Everymom: All Together - Make Getting Organized A Family Event

Make getting organized a family event by getting the kids involved. Experts suggest giving each child his or her own daily calendar or planner.

E-mail this story

Print this story

Share

Buying a bin to put stuff in doesn’t make you organized, I’m told.

And here I thought I was doing so well. The tip is one of several offered by Dianne Partipilo, a professional organizer, home stager and senior downsizing specialist in the Chicago area who owns her own business, Windy City Interiors Inc.

“The problem is now you just have more things, so it doesn’t really work,” she says.

True — at least in my house, where bins sit empty, overflow or become stair-sledding devices.

I sought Partipilo’s advice as I struggle to manage the schedules of my five kids, as well as all of their schoolwork, toys and messes. I just don’t know where to put everything, including my kids sometimes. (Don’t suppose the bin would work? The 2-year-olds would fit, actually.)

Everyone has their own way of doing things, Partipilo tells me, but the best bet is to keep things as simple as possible. Get the kids involved, she says.

“I find that children who are more involved tend to be more responsible for their schedules,” she says. “After all, it only takes one time for Suzie to miss Sarah’s skating party or little Jimmy to miss T-ball practice as a gentle reminder of the importance of being organized.”

Give each child his or her own daily calendar or planner. Write every activity down. Then sit down at the beginning of each month as a family and merge everything onto a family calendar, Partipilo suggests. This helps avoid any conflicts or overlapping activities.

Make it fun by serving some hot chocolate or popcorn, Partipilo says. The kids learn responsibility, as well as the importance of teamwork, she says.

For schoolwork, keep a medium-size box in each child’s room. Store the big stuff in a basement or garage area temporarily. At the end of the school year, get together and pick which items to keep.

“And if they are still having a hard time purging that volcano from the science fair, take pictures before discarding it and place them in a scrapbook or photo album as a nice keepsake,” Partipilo says.

Make sure to put like things with like things when it comes to toys, the kitchen pantry, batteries, light bulbs, whatever. That way, Partipilo says, you always know where to look.

“No one is ever left asking, ‘Where does Mom keep the . . .?” Partipilo says.

The biggest problem Partipilo sees is the “lack of purging.”

“Sometimes there is simply too much stuff,” she says. “You can’t keep shuffling piles around. You actually have to get in there and purge, purge, purge.”

Use the beginning or end of each season as a time to de-clutter, she says.

Make sure to prioritize and plan your day, she says.

“Remember, organization is not so much about cleaning and purging as it is about replacing negative habits with positive ones,” she says. “Just like cigarette smoking and eating healthier, by getting the entire family involved, everyone participates and enjoys the rewards of a less-stressful environment.”