Five Tips to Saving Time With Children
By Cyndy Ratcliffe
1. Picking up toys costs a lot of time! Purge toys every year by getting rid of those they have outgrown, those missing pieces and those with too many pieces (that drive you crazy). It is best to teach children 7 and older how to do this with you.
2. Teaching them now will save you hours every week as they get older! Create a SIMPLE chore chart. Assign or let the child choose chores appropriate to their age. The secret to successful chore charts is simplicity and parent follow-up.
3. Save time by finding a one- or two-step answer to putting things in homes. When storing items for children, think about how many steps are involved in getting the item out or putting it away. Hanging a coat on a hanger in a closet takes five steps; a hook takes one. No wonder coats get tossed on a chair or on the floor!
4. Save time cleaning by having all the treasures tucked away in a "treasure box." Create a treasure box for each family member to keep ribbons, favorite cards, small gift tokens, certificates and any other treasure that cannot seem to find a home. Your child can decorate it with stickers, crayons or markers to make it their own. This is a good answer for all the small scattered "treasures" that children accumulate and consequently clutter their rooms with.
5. Save time shuffling years of kids’ school and artwork. Work with your child at the end of each school year to select their favorite pieces of work. Aim for keeping just 10 or 12 top treasure items per year. A good rule of thumb for what to keep is to keep very special personal treasures and not everyday "teaching" papers.
Learn more about Cyndy Ratcliffe at www.organizingsolutions.biz.
| 
)
