Harmony At Last, LLC

Secret #7: Establishing the Routine

Brushing teeth before bedtime is a pretty common routine. How common is it for the child to pick up the toys when done playing, hanging up the coat when he/she gets home, and emptying out the backpack after school? Once the organizing systems are established, routines can be built into the day.

As with any new skill that is learned, it will probably take some energy and focus to develop new habits. Using these secrets will allow you to help your children to grow in their abilities and keep the mishmash piles to a minimum. Here’s to much success in this coming school year. Enjoy!

Secret #6: Can they explain it to someone else?

Keep the systems simple. Children should be able to easily understand the system in order to use it. A nifty way to see if they really get it is to ask them to explain it to you or someone else. If they get stumped, it’s time to simplify it further. Simple phrases and rhymes can do wonders to facilitating the learning.

Secret #5: Find Fun and Useable Containers

Engage your kids’ senses… you can find organizing containers which are practical and fun. Use your imagination. Bold colors and fun patterns can be incorporated into items such as baskets, bins, folders, and labels. Clear plastic containers are also very useful. Remember to label clearly and use picture labels for the younger child.

Secret #4: Put Like with Like

Teaching children how to categorize or group items together is a key component to learning how to organize. These categories can be unique based on how a child thinks of things. Remember to keep the categories broad enough so that items can easily be added and put away. If the categories are beautifully created and very refined (for example, think of separating those teeny tiny Polly Pocket doll dresses from the doll shoes), it will take so long to do that no one will do it… or you will get stuck doing it!

Secret #3: Give Them a Say

Kids have opinions on what are their favorites and how they would like to have their things organized. Ask them open ended questions related to their school and play to discover what is most important to them. If they are able to be involved in the actual organizing process, they can provide great assistance in how things should be categorized. Remember to take frequent breaks if they are participating—their attention span is probably much shorter than yours.

Secret #2: Who is the system really for?

It’s an easy trap to fall into… an adult who is helping to design the system chooses to establish it based on the adult’s preferences and styles. If the system is for the child to use, it needs to be designed based on the child’s way of thinking, playing, and learning. Also, until a certain age, children tend to be shorter than their parents. Make sure that the kids can reach the areas where you wish them to take items out and put them away.

Kids and clutter… the two can seem to go hand in hand sometimes. From art projects and school papers to toys and athletic equipment, kids can accumulate a lot. If left unattended, these things can grow into pretty large piles of stuff—all mish mashed together into a tangled web. It really is possible to help your children get and stay organized. These seven secrets will teach you how to do it!

Secret #1: How old are they?
The age of your children will be a strong factor in how much you can expect of them related to organizing. Starting in the toddler years, basic organizing skills can be formed (for example, picking up toys and placing them in a basket). Older children can become even more involved with creating and maintaining the system.

Keep posted for the rest of the secrets. The next one will be coming shortly.

It’s easy to get caught up in wanting someone to do something faster, better, smarter, etc. In those times, we have passed judgment on another that where they are today is not good enough. It takes a person of strong character to step back and appreciate that each person is on their own unique journey and is doing the best that they can. Deepak Chopra says it well…

No one is wrong.
In the eyes of Love,
All people are doing the best they can
From their own level of consciousness.

It is a lifelong process
To become patient,
And make peace with the notion
That every person
Is just where he or she
Needs to be.

So when we begin to undertake that organizing project, to focus on improving our work/life balance, or to develop new time management strategies, we will recognize that we are on a journey and have patience with ourselves as we learn new skills and develop new habits. We’ll welcome each day as an opportunity to grow and to do our best. And celebrate each other’s journey with patience and encouragement.

In part 1 of this series, I discussed overcoming self-limiting beliefs with the use of affirmations.

When I first talk with a new client, I am very interested in understanding their goals. I typically ask questions such as, “What are your goals for our work together?”, “When the project is complete, what will your space look like and what will it feel like to be in it?”, and “How will we know that we successfully completed this project?”

All too often, I get answers to these questions stated in the negative context…

* I don’t want to be overwhelmed.

* It won’t look like a tornado just came through.

* I don’t want to be spending so much time dealing with the clutter.

* I won’t be arguing with my boss all of the time.

My response is always the same. “That describes what you don’t want, now tell me what you want.” The client then creates his/her responses in a positive light and I now hear statements of “I want to feel peaceful in my office.”

The positive statements are much more helpful in reaching one’s goals. We can then focus on what is desired as opposed to what is not desired. The energy around the project changes and we can really rally around the wonderful benefits that will be achieved.

Next time you are asked a question about your goals, describe what you want!

I recently had the pleasure of interacting with a phenomenal woman, Marcia Reese. Energy, enthusiasm, warmth, and creativity just radiate from her. Knowing the type of work I help people with, she shared a poem with me that she had written. It’s called Leaving Late.

Many times we may have worried about being late to a meeting, concerned that our time management is yet again causing us a challenge. We may carry anxiousness with us, overlooking the beauty of the moment, as we rush ahead. Marcia’s poem allows us to explore those feels intertwined with valuable lessons of being present in the moment, acceptance, balance and peace. It is reprinted below with her permission. Enjoy!

Leaving Late

Starting from meadow lane
red pick up truck ahead
irritating hindrance
to my imperative arrival
I told you I would be there
Late again
hands clasping the wheel
gut working to compress space
or stop time
cursing
law abiding drivers
expelling
faint excuses
assigning
plausible blame
pretending
trying to hide my culpability
as a child hides her face
believing
you cannot see her

I masquerade arriving
while I am actually caught
in
“I should have”
in
“Next time I must”

Passing a decade or several
I leave foothills driving
toward a promised meeting
discovering
I have six minutes and not a prayer

No clutching
no compressing this time
Laughter ripples up from my belly
my attitude shift made audible
The car and I
are both in now
gear

Sun warms my face
clouds billow in the wind
sweet summer hay wafts past
cracks in the road speak to me
in a local dialect

This time I arrive fully
fourteen minutes late

Marcia Reese