|
(Get there cont...)
Prepare the night before. One of the most
valuable tools I taught my children was to
always put their bookbags and other school
items by the front door the night before.
This way we were never running around
frantically in the morning trying to collect
not only their book bags, but everything
that goes in them. We just casually
grabbed their bags as we walked out the
door.
Plan and pack your lunch the night
before. If you plan and pack your lunches
the night before you can just grab those as
well on your way out. The other big
reward of doing it this way is that it adds a
nice and relaxed time for the family to
"hang out" together and have fun preparing
the lunches together. As your children are
eating their lunch at school, they'll be
reminded of the time you spent together
preparing them.
Use only one calendar. If I were only
allowed to offer one time management tip,
this would rank high on the list. It is
imperative that you combine all of the
sports schedules, school schedules, social
schedules, daycare schedules, etc onto one
calendar. This way you can readily see well
in advance any scheduling conflicts that you
may have and you can address those
immediately AND it allows you to discard
that big pile of paper schedules that you
normally have to shuffle through.
Plan and lay outfits out the night before.
This also helps to cut the anxiety level down
in the morning for everyone! I know with
two daughters, we had several outfit
changes before they were happy each
evening. Imagine if all of that took place in
the morning!
Go through book bags the night before.
Set up a time each evening to go through
bookbags, review and sign everything and
then place them by the door. We usually
did this after dinner & washing dishes each
evening. Be sure to merge any new or
changed activities to your calendar
immediately.
If you have a few extra minutes, leave
early. One of the biggest mistakes people
make is they have a few minutes left before
they have to leave and so they decide to do
one more thing before they go. Avoid this
trap if at all possible. One more thing
NEVER gets done in those few minutes and
almost always results in you rushing out the
door late.
Sue Anderson is a natural at creating
systems that make processes flow smoothly
and efficiently and is passionate about
empowering busy people who are
overwhelmed by their chaotic homes or
offices to simplify and regain control through
organization.
www.simplifiedlivingsolutions.com
Prepare the night before. One of the most
valuable tools I taught my children was to
always put their bookbags and other school
items by the front door the night before.
This way we were never running around
frantically in the morning trying to collect
not only their book bags, but everything
that goes in them. We just casually
grabbed their bags as we walked out the
door.
Plan and pack your lunch the night
before. If you plan and pack your lunches
the night before you can just grab those as
well on your way out. The other big
reward of doing it this way is that it adds a
nice and relaxed time for the family to
"hang out" together and have fun preparing
the lunches together. As your children are
eating their lunch at school, they'll be
reminded of the time you spent together
preparing them.
Use only one calendar. If I were only
allowed to offer one time management tip,
this would rank high on the list. It is
imperative that you combine all of the
sports schedules, school schedules, social
schedules, daycare schedules, etc onto one
calendar. This way you can readily see well
in advance any scheduling conflicts that you
may have and you can address those
immediately AND it allows you to discard
that big pile of paper schedules that you
normally have to shuffle through.
Plan and lay outfits out the night before.
This also helps to cut the anxiety level down
in the morning for everyone! I know with
two daughters, we had several outfit
changes before they were happy each
evening. Imagine if all of that took place in
the morning!
Go through book bags the night before.
Set up a time each evening to go through
bookbags, review and sign everything and
then place them by the door. We usually
did this after dinner & washing dishes each
evening. Be sure to merge any new or
changed activities to your calendar
immediately.
If you have a few extra minutes, leave
early. One of the biggest mistakes people
make is they have a few minutes left before
they have to leave and so they decide to do
one more thing before they go. Avoid this
trap if at all possible. One more thing
NEVER gets done in those few minutes and
almost always results in you rushing out the
door late.
Sue Anderson is a natural at creating
systems that make processes flow smoothly
and efficiently and is passionate about
empowering busy people who are
overwhelmed by their chaotic homes or
offices to simplify and regain control through
organization.
www.simplifiedlivingsolutions.com
TIME FOR KIDS
Preparing children for the school day does
not have to be a daunting task. According to
Moschel Kadokura, inventor of On-Task On-
Time for Kids, organization skills work
wonders not only for adults—but for children
as well.
Kadokura’s organizing tool On-Task On-Time
for Kids is a visual timer that illustrates a child’
s routine by using colorful, time-allocated
task stickers.
These customized routines for children (ages
5 – 12) provide visual reminders and
eliminate the need for parental nagging.
Your child feels the confidence of completing
her routine on her own.
Danna Mann, parent of seven year old Lexi,
used On-Task On-Time for several months.
She comments, “On-Task has worked
wonders. …things are very calm, and she
really looks forward to using it. Her teacher
has even noticed a difference in her time
management skills at school.”
According to Kadokura, too often, parents
yell and nag at their children to get ready for
school. She asks parents, “How would you
feel starting your work day late, harassed,
and disorganized? Would you be able to
focus on your job if your spouse yelled at you
while dropping you off at your workplace?”
Kadokura adds, “Think of your child’s school
or daycare as her workplace; your goal is for
her to start off her work day feeling
empowered, confident, and ready to learn.”
Kadokura offers these tips to help your
child get organized and into a routine:
• Set up an age-appropriate routine to help
your child get ready for school.
• Provide tools, such as the On-Task On-Time
for Kids, so that your child doesn’t need to
be reminded or aided by a parent to
complete her routine.
• Turn off or remove all possible distractions.
• Encourage and reward success.
Preparing children for the school day does
not have to be a daunting task. According to
Moschel Kadokura, inventor of On-Task On-
Time for Kids, organization skills work
wonders not only for adults—but for children
as well.
Kadokura’s organizing tool On-Task On-Time
for Kids is a visual timer that illustrates a child’
s routine by using colorful, time-allocated
task stickers.
These customized routines for children (ages
5 – 12) provide visual reminders and
eliminate the need for parental nagging.
Your child feels the confidence of completing
her routine on her own.
Danna Mann, parent of seven year old Lexi,
used On-Task On-Time for several months.
She comments, “On-Task has worked
wonders. …things are very calm, and she
really looks forward to using it. Her teacher
has even noticed a difference in her time
management skills at school.”
According to Kadokura, too often, parents
yell and nag at their children to get ready for
school. She asks parents, “How would you
feel starting your work day late, harassed,
and disorganized? Would you be able to
focus on your job if your spouse yelled at you
while dropping you off at your workplace?”
Kadokura adds, “Think of your child’s school
or daycare as her workplace; your goal is for
her to start off her work day feeling
empowered, confident, and ready to learn.”
Kadokura offers these tips to help your
child get organized and into a routine:
• Set up an age-appropriate routine to help
your child get ready for school.
• Provide tools, such as the On-Task On-Time
for Kids, so that your child doesn’t need to
be reminded or aided by a parent to
complete her routine.
• Turn off or remove all possible distractions.
• Encourage and reward success.
Transitioning between seasons while keeping
your family organized and your home
uncluttered---can often be a chore!
Review these tips from Jodi Granok on how
to make a graceful transition between
seasons and keep your children and home
organized in the process.
your family organized and your home
uncluttered---can often be a chore!
Review these tips from Jodi Granok on how
to make a graceful transition between
seasons and keep your children and home
organized in the process.
TIS THE SEASON--TO GET ORGANIZED!
By Jodi Granok
Clothes:
Take stock of your existing closets—
especially for children since they tend to
grow from one season to the next.
Some clothing will need to be tried on, so
pick out a favorite CD to keep spirits up
and create a festive mood.
•Avoid the temptation to store outgrown
clothing.
•Give it away to someone who can make
good use of it right now.
•Donate clothes to a neighbor or to a
charity. Get an itemized receipt of what you
donate as well as its value and keep with
your tax paperwork.
Entryway/Mudroom:
The entryway is one of the most cluttered
parts of their home. Fortunately, entryways
and mudrooms are two of the easiest
spaces to organize and make a powerful
impact!
• Use vertical space to create a "launching
pad" next to the door where you hang
jackets, backpacks and other items used
frequently.
• Mount storage options, such as plastic
crates, baskets, or shelves and hooks, to
the wall. Be creative and create a system
that works for your family.
• For your children, the key goal is for
each child to have a designated space for
storing school supplies and outerwear near
the door.
This reduces some of the clutter in your
home, and provides a more organized way
for your child to leave for school each day.
Jodi Granok is the owner of Organizing
Magic, LLC--a professional organizing
company helping students and busy families
get organized. For more information, visit
her website: www.organizingmagic.com.
By Jodi Granok
Clothes:
Take stock of your existing closets—
especially for children since they tend to
grow from one season to the next.
Some clothing will need to be tried on, so
pick out a favorite CD to keep spirits up
and create a festive mood.
•Avoid the temptation to store outgrown
clothing.
•Give it away to someone who can make
good use of it right now.
•Donate clothes to a neighbor or to a
charity. Get an itemized receipt of what you
donate as well as its value and keep with
your tax paperwork.
Entryway/Mudroom:
The entryway is one of the most cluttered
parts of their home. Fortunately, entryways
and mudrooms are two of the easiest
spaces to organize and make a powerful
impact!
• Use vertical space to create a "launching
pad" next to the door where you hang
jackets, backpacks and other items used
frequently.
• Mount storage options, such as plastic
crates, baskets, or shelves and hooks, to
the wall. Be creative and create a system
that works for your family.
• For your children, the key goal is for
each child to have a designated space for
storing school supplies and outerwear near
the door.
This reduces some of the clutter in your
home, and provides a more organized way
for your child to leave for school each day.
Jodi Granok is the owner of Organizing
Magic, LLC--a professional organizing
company helping students and busy families
get organized. For more information, visit
her website: www.organizingmagic.com.
| Visit Our DIFLTV Blog |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
