How to Get Tidy Tots and Tidy Teens
Tips for Cultivating Your Child’s Tidy Mindset
Good news, Parents: Tidying and organizing is a skill that can be learned! And just like any beneficial habit, the earlier the kids start practicing, the easier it will be.
By their nature, young children like to be very helpful. We’ve all seen the photos of tots vacuuming, wanting to put away dishes, and in general, copying us in our “adult” tasks. So, introducing youngsters to a tidy mindset can be a natural extension of their already curious nature — and even, dare I say it…fun! :)
Books
Stories are a fun and easy way to introduce the concepts of organization, donating, and the tidy mindset. Below are essential starters:
Kiki & Jax: The Life-Changing Magic of Friendship by Marie Kondo and Salina Yoon
The Berenstain Bears: Think of Those in Need by Stan & Jan Berenstain
A Little SPOT of Organization by Diane Alber
The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story by Marie Kondo (Mangas are comics/graphic novels)
Clothes
Involve your child using these elements:
Start young children with the task of sorting the clean clothes by family member and category.
Define time where you can fold laundry together (making it a family practice) or make dedicated time on your teen’s calendar for taking care of it.
Get a folding board, like this one here, that will help your child produce uniformly folded clothes (can we say miracle?!).
Designate a wall hook or bin for the “not-quite-dirty-not-quite-clean-will-wear-again” clothes.
Include getting dirty clothes into the hamper (off the floor) and hanging up or putting away clean clothes as part of the bedtime routine.
Label drawers to easily remember where specific clothes should go (use pictures if they can’t read yet).
For older kids, asking them which clothes they prefer (i.e. do you like to wear pants or shorts more?) and having them provide in-put on which drawers or closet area they prefer to use helps engage them in the process, and gets them excited about having their most-worn favorite clothes in the best, accessible space.
Toys
Set physical boundary limitations for storage and have child select their favorites. For example, deciding that only favorite lego pieces should be able to fit into 1 large tub.
Make sure every toy has its designated home.
For birthdays & holidays, consider making a “please-no-physical-gifts” request to family and friends, and instead ask for gifting experiences and/or cash towards 1 large gift of child’s choice (i.e. “Bobby is saving up for a new bicycle, will you help him reach his goal?”).
Pack away toys that you notice your child no longer plays with. If they do not specifically ask for it in 1-3 months, let it go.
Paper
Separate sentimental papers (keepsakes) from in-use papers (i.e. current schoolwork).
Setup a filing system, where papers can be stored vertically and folders can be labeled.
Digitize the artwork and sentimental items, and only keep the absolute favorites:
Take a photo of your child holding the piece of artwork, then let go of the original
Make a digital album with: ARTKIVE, Keepy or ClassKeeper, then let go of the original
Dream List of Favorites & Loves
Meaningful conversation comes from understanding why we love or don’t love our stuff. You can learn a lot about what your child values and loves, when viewed through the lens of the stuff that’s important to them.
Children are very honest about if something sparks joy or not. Within reason, be willing to allow them to discard something, even if you have a secret attachment to it or feel guilty about discarding it (let’s break that cycle of gift guilt!).
To get them excited about the tidying process, ask them to make a list of all their favorite things and activities. Have them brainstorm about what they’d want their room to look like, what they would like to do there, and how they would spend their time if they could have an ideal “ME” day. This becomes the foundation for encouraging them to create and take care of a space that will help them experience more of all their favorite activities and things.
The #1 thing you can do is to take Gandhi’s words to heart:
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
- Gandhi
Remember: leading with your own tidy mindset creates consistency, conversation, and exposure for your entire family and peace, joy, and freedom for you 💖.