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Operation Organization
Help Your Preteen Make the Middle School Transition By Kelly Burgess
, helped her daughter solve the problem by working with her to purchase organizational accessories and advising her on their use. Now it's become a tradition in their family for her to give each of her children a set amount of money at the beginning of the school year to purchase the organizational supplies of their choice. Glennan thinks that giving them that hands-on involvement makes them more apt to stick with an organizational plan.
Top Advice
Don't yell! It's not always easy to stay calm, but this is the first bit of advice that both Utay and Glennan give for parents. The second is don't belittle the child by saying she's a slob or by pointing out that he can't keep track of anything. This type of reaction merely makes them feel bad and doesn't really help to solve the problem.
"This is not about intelligence or laziness or unmotivated kids," says Utay. "I find for the most part that kids want to be successful, but they may give up if they don't have help figuring it out."
Jessi Morgenstern-Colon understands the challenge of being an organized kid. Morgenstern-Colon is the daughter of organization guru Julie Morgenstern. With her mother, she co-wrote Organizing From the Inside out for Teenagers: The Foolproof System for Organizing Your Room, Your Time and Your Life