You may not believe me but I can be quite organised when I try.
It’s just the trying part, and the being bothered part, that normally elude me!
As I set out last week, one of my goals for the year is to be more organised. And to be honest, it’s to the benefit of everyone if I can make that work.
Striving to be more organised is by no means a new idea for me. A few years ago I wrote a post about managing back to school anxiety and being organised was a big part of my approach then as well.
Organisation is one of the keys to helping kids with autism be more comfortable in daily life, better cope with change and to understand what is expected of them. I know, for instance, my kids thrive on calendars, routines, schedules and timetables.
Visual cues help them through even the most minor of changes and provide a greater sense of certainty. There is also an added element of comfort and control over their day when they can see it laid out before them.
Being organised also assists us, as parents, to better guide our kids through the transition process. It helps us prepare responses to their questions, build up our own patience and understanding and remain positive in the face of their anxiety and negativity.
So being organised is definitely one of the more practical ways to lessen return to school stress and anxiety, for every child, not only those on the spectrum.
As we are edging closer to the start of another school year, I shared some of my ideas over at The Organised Housewife and I’d love you to check them out. I’d also love to hear your own techniques for lessening back to school anxiety for your kids.
You can check out my post by clicking the link below:
5 PRACTICAL WAYS TO PREPARE ALL KIDS FOR THE RETURN TO SCHOOL
So what other tips would you add to the list?
I need to sort out a command center pronto. Esther starts Prep this year and I went to a friends house and she has her command center all set up and I was like I WANT THAT. She apparently read it on a blog to help kids be organized and prepared for school.
Apparently I made a command centre and didn’t even know it was a command centre! It wasn’t until I checked out Pinterest for more inspiration that I found out that such a thing existed. But it is so worth the effort – it makes everything so much easier.
I made a list of jobs for Bailey a few years ago which worked really well. He doesn’t need it now, but it just occurred to me that Ava is about to start school and she needs something like that. I’ll have to make up a new chart. Thanks for the reminder. 🙂
No problem Jess! I wish your Ava well for the start of school 🙂
Wow! Your command centre looks amazing. We have a mini one, but we could do better. Thanks for the great ideas!
I’m glad it helped. There are so many amazing examples out there but you can get away with something reasonably cheap and simple, like we have. Good luck with your new project!
Your command centre looks awesome! We have started getting back into a night time routine to get ready for school starting next week. I’m struggling with the earlier bedtime meaning earlier wake up time though!
Thanks Tegan. I have to say I’m not loving my 6am starts again….
This is awesome Kirsty and I wish you well. I like all aspects of your organisation and would love to hear how it went by the end of term. Sounds like me doesn’t it?!! Wishing you a happy and calm ‘back to school’ and ‘starting school’ in 2016. Denyse #teamIBOT
I faithfully promise to give you a full account of our progress at the end of Term 1 Denyse!
I love the command centre! It is getting to the point where we need something to cater to all their school crap, homework, shoes, etc.
We use these cube storage things for their toys but never thought about them for a command centre. Great idea.
Cube storage units are so useful for hiding all sorts of crap – I love them!
Fantastic! I am going to use some of this with my clients. I have quite a few anxious kiddies who could benefit from some calm routine to get them starting the year off right.
That’s fabulous Jess. Please let me know how you go 🙂
I have a kind of mini command centre in the boys’ walk-in robe. An 8 hole cube shelf with hooks above for bags/hats and a corkboard for pinning notes too. Works really well!
I would have never suspected you were a command centre type of gal Hugzy. But they really are the bomb when it comes to organisation!
Great post. I’m finding at the girls get older it is harder to have so much control and be super organised. They tend to frown on the interference but still want far too much of your time when something is misplaced or goes missing. I was on track to be super organised for back to school this year, probably a good thing that I was. It looks like we will be moving the first day of school. Joy.
I hope I don’t have to be this organised into the future but it’s the way it is for now. All the best for the move my friend x