How to Teach Organization to Kids Using a Family Wall Organizer
Teaching organization skills to young children can be a daunting task. After trial and error, I finally found a way to teach my girls how to stay organized. Thankfully I also started using a 1Thrive Family Wall Organizer that works perfectly as our new command center. It’s been a key tool in keeping our family organized and on task.
I received a 1Thrive Wall Organizer and was compensated for my time in writing this review. The thoughts and opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.
Like most families, we have so many activities, meetings, practices, and appointments each week. I found myself constantly having to remind the girls to get ready for a meeting or pack their bags for practice each night. My husband and I use digital calendars on our phones to keep track of everything. Our girls didn’t have a solid place to look and see what the plans were for each day though.
After trying personal planners, a digital calendar system, sticky notes, and a calendar on the fridge I had given up hope. I had almost come to terms with constantly having to remind the girls to get ready or what plans we had that evening.
We also struggled with keeping the girls on top of their weekly chores and tasks. We had a chore chart but it wasn’t in a place that they saw frequently and there was no incentive attached.
Now that we have been using a 1Thrive Family Wall Organizer, our days are much smoother. The girls are in charge of their responsibilities and have really taken ownership of so many things.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are ‘affiliate links’. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I may receive an affiliate commission.
Teaching Kids Organization Skills
Providing the right tools and helping them learn good habits have been the biggest pieces to our organization puzzle. It has taken a bit of work, lots of repetition, and oodles of positive reinforcement. I know that these skills will last the girls well into adulthood though so it’s definitely worth the effort.
Organization Tools for Kids
Making sure the girls have the right tools to get and stay organized was one of the first steps we took. While planners and calendars seemed like a no-brainer, they weren’t realistic in many aspects for us. Planners got tossed onto a desk or thrown in a bag. They weren’t visible at all times and this really hindered their use. Our 1Thrive Wall Organizer is in our laundry room – right inside the door. This means it’s visible when we are coming or going.
The 1Thrive Wall Organizer really houses all the things that we needed to help the girls get organized and maintain a good routine.
Be sure to continue reading until the end of this post for a chance to win a 1Thrive Sarah Wall Organizer for FREE!
A Monthly Calendar
Updating our monthly calendar is so important to keeping everyone on the same page. I love the calendar section of our 1Thrive wall organizer. It has just enough space to write appointments and other obligations. If there are additional details or I want to include forms, notes, or other items to go along with the calendar items I can attach them to the bulletin board for easy access.
Kids are normally focused on what’s happening right at this very moment. It can be hard for them to think ahead and plan accordingly. Having a monthly calendar has really helped them stay a few days ahead of their schedule.
We have so much fun deciding on the theme or decor each month for our calendar. This has also helped Gwen with time and date concepts.
The chalk markers from 1Thrive write very vibrantly but erase completely with a little bit of water. I’ve found I can easily make changes to the calendar if needed without having to wipe and redo the entire month (like when softball practice gets changed for the 5th time….)
An Incentivized Chore Chart
Chore charts can be extremely useful. My girls, however, are never very motivated to check off chores unless there is some type of incentive. 1Thrive offers so many accessories so you can customize your wall organizer. With the flexible cork strip, I was able to create a fun chore chart. The girls can choose a “job” to complete by grabbing the tag from the board. Once they have completed all the jobs on the board, I pay them their allowance and refill the cork strip with new jobs.
Utilizing a To-Do List
I love having a short, to-the-point to-do list each week. It helps keep me on track and prioritize my tasks. By adding a weekly to-do list for the girls, I’m able to hand off some tasks to them. They can decide when they should complete each task and are responsible to make sure they get done.
Good Organization Habits
Organize Important Papers in One Location
We are notorious for being the family that loses the form. No matter how hard I would try, something would always get misplaced or tossed in the trash on accident. I always tried to have a “spot” to keep important papers but nothing was effective.
Once we began using the wall organizer as a command center, it became second nature to put all important papers and forms in the file basket or on the cork strips.
Use Color Coding
I find that when I use fun, bright colors I tend to want to look at my planner or calendar more often. Plus, with so many activities for each family member, it can get confusing when looking at a monthly calendar. We decided to use the 1Thrive chalk markers to color coordinate our family wall organizer.
Each person has their own color and then we use colors for activities that the entire family participates in. This has made it so easy to quickly glance at the calendar and pinpoint specific activities.
Following a Routine
After setting up our wall organizer, I knew we had to make sure we all got into a good routine. I started updating the organizer each morning as part of my morning routine.
Then, I encourage the girls to check the organizer before sitting down to breakfast each morning. This helps them get a good idea of what the day will look like and allow them to prepare as needed.
As our day progresses, I remind them to check the organizer for any tasks or chores that they can work on if they have a break in our homeschooling.
This repetition has helped us incorporate our organizer into our daily routine. Now, I find the girls checking the calendar or jotting notes on the board on their own.
Why We Chose a 1Thrive Family Wall Organizer
We have had our fair share of white boards, calendars and bulletin boards. While some were functional, we found that they weren’t very fun to maintain and we lost interest quickly. We found 1Thrive and realized we could have a fun AND functional command center.
1Thrive Wall Organizers are Easy to Use
We love that 1THRIVE wall organizers are so easy to use. After hanging the frame, all components can easily be added and removed through the hook system. This means is extremely easy to change the layout. Plus, almost all pieces are magnetic and work with the 1WRITE liquid chalk markers.
One of my favorite features of the 1Thrive organizers is that you can remove the boards to write on them. I definitely do not have the neatest writing. Trying to write onto a whiteboard or calendar while it’s on the wall makes my writing 10 times more awful.
Once we realized we can take the boards down and write on them – it was all hands on deck. This has made it so easy for myself or the girls to make changes and update our boards if needed. The girls love getting to decorate and write notes. This has kept us engaged with our 1Thrive wall organizer.
Tons of Customization Options
The customization of our 1Thrive wall organizer was so much fun. I was really impressed with the variety of accessories and options available. There are dozens of additional add-ons like mail sorters, menu planners, toolkits with chalk markers and magnets, and custom decals. I love the options so much that I’ve decided to design one for my office as well! (You can snag an awesome discount using code homeschool10 for 10% off any wall organizer when you decide you need to design your own!)
Be sure to check out 1Thrive and all the options available to get your family organized! Their social media accounts share so many amazing design and styling ideas for your wall organizer. You can follow them at:
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