Welcome!
Is your youngster's disorganisation driving you mad? This web site is here to help parents and carers of youngsters who leave things to the last minute, forget to do things, lose stuff, take ages getting going on their homework and whose only concept of time seems to be now.
In an ideal world, all youngsters would be well organised. There is a good scientific explanation for why they struggle to be organised. Once we know why, we can help them more effectively. Explore our science page and you might be surprised at what you discover!
We have some great ideas to help youngsters master the art of organisation in the school bag, storage and planning pages. We hope you will share your ideas and experiences with us too.
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January's Tip
From Stuart, who suggests that youngsters wishing to book Mum's and Dad's Taxis, ask mum and dad about it first AND make sure they make a note of it on the family calendar. Remind youngsters it is good to let parents know as soon as possible, well in advance and not a few minutes beforehand.
Check they have all their Maths kit!
December's tip
This tip is for parents of youngsters with Maths exams coming up. Make sure that they still have all their maths equipment, including functioning calculators. It is surprising how much stuff gets lost. Youngsters don't think about replacing lost items.
Spare pens for when they lose theirs!
September's tip
They lose pens, pencils, etc. You may have sent your children off to school with them. There is no guarantee they will have them when they get back home. Have a stash of pens and pencils handy for when theirs get lost.
Avoid lost coursework disasters!
July's tip
At the end of the school year, youngsters may feel that it is ok to get rid of exercise books that are full. It is a good idea to check whether the exercise books might still be needed. If the course has not finished, the books might be needed for revision. It may be that they contain drafts of coursework. It is a good idea to keep the drafts, as sometimes coursework gets lost. Some exam boards also ask that drafts are handed in together with the final version. It is important to back up work done on computer for these reasons. Keep the back-up copy safe. One local student lost her memory stick and her computer broke. She had to rewrite an entire year's work.AAGGGHHH!
Start early! Small children can learn how to be organised too!
May's Tip
May's tip is from Jenny, who says 'Start early! Small children can learn how to find the things they need for school each day. Make a chart showing the days of the week. Use pictures of the things they need to take to school. Put them on the chart so the kids can see what they will need each day. Every evening make it a game to find the things that are going to be needed for the next day. Put them in the same place, so that they are easy to find. The children will have their things ready to be taken into school the next day.'
Does your child forget about homework?
March's Tip
This month's tip is from Lynn, a teacher and a mum. Lynn always asks her students to put their planners on the desk in front of them at the beginning of each lesson. On day she noticed one of the boys wasn't writing down what he homework was. When she asked why, he said he would remember it. Lyn asked him to write it down just in case he forgot. A lot of youngsters think that they will remember the homework. The reality is they often forget.
We can encourage youngsters to pack their planners in their bags where they will find then easily. Remind them to put their planners on their desks at the beginning of the lesson. That way they won't need to search through their bags when the teacher gives them homework. The planners will be there, ready for use.
Do you feel you virtually have to frisk your children to retrieve letters from school?
February's tip
With your child, find an easy-to-spot place in his or her school bag where letters can be stored. It could be in a polythene pocket at the front of a folder, or a big envelope marked 'Letters'. There might be a pocket in the bag itself. Make sure to praise your child for remembering to use it!
Thanks to Linda for this month's tip!