Help My Kids Get Organized and Stay Organized

Help My Kids Get
Organized and Stay
Organized
Getting Help for Stressed Kids
and Families
Compiled by:
Table of Contents
Help My Child Get Organized
Give My Teens Tips on Organization
Create a Dedicated Homework Center
Help My Kid Choose the Right Organization Tools
Help My Teen Manage Time
Real Life Story: Organization 101
When Is Disorganization a Sign of Something Serious?
How Disorganized Is My Kid?
Is My Child Chronically Disorganized?
Help My Kids Get Organized and Stay Organized
Getting Help for Stressed Kids and Families
Do I need this EduGuide?
Yes, if your kids forget to turn in key assignments, lose their cell phones, or space out about important deadlines. Read on for practical
2 tips to reduce your teenagers’ stress (and yours) and help ensure their high school success.
ONLINE EDUGUIDE www.EduGuide.org
Help My Kids Get Organized and Stay Organized
Getting Help for Stressed Kids and Families
Do I need this EduGuide?
Yes, if your kids forget to turn in key assignments, lose their cell phones, or space out about important deadlines. Read on for practical
tips to reduce your teenagers’ stress (and yours) and help ensure their high school success.
How does it work?
l Quizzes help you know where you stand.
l Articles give you the background information you need to make a decision.
l Real Life Stories tell the experiences of real parents and real kids.
l ShortCuts help you take immediate action. Choose one or go through them all.
What will I learn?
l Whether your child may have a bigger problem than simple disorganization
l Why neatness counts
l How small changes in behavior can reduce major chaos
Quick Solutions
l What can I do in fifteen minutes? Take the quiz “How Disorganized Is My Child?”
l What can I do in an hour? Read the “Help My Teen Manage Time” ShortCut for righthererightnow ways to get your teen on
track.
l What can I do in a month? Figure out where your child needs help—organization, scheduling, study time—and walk him
through solutions. Reduce your handson involvement a little each day so by the end of the month, he’s staying afloat solo.
If you and your child are stressing over how to juggle student homework, chores, clubs, and friends, you need to teach some simple
organizational and time management tips. Experts who study time management and organization recommend these steps:
Schedule your child’s life. Put a day planner at the top of the school supply list, and then show your child how to use it. First, write
down essential tasks, such as classes and soccer practice. Then add in the other activities for each day.
3 Set realistic timelines for assignments. Talk your child through the process of scheduling time for getting work done. Here’s an
example of what you might say: “Suppose you have a science lab report due in a week. You figure you’ll need about three hours to

If you and your child are stressing over how to juggle student homework, chores, clubs, and friends, you need to teach some simple
organizational and time management tips. Experts who study time management and organization recommend these steps:
Schedule your child’s life. Put a day planner at the top of the school supply list, and then show your child how to use it. First, write
down essential tasks, such as classes and soccer practice. Then add in the other activities for each day.
Set realistic timelines for assignments. Talk your child through the process of scheduling time for getting work done. Here’s an
example of what you might say: “Suppose you have a science lab report due in a week. You figure you’ll need about three hours to
complete the assignment. How many nights will you have to work on it? Remember, you'll probably have other homework and
assignments, too. If you can give the assignment a full two hours of attention one night, you'll have it done in two nights. But if you're
also working on an essay for English, the timeline for your lab report might have to change.” After a few weeks of going through the
process together, begin to let your child take control of setting timelines for homework assignments.
Set priorities. Life is all about making choices. Your child might want to watch TV, but a science lab report is due tomorrow. What
takes priority: watching TV or writing the lab report? A good student recognizes that homework comes first and prioritizes time to
complete multiple assignments.

Teach your child to prioritize by asking the following questions:
1. Which assignment will take the most time?
2. Which assignment will take the least time?
3. Should I finish one assignment before I start the next, or should I do parts of each assignment every day until I finish all of
them?
Break big tasks into smaller subtasks and schedule each subtask. Break down big projects into smaller pieces. It's easier to
schedule smaller activities, especially when there are only two hours a day to work on several assignments. For example, your child
might break down the steps in completing a science lab report like this. Help your child talk through this process for a few
assignments until he or she is comfortable doing it independently.
1. Review assignment expectations, evaluation rubric, my observations, and data from the lab (ten minutes)
2. Draft conclusions based on data (one hour)
3. Write the purpose, hypothesis statement, materials following proper scientific format (forty minutes)
4. Create data tables and graphs (thirty minutes)
5. Put it all together (thirty minutes)
6. Read over the report to catch errors, review conclusions, etc. (ten minutes).
Give your child the tools to succeed. Get a desk for your middle schooler’s room. A desk represents a tangible family commitment to
schoolwork and provides an excellent place for storage, too. Stock your home library with a dictionary, thesaurus, and possibly an
atlas. A good dictionary is worth the substantial price tag for hard cover, and thesauruses are available in paperback. Finally, buy a file
box or accordion folders so your child will have a place to store papers. A simple, accessible filing system will help him or her find
previous notes, tests, and reports quickly and easily.
Reward your child. If you see that your middle schooler is succeeding at sticking to the study schedule, give him or her a treat. It could
be shooting hoops for an hour, eating popcorn, surfing the Internet for fun, or playing a video game.

4 ONLINE EDUGUIDE www.EduGuide.org

Reward your child. If you see that your middle schooler is succeeding at sticking to the study schedule, give him or her a treat. It could
be shooting hoops for an hour, eating popcorn, surfing the Internet for fun, or playing a video game.

Give My Teens Tips on Organization
Model Organization for Best Results
If your teens are stressing over how to juggle student homework, chores, clubs, and friends, you can help be their organizational and
timemanagement coach. If you tread softly, they might even appreciate these organization tips!
First, model organization in your home. Create a family communication center that everyone will see every day to keep the whole
family aware of key deadlines, special events, and work schedules. Hang a wall calendar and a dryerase whiteboard in a central
location like the kitchen. Add a quick notetaking system (a pad of sticky notes works best) so family members can leave notes for
each other.
Schedule life. Once your teens have chosen the type of planner they want to use, have them show you how it works. This way you can
be sure they are including essential tasks, such as classes and soccer practice, daily commitments (such as after school jobs), and
major family events (such as trips or holidays). Make sure they have timelines listed for big projects.
Break big tasks into smaller subtasks and schedule each subtask. If your teen is struggling, help him or her talk through this
process for a few key assignments. For example, here are the steps for a lab report in biology:
1. Review assignment expectations, evaluation rubric, my observations, and data from the lab (ten minutes)
2. Draft conclusions based on data (one hour)
3. Write the purpose, hypothesis statement, materials following proper scientific format (forty minutes)
4. Create data tables and graphs (thirty minutes)
5. Put it all together (thirty minutes)
6. Read over the report to catch errors, review conclusions, etc. (ten minutes).
Review timelines. Check to make sure that the timelines your teens have created for big projects sound realistic to you. If they don’t,
ask your teens to talk through their thought process: “I see you’ve scheduled six hours to complete your science lab report next week.
How many nights will you have to work on it? Remember, you promised to take your sister to play practice Wednesday.” After going
through the process a couple times together, you can back off and let your teen take over.
Set priorities. Help your teen learn to prioritize by asking the following questions:
l Which assignment/task will take the most time? Which will take the least time?
l Can I finish one assignment before I start the next, or should I do parts of each assignment every day until I finish all of them?
Sources: www.getbuttonedup.com, www.drugfree.org/teenbrain

Teens Improve Grades When They Are Organized at Home
Parents and kids can work together to improve middle and high school study skills by creating an organized homework center. Here’s
Sources: www.getbuttonedup.com, www.drugfree.org/teenbrain

Teens Improve Grades When They Are Organized at Home
Parents and kids can work together to improve middle and high school study skills by creating an organized homework center. Here’s
how:
l Start by designating one place in the house for homework. Make sure there’s enough room to keep all teenagers’ books, key
assignments, and work tools together and accessible. If possible, provide a dedicated work surface that doesn’t need to be
cleared off every day.
l Let your kids decorate the area with photos or other personal items—make it a pleasant place they’ll want to work in.
l Choose a relatively quiet area, away from the TV and busier rooms. The kitchen is a good option if parents need to deliver
handson study time management or monitor computer use.
l Fill a drawer or small storage box with pencils, pens, highlighters, scissors, a ruler, a calculator—all the supplies kids might
need as they tackle homework. Make sure there’s an outlet and good lighting (both overhead lighting and a desk lamp).
l Create a filing system for the homework area. This could be as simple as a milk crate with hanging folders. Label one folder
for each class, and help your kid get into the habit of emptying each day’s takehome materials into the appropriate file.
l Encourage your kids to drop their backpacks in the homework zone as soon as they come home from school, pulling out key
assignments and thinking about the time they’ll need to complete each one. Even if they need to dash off to work or practice—
or just want a few minutes to unwind—this headstart will help them get right to work when it’s time to buckle down.
Reduce Teens' Risk of Missing Key Assignments and Deadlines
Time management for students doesn’t have to be hightech. Some of the most organized people rely on sticky notes and dollarstore
pocket calendars. If a Blackberry isn’t in the budget, help your teen try these tips:
1. Get it in writing. If your school hasn’t provided one, your kid can buy a lowtech paper planner at a discount store. Choose one
that has enough space to record both weekly key assignments and activities and monthataglance pages to help kids keep
track of longrange deadlines.
2. Free planning programs online. Google Calendar, for example, can be synced to a cell phone, sends event reminders, has an
offline access feature, and allows family members to look at each other’s schedules.
3. Use a multisubject binder for all classes. This prevents loose papers from getting crumpled at the bottom of backpacks and
eliminates the frantic “where did I put it?” searches.
4. Show your child how you stay on track. If you have a planner or system that works for you, sit down with your kids and show
them how to use it. Brainstorm together about which pieces they might borrow for their own scheduling system.
5. Check out your kids’ planners from time to time. It helps you keep track of what’s coming up—you might not want to schedule
an outoftown trip the weekend before the science fair project is due—and it lets you monitor how well your kids’ system is
working for them. Consider adding a few of your kids’ major deadlines to your planner or your calendar, if they need extra help
keeping track. And having extra pens or pads of paper in your car if you drive your kid to school can occasionally save a
disorganized morning from turning into a disorganized day.
or just want a few minutes to unwind—this headstart will help them get right to work when it’s time to buckle down.
Reduce Teens' Risk of Missing Key Assignments and Deadlines
Time management for students doesn’t have to be hightech. Some of the most organized people rely on sticky notes and dollarstore
pocket calendars. If a Blackberry isn’t in the budget, help your teen try these tips:
1. Get it in writing. If your school hasn’t provided one, your kid can buy a lowtech paper planner at a discount store. Choose one
that has enough space to record both weekly key assignments and activities and monthataglance pages to help kids keep
track of longrange deadlines.
2. Free planning programs online. Google Calendar, for example, can be synced to a cell phone, sends event reminders, has an
offline access feature, and allows family members to look at each other’s schedules.
3. Use a multisubject binder for all classes. This prevents loose papers from getting crumpled at the bottom of backpacks and
eliminates the frantic “where did I put it?” searches.
4. Show your child how you stay on track. If you have a planner or system that works for you, sit down with your kids and show
them how to use it. Brainstorm together about which pieces they might borrow for their own scheduling system.
5. Check out your kids’ planners from time to time. It helps you keep track of what’s coming up—you might not want to schedule
an outoftown trip the weekend before the science fair project is due—and it lets you monitor how well your kids’ system is
working for them. Consider adding a few of your kids’ major deadlines to your planner or your calendar, if they need extra help
keeping track. And having extra pens or pads of paper in your car if you drive your kid to school can occasionally save a
disorganized morning from turning into a disorganized day.
Source: Samantha Moss, author of Where’s My Stuff: The Ultimate Teen Organizing Guide

Time Management for Students
“The bad news is time flies; the good news is that you’re the pilot.” –M. Altshuler
The following twelve tips will help teens meet school deadlines and manage their time more efficiently. You may find that these tips
help you be a more organized parent, as well!
1. Get a calendar.
l Pick one and use it. Don’t keep information on multiple calendars.
l Choose electronic or paper, wall size, desk size, or palm size. Make sure it has enough room to record all the information you
need. You don’t want to struggle to remember what abbreviations (BioOL4Eng*) or icons mean later on.
7 2. Record everything.
Include both nonschool and school deadlines.
Source: Samantha Moss, author of Where’s My Stuff: The Ultimate Teen Organizing Guide

Time Management for Students
“The bad news is time flies; the good news is that you’re the pilot.” –M. Altshuler
The following twelve tips will help teens meet school deadlines and manage their time more efficiently. You may find that these tips
help you be a more organized parent, as well!
1. Get a calendar.
l Pick one and use it. Don’t keep information on multiple calendars.
l Choose electronic or paper, wall size, desk size, or palm size. Make sure it has enough room to record all the information you
need. You don’t want to struggle to remember what abbreviations (BioOL4Eng*) or icons mean later on.
2. Record everything.
l Include both nonschool and school deadlines.
l Write deadlines down as soon as you find out about them.
l For big projects, note the beginning and end dates.
l If a deadline falls at the beginning of a month, be sure to make a note to yourself at the end of the previous month.
3. Commit deadlines to memory.
l Mentally associate deadlines with dates or events you are likely to remember, such as holidays, birthdays, or other deadlines
(your chemistry test is same day as your best friend’s birthday; your summer band camp application is due two days after your
history paper is due).
l Color code your calendar to help you review dates at a glance (for example, blue for English assignments, red for math, green
for sports deadlines).
4. Review your weekly and month deadlines regularly.
l Before you go to bed at night, create a todo list for the following day. Don’t wait until the next morning. Wake up knowing what
you have to do. Tip: for the first task on your list, assign yourself something simple to jumpstart your work (something you can
do in ten minutes or less).
5. Create a project timeline.
l For major projects, divide the work into steps. Set realistic deadlines for each step. To do this, take the final deadline and then
work backwards. Be sure to include the major milestones on your calendar. Here is an example.
¡ February 28: Biography due in American History. (final deadline)
¡ February 26: Ask mom to proofread. (one day)
¡ February 24: Begin typing paper. (two days)
¡ February 22: Begin final draft. (two days)
¡ February 19: Begin first draft. (three days)
¡ February 17: Review notes from interview; ask Grandpa and Grandma any last minute questions; fact check online.
(two days)
¡ February 16: Interview Grandpa and Grandma. (one day)
¡ February 14: Choose topic for biography paper. (two days)
6. Use spare time.
l If you know you’re going to be waiting somewhere (for your mom to pick you up after practice or to renew your driver's license),
(two days)
¡ February 16: Interview Grandpa and Grandma. (one day)
¡ February 14: Choose topic for biography paper. (two days)
6. Use spare time.
l If you know you’re going to be waiting somewhere (for your mom to pick you up after practice or to renew your driver's license),
take work with you. Don’t forget any tools you might need, such as a calculator, your calendar, a pen, etc. You’d be surprised
how quickly you can read an assignment, review class notes, and knock off a couple items on your todo list.
7. Study smart.
l Do you work better in the morning, in the afternoon, or at night? Adjust your schedule so that you do your most challenging work
when you are most efficient and alert.
8. Learn to say no.
l If you’ve got a final exam coming up, ask your boss for the night off. Tell your best friend that the trip to the mall will have to wait
for a few days.
9. Get enough sleep.
l Did you know that teens need about nine hours of sleep a night to function best? You’ll have a happier day and get through
your todo list quicker if you’re alert—and awake.
10. Face reality.
l If it’s clear that you aren’t going to make a deadline, let your teachers, employers, and others know beforehand. You are more
likely to get a break if you admit to a problem before the deadline rather than after.
l Be prepared to give an alternative deadline and then meet that one—no matter what.
11. Give yourself a break.
l It’s great to be ambitious, but you can’t reach every goal every day. Accept that you’re human and do better next time.
12. Reward yourself for a job well done.
l Whatever that treat is—calling a friend, making a pizza, going for a run, or taking a nap—you’ve earned it.
*biography outline for English

Sources:
www.timemanagementforstudents.net
www.timemanagementforstudents.net/timemanagementskillsforstudents.html
www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/collegesuccess/116.html

Real Life Story: Organization 101
College Students Give Teens Advice, Studying Tips
EduGuide Staff
EduGuide asked three successful college students to give teens advice on managing their study schedules, classes, activities, and
time with friends. Here are some of their suggestions.
Sarah Kawaguchi, a senior at McGill University in Montreal, juggles an intense premed program with volunteering and hanging out
with friends. "If I were to give a firstyear student only two pieces of advice regarding staying organized in university, they would be the
following: plan ahead and write things down,” she says.
Sarah recommends leaving more than enough time to prepare for a midterm, write a paper, or complete an assignment. That way
unexpected complications won’t mean you have to sacrifice things you want or need to do in order to finish everything.
She explains how she structures her time. “If I have a philosophy paper due the same day as a biology midterm, I will always write the
paper first and study biology second so that the midterm material is fresh in my mind. Starting a paper a month early may seem
strange, but ultimately planning ahead allows me to be less pressed for time and more flexible in terms of participating in
extracurricular activities and spending time with friends.”
Sarah recommends keeping a planner to track details and get a global picture of assignments, exams, meetings, and other
commitments. “Writing things down has been particularly important to me. One of the biggest changes from high school for most first
year students is having final exams worth sixty, seventy, sometimes even one hundred percent of the final course mark, while the most
they were ever worth in high school was fifteen or thirty percent of the grade,” Sarah explains. “Understanding exactly how much time I
will have to study for each final exam allows me to start early and not have to cram everything in at the last minute.”
Cassie Robertson, a junior at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, explains that organization is a big challenge for college students.
Their schedules have much less structure than in high school, and no one tells students where or when to study. Time management
becomes critical. “The best way to manage time and get organized is to make a schedule,” she says. “Living in a dorm means that
there are always people around to talk to and hang out with, and if you don’t budget your time, you won’t end up getting your work
done.”
One of Cassie’s strategies is working in the library rather than her dorm room. “If I do my work in the library, I avoid the possibility of
getting sidetracked by socializing,” she explains.
Katherine Chasmar, a thirdyear student at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, has these four main strategies for staying
organized and getting all her schoolwork done.
l Plan ahead. When you get course outlines at the beginning of the year, get out your calendar and mark down dates of exams
and due dates of papers.
l Make lists. Each week, note assignments and readings to be completed. Next to each task, put the estimated number of hours
required to complete it and the date you need to have it done. Then prioritize tasks in order of importance.
l Avoid clutter and distractions. A clean workspace improves concentration and productivity.
l Develop a schedule. Try to get in the habit of studying, going to bed, exercising, and enjoying personal activities at particular
times.

times.
When Is Disorganization a Sign of Something Serious?
Getting Help for Your Teen When There's a Problem
EduGuide Staff
We all go through times in life when we become disorganized. Things naturally get chaotic during an illness, a major work project, or a
household move. For teens, clutter might pile up during playoff week or right before key assignments are due. Professional organizers
call that being situationally disorganized. This means disorganization is a very understandable and normal side effect of a life
occurrence.
What makes chronic disorganization different is when order is not quickly and easily restored after these life events pass—and the
chaos even continues to worsen over time. At a certain point, daily life becomes overwhelmingly stressful and help is needed to
recover. If they don’t get help, teens risk compromising their high school success. If your teen’s quality of life is suffering, if she feels
stressed and overwhelmed much of the time, and if she doesn’t feel like she can fix it herself, she may be chronically disorganized.
According to the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization—which is made up of psychologists, educators, and professionals
who work with people suffering from longterm, severe clutter and disorganization—chronic disorganization is defined as:
l A history of disorganization in which efforts to get organized have not been maintained.
l An ongoing undermining of your quality of life due to disorganization.
l An expectation that you will continue to be disorganized.
The term chronically disorganized is not a diagnosis or an illness. It simply means this person needs help. All kinds of people are
chronically disorganized. They often:
l Are highly intelligent and creative.
l Have a wide range of interests.
l Have a strong emotional attachments to things.
l Need another person to keep them focused and interested.
l Easily lose track of time.
l Focus and engage so intensely that they forget to eat or tend to daily life maintenance.
l Have difficulty focusing on things they don’t find fascinating.
l Get easily stressed and frustrated when things don’t come easily or they can’t do something perfectly.
l Have a global thinking style—tend to see everything at once.
l Have difficulty making decisions because they can think of so many possibilities.
It should be noted that chronic disorganization is also commonly associated with bigger issues, including autism spectrum disorders
and ADD.
Chronic disorganization does not to be a life sentence for chronic pain. Even though the tendency to become disorganized will always
be there, many chronically disorganized people can learn to work with and compensate for their natural tendencies. They can learn
organizing skills and habits for maintaining simple systems that dramatically improve their lives. Parents, you can help.
Source: Ariane Benefit, M.S.Ed, organizing coach, is the founder of the Getting Unstuck Organizing Coaching and Clutter Support Group, which helps
people overcome chronic disorganization and manage ADD and ADDlike symptoms. She is also a blogger and author of the home office organizing book
Neat & Simple Guide to Organizing Your Office.


people overcome chronic disorganization and manage ADD and ADDlike symptoms. She is also a blogger and author of the home office organizing book
Neat & Simple Guide to Organizing Your Office.

Due to the dynamic nature of our quizzes, they are only available on the web. Follow the addresses below to take a quiz on our
website.
How Disorganized Is My Kid?
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