Sometimes parents will take me aside and ask me “Can you do something with my child’s room?”

At other times, parents will ask me when I think that their child can start being responsible for their own belongings.

The answer to the first is yes. Yes, I can do something with your child’s room but it requires that you, I and the child work together. I can teach new ways of looking at things and teach your child that organizing means less stress in the household rather than the more nagging they might imagine.

When can you begin to teach your child to be organized?

Today. Right now. This minute.

A toddler can and should drop their dirty clothes in the hamper. They should help put their toys in the basket or the books on a shelf. Each time you work with them, they learn that everything has a home and that you have an expectation that things need to be returned to their home.

To be honest, it is no secret that teaching a toddler to be organized is easier than teaching an older child. There aren’t any bad habits to unbreak. But, with an older child, the rewards are greater. They can enjoy their room more, be fussed at less, learn skills that last a lifetime, have better grades as they learn to manage their papers and time better and they will find they have more time to do what they really want to do.

The key is to work with them. Create a new room plan together. Work together to get it set up. Make it fun. Put on some music. Take some chocolate chip cookie breaks.  Make organizing fun.

Summer is a great time to do this. Who has time during the school year, even though that is the time you most need organization!