School may be out, but teaching isn’t over!  Unfortunately, there is no “Organizing 101” class so it’s up to parents to give their kids the tools to be more organized. From my Breakfast Television Vancouver visit, here are some skills and tips I think kids need for success.

Time Management Skills

• Encourage your child to use a personal calendar or agenda. Depending on their age, support them in writing their own agenda entries. They will learn how to manage their time and practice their writing at the same time. There are a variety of great products, from school agendas to dry erase boards, that can help entice kids.
• Ensure personal activities coordinate with the family calendar or “master plan.” Make this an opportunity for family time and meet weekly, say over Sunday breakfast, to ensure the family calendar has everyone’s activity noted.

Writing and Preparation Skills

• Introduce checklists to help kids with their general routine or prepare for events. For example, “3 Things to do Before Bed” or “What to Take on Vacation.” They can make their list on paper or even use cool things like wall stickers. Checking off a list is great for that sense of accomplishment!

General Organizing Skills

• Contain with containers! Make sure your child knows everything needs a home – and they make it a habit of placing everything back in their home. Items like clear shoe boxes are great for sorting and cataloging so they can find things quickly and avoid clutter.
• Cord management. With so many electronics, all the cords can get tangled up, mixed up with other family member’s cables or get lost. With fun coloured tapes, consider colour-coding each piece for personal identification. Other options include wall outlet organizer products or even re-purposing your child’s favourite action figure toys for cord management. These cool Lego figures are perfect for holding the cord of a charging cable.

Summer is a great time to instill good habits and keep kids organized!

A big thank-you to Bed, Bath & Beyond Canada (1740 West Broadway location) for the amazing organizational products I demonstrated on the Breakfast TV spot.