The ABCs of Organization - Página 2

Routines Impact Behavior

In general, managing the flow of children's needs is challenging. Organized routines instill a sense of rhythm and sequencing which positively impacts behavior. Strategies include:

• Drawing the Line

  Limit the choices of activities your child is involved in so there is ample downtime, physical exercise and transition time. This is especially important for children with voluminous homework or for children who over-extend and cannot self-modulate.

• Decreasing Tension

  Take your child's temperament and traits into account when you want to encourage appropriate behavior and responses. For example, does your child need to learn to downshift when over-stimulated or changing activities? Consider your style and compare it to your child's. What might be done differently to support your child's temperament which in turn balances behavior?

• Creating Visual Cues

  Posters for morning, after-school and evening routines, and household responsibilities are simple and effective tools. They can be represented with words and corresponding symbols for children too young to read or who have difficulty with language. Give your child control by allowing him to determine the order of the schedule, decorating the poster and helping to find the best placement for it. When making the poster, have a list prepared of everything that needs to be done so nothing is missed and tasks are agreed upon. When your child forgets, or is out of sync, refer to the poster. This visual aide diffuses tension and minimizes arguing while promoting accountability. Update posters to reflect your child's new routines and responsibilities.

• Modeling

  Consider making one for yourself as an example for your children!

Rewards and Consequences

Better organization makes for better behavior and minimizes stress throughout your household.

• Rewards

  First, offer your child both tangible and intangible rewards for responding to change and establishing good habits. Tangible rewards include picking a movie, choosing what's for dinner, or earning points towards a special gift. In conjunction, praise your child at the moment good behavior occurs, such as when he puts his belongings in the right place. Eventually you will be able to lessen the tangible rewards in exchange for solely intangible compliments and praise. The outcome is the inherent good feeling that comes from developing self-discipline and internalized organization.

• Consequences

  The consequence for not following through on an expectation needs to be logical, consistent, timely and directly related to not performing the expected behavior. The idea that "this needs to be done before such-and-such can happen" is a logical consequence directly related to the remaining task at hand. For example, homework must be completed before playing games on the computer. Teaching that life has natural consequences is ultimately more effective that being punitive.

Changing and adapting to new ways is difficult and may cause challenges. Like any learned behavior, organizational skills can be nurtured and enhanced with practice. Parental modeling and establishing home organization increases your family's and child's likelihood of attaining success.