Imagine this: It’s a Friday night, and you want to cook, but your sink is full of three-day-old dishes and Tupperware from lunches this week—yuck! You know it would be better to keep on top of your dishes every day so the kitchen is clear whenever you want to use it, but how do you start a new habit like that? Instead of hoping you magically achieve perfect dish discipline overnight, use these techniques to build a solid habit.
This book explains the science behind habits, and why we do what we do. It’s a great resource for learning about what habits are, and how to build them.
What’s the best way to maintain a new habit? Whether you’re training for a marathon, want to keep better track of your finances, or want to start eating an apple a day, new habits need some maintenance, or they won’t stick. There are several ways to do this, including:
Use a habit tracker
There are many ways to track your new habit. You can make your own with a sheet of graph paper, or there are resources like this free printable habit tracker from Organize to Excel that you can download.
Of course there are also lots and lots of apps to choose from! Some are free like HabitShare, an app that lets you share your habits with friends, and some are paid like Streaks, which features reminders and statistics and comes in at $4.99.
When you think about organizing with teens, you may want to close the door and ignore everything. (Just kidding! But, really, give yourself a break.) But if you help them take ownership of their space by giving them storage options and create a compelling “why,” you’ll have a much easier time.
Create a compelling “why”
Remember being a kid? How annoying was it to have a chore mandated with no explanation? Instead of using “Because I said so,” work with your child to come up with a good reason (or reasons) why they should clean their room. Maybe they want to be able to find the Lego they want instead of hunting for it in a huge, messy pile. Maybe they want space in their room to swing a sword around, or to have a cozy reading nook.
Ask them! “What do you want to be able to do in your room that you can’t do when it’s messy?”
Getting their input and finding out their reason to organize will not only help motivate them to take responsibility for their space, but you might also learn about an interest you didn’t know they had!
Keeping up with your kid’s clothes and toys helps your house remain tidy. Here are a few tips I use when I organize with young kids.
They need support
My philosophy when it comes to organizing with young kids is “Help, but don’t do.” Organizing alongside your children instead of doing it for them helps them develop healthy habits. Give them the support they need, but don’t do everything for them. Kids often enjoy helping, and it’s a great thing to encourage in them.
It can seem chaotic to organize with kids, but using the acronym I CARE helps keep everyone on task!
Identify
To organize with kids, start with setting goals together. Everyone is unique and has their own ideas of what being “organized” means. Take the time to ask your kids questions and find out what they think! Do they want more space to play? Do they want to be able to see all the toys they love, instead of having to dig through a bin full of toys they like and toys they don’t? If your kids understand why they’re organizing, it will be easier to motivate them. Instead of organizing FOR kids, it’s important to organize WITH kids.
