a long way in helping them become better over time.
Household chores and responsibilities
It is wise to come up with a daily routine, complete with expectations for your child. This has to be defined clearly and communicated well with everyone in the family. Everyone needs to know what your child should do, and they too must understand this. Some of the simple things that you can do in this regard include working on their bedtime routine, doing homework, household chores or even getting ready for school.
In occupational therapy, it is important that you keep this schedule as closely as you can. For the responsibilities that you will be dishing around to your kid at home, make sure they are reasonable and appropriate for the development of your child. If possible, you should write them down in a place where your child and everyone else can see.
To make it even easier, you can consider using self-stick notes on mirrors or other visible places, which will act as a reminder for your child. In the event that you realize your child is struggling to stay on track with time, use a timer. There are so many kids who have actually benefitted from a timer system, motivating them to complete their task before the timer goes off.
Organize the workspace
As a parent, you need to work closely with your child’s teacher in the event that they are of school going age. Provide your child a backpack and a notebook or a binder according to the teacher’s requirements.
Ensure that you label the materials with your child’s name, and provide safe pins and a corkboard from where they can hang up all their important papers. In some cases, a dry-erase board in the kitchen or your child’s room will also come in handy for the messages and notes that you could share with one another.
Other things that you can do include providing your child color-coded folders for them to store their papers systematically. Make sure you provide some trays or bins at strategic points to store materials and help them get rid of unnecessary clutter from their desktop. Give them a desk calendar to help them stay up to date with things like the important dates and events that they need to remember.
More often, occupational therapists note that it is the things you do together with your child that will eventually help them make the progress you both desire, especially if they have ADHD. You and your therapist can work with your child to achieve so much. Work with them in choosing the appropriate lighting for their room. Make sure you consult them in designing the comfort in their workspace and ensure there are no distractions in their workspace
It is important that you carefully examine the workplace, and make sure it is large enough and free from clutter. If you have a computer for your child, do not place it on a desk. This will considerably cut down their working surface space. Consider having this set on a different table or desk, as this also makes them stay active since they have to walk from one place to the other.
You need to help your child in cleaning and organizing their wares around the room. You do not always have to do it all, but you can help them get started. Monitor what they do, show them where they are making a mistake and show them the right thing to do. One of the biggest challenges that most working or career parents have is their inability to find time to spend with their kids. These are some important milestones in the life of your kid that you should not take for granted.
With respect to pediatrics, parental assistance will often go a long way. More so, this is because kids easily respond better to new things in life when they do them with someone who is familiar to them. Occupational therapists advise that should not just be the person who provides the necessary tools and equipment for your child to learn with, you should also be there in person.
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