Keeping Their Room Uncluttered 

Use a clear over the door shoe holder. Ours has 24 pouches for shoes.  Hang it over the closet door and use it to keep all the odds and ends that usually end up on the floor.  It is great for pens, pencils, pencil sharpener, small papers, stapler, art supplies, dolls, doll clothes etc.

Having a clear holder allows the child to see what is inside yet keeps the clutter off the floor.  Clean up becomes a snap.

Hang Up

As an adult, I do enjoy your site and have used some of your ideas, suggestions and tips in my own life. 

Something that has helped me is hanging as much as possible. If I have a shirt or sweater folded in a drawer, I'll seldom remember it's there. Especially first thing in the morning.

Al Heisley

This One Is For Older Boys

Using a wallet can be difficult for boys with ADHD as they tend to lose and forget the wallet just about every day.  An inexpensive wallet (we bought one at Walmart for $6.00) with a band attached.  The band can be attached around a belt so that the wallet is always attached to your child.  No more lost or missing wallets. 

New Year's Resolution

Sit down with your child and find one way in which he or she can improve over the coming year.  Let them know that they do not need to suddenly become "organized" but can work on one small change at a time.  For example, they can work on having all school stuff together and ready at the door the night before, or remembering to double check for papers before going to bed.  By letting your child work on one item at a time, they will be able to improve slowly and steadily.  Working on improvement of "organization skills" may be to broad and vague of a concept.  This may cause your child to become overwhelmed and accept failure. Breaking "organization" down into small steps might accomplish the goal.

Keeping Your Computer Safe

Normally, I do not use this area to recommend products or services that cost you money, however, lately I have been receiving a great deal of mail from parents with children that are ages 10 and up.  For these parents, it is time to start (if you haven't already) preparing your computer from those curious and hormone driven minds. 

Believe me when I tell you we have tried literally every internet filter available and well, our son has managed to break each one. Some have taken longer than others, but eventually he broke them and explored areas I would prefer not to discuss.

But now we have found a new one, and he has not broken it for 6 months. This is a record and it is a testimonial to the firm that runs the program. 

For those that may have a similar situation, please check out Family Click.  It costs $4.95 per month and is well worth it. (You do receive a 30 day free trial)

http://www.familyclick.com/welcome.cfm

Helping Children To Help  

Getting children to help keep the house straightened up can be a full time job in itself.  To cut down on the time you spend keeping track of their progress, make it simple for them. 

Use a laundry basket and have one child carry the basket, starting in one room.  Every thing in that room that belongs somewhere else in the house, should be placed in the laundry basket.  (You might want to check around the house first for breakables like cups etc) 

Your child can then move to the next room, take out what belongs there from the basket and gather anything that belongs elsewhere into the basket.  As he (or she) moves around the house, depositing items into rooms, another child can be following behind and placing the items in the correct place in the room.

Morning DJ

For everyone that has a hard time getting their child up and ready for school in the morning, try this.  We wrote up a schedule of what tasks should be completed at what time.  Then my son made a tape for himself.  He started 15 minutes before he was to wake up, telling himself through the tape how much longer he had, and playing music the rest of the time.  He walked himself through all of the tasks on the tape,  getting dressed, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, taking his medicine.  Each segment of the tape told him what he should be doing, what time it was and then played music. He would remind himself when it was time to move on to the next task.  Finally, a way for him to get ready without nagging from me. He actually told himself through the preplanned tape.

Do you ever sign papers for school, give them to your child to have them put them in their school bag, only to find it laying on the floor later, or even days later?

I purchased bins from an office supply store. They are the horizontal letter size bins that can be stacked one on top of the other.  I bought enough so that there is one slot for each member of the family.  If I have school papers to sign, report cards, or something that needs to go to school with a particular child, I place it in their slot and the next morning, before they go off to school, we make sure each slot is empty.   

I also have one for my husband, so if something comes in the mail I think he should see or if it is for him, it goes directly into his slot.    

 

Email us and let us know of any tips that you may have.  Any ideas that are published, you will receive full credit as long as you supply us with a contact name and email address.