The ability to organize and organize well is not a skill we are born with. Just like building muscle by going to the gym, you build your organizing skills by working on them week after week. And there are always new things to learn, which is what makes organizing so exciting.
Since organizing is a skill that takes time to hone and adapt, the best time to start learning is when you are young. Obviously, you cannot go back in time and learn these skills yourself. But if you are a parent, and you want to teach your children organizational skills, starting them young is your best bet.
Why? Because when we are young, we retain information better. We adapt to change better. And we have a better chance of using those skills and routines as we grow up. That is why we are sharing some incredible benefits children get when they learn to organize young.
Here are 5 incredible benefits children get from learning organizational skills:
#1 — They learn how to create habits and routines
Something that is super beneficial to children is habits and routines. These skills may not seem like they are tied to organizing, but they are. Because without good organizational skills, children will find adapting to new habits and routines difficult.
Think of a time you started a new habit or routine. Maybe it was a new workout or you wanted to create a habit of reading every night before bed instead of scrolling social media. In order to create those new routines, you needed to first get organized. Meaning, you needed to determine when you were going to do it and how.
Organizing is not only about storing items in your home so they are easy to find. Good organizational skills can also help you and your children establish new habits and routines faster. For example, children learn to be disciplined by assigning chores as well as dedicating time and space to do their homework. Even a simple morning routine will lead to an organized mind and thus an organized life.
#2 — They learn time management and prioritization
We mentioned before that organizing saves you time from having to find something, which is the main reason people want to get organized in the first place. They want clutter gone, and rightfully so. Clutter bleeds into other areas of your life, so it would also bleed into areas of your children’s life.
Teaching organizing at a young age will develop amazing time management and prioritization skills. Your children will learn how to divide their time best so they can accomplish what they want to do.
This is easier said than done. Not every child is going to take to time management quickly. But learning organizational skills can help, especially in terms of planning. You can teach your child how to organize their to-do list so they do not feel overwhelmed.
If they have a lot of homework, show them how prioritizing assignments will give them the necessary tools to get things done in the order they need to be done. What your children will take away from this is the ability to decide what is most important compared to what is not. And that is a skill they can carry with them into the future.
#3 — They learn how to accomplish more goals
Clutter often impedes accomplishing things you set out to do. Cleaning, for example. It is difficult to clean if you have too much stuff in the way. But clutter also distracts you. It diminishes your focus and hinders your work performance. And if this happens to you, chances are high that it is also happening to your children.
When you teach organizational skills to young children, you are teaching them to control the number of distractions they have around them. The fewer distractions, the better they will focus, and the more they will accomplish.
But this does not pertain to just physical clutter. You can also teach your children how to limit digital clutter. Between phones, tablets, and laptops, children are inundated with digital distractions. By teaching them how to organize all of that so it is out of sight when they need to focus, they will achieve more and finish assignments in a timely manner.
#4 — They learn to work better with others
Believe it or not, organizational skills do help children work better with others. In fact, teachers and students will seek children with good organizing abilities. This is because everyone can learn from someone who can bring those skill sets to all aspects of their life. It becomes a benefit to all.
When your children are organized, they can share their skills with others, thus spreading the immense joy organization gives us. They will keep everyone else on track. Yes, you want to avoid them becoming the de facto worker of the group, but if they can delegate evenly, everyone in the group will benefit from that. And they will learn a new skill such as managing a group.
The main pro of this skill is that organizing allows your children to see the big picture. They can step back and view things from a different angle. That, in and of itself, will help them thrive not only in group settings but in future endeavors as well.
#5 — They learn skills for the future
The most important benefit children will get from learning how to organize at a young age is the ability to carry those skills with them. An organized ten-year-old will take everything they have learned with them into middle school, high school, college, and beyond. During that time, they will learn more and add to their already impressive skill set.
Organized children are simply better at adapting to new changes. This is because they know that, in order to create new habits or routines, they need to sit down, see the big picture, and figure out how to approach it. Organizational skills help them accomplish that.
You will see this happen when they start taking on more homework or assignments as they progress in school. And knowing they can do all of that now will mean that whatever job they go after in the future, they will already have a leg up.
How can you teach organization to your children?
Now that you know the benefits of teaching organizing at a young age, let us touch briefly on how you can accomplish this. Here is the truth: it will not be easy. While children are quick to study and pick up new skills faster, they will be hesitant to learn something new, especially organizing.
This is because they do not see the benefits yet. Not like you. And so some thing you can do to get them more involved is to start slowly. Do not rush them into organizing their room. Do not force a method or system on them and expect them to learn it in one day.
They need time to learn, understand, and adapt to this new skill. We have said it in previous posts, but it bears repeating here: the way you organize may not be the way your children organize. Yes, teach them the way you know and believe is the best, but if they change it, do not argue. Let it happen.
Children will learn best when you give them the breathing room to try things out their way in a natural and supportive environment.
And to help you further, we created a specialized handbook, especially for this topic. The Kid’s Organization Handbook walks you through everything you need to know about how to teach organizational skills to young children.
You will get more in-depth information about the benefits of organizing for children, how to teach them time management, and how to make learning this skill fun through gamification. You will also get bonus tips on keeping your children active in learning new skills, including giving them a break every now and then.
Click here to purchase your copy today for just $17 and remember that organizing is a skill taught, harnessed, and improved upon year after year. Your children will thank you for this one day.