Getting Kids Organized

Time for ME to get my house organized.

Yes ... My home does gets out of hand like many people.

Today's project: My basement

My boys have their Imaginext constantly set up and transforming into ever changing "islands" ruled by the "World Fairy," where you can barter for items, dinosaurs destroy fortresses and in the end there is happiness in the world.


There's also the ever popular washer box (the dryer box was trashed a few weeks ago) which has been apart of many hours of creative games.


The basement is where my boys can play as they wish, though enough is enough, time for them to clean-up. When it is time to clean up, I do not make the general statement, "Boys, go pick up the basement or your rooms." Kids lose the meaning of this quickly. Your goal is to get them to clean their rooms and you need to explain this to them.

For the basement project, I told my boys that I want to vacuum the basement rugs. If anything is not put away, it will be sucked up and thrown away. This explains to them the consequences of not completing the task.

Kids will naturally organize stuff, if they know where to put things. Look at their classrooms at school. Classrooms of kids can keep all the paper, pencils, crayons, books, scissors, chairs and even classroom libraries are organized.

The kids in your home can be organized too!
Explain the task and let them work.
The first couple times you may have to toss a toys or two.
They will catch on and they will learn to be organized.
And you will have tidy bedrooms and play areas again.

When was the last time you just listened to your kids imaginative play? What story line did they create?