Start with the essentials of supporting them, assisting in their growth of skills, and praising any small triumph! The general idea is to have the child learn the problem solving skills required to think through tasks that are seemingly overwhelming. First you always, always start small, then tackle bigger projects as they can manage. Then as they make achievements, don’t forget to recognize their hard work! Praise moments of follow through and self-initiated tasks with recognition and/or rewards.
5 Tips to Help Motivate Your Child:
- Establish a place to write it all down- daily planners and a family calendar are great tools to keep track of their time.
- Introduce Responsibility- Create a Chore chart and a To-Do list as a family. Don’t forget to keep their age and time needed for completion of these activities in mind when choosing the appropriate task(s).
- Acknowledge that the time is ticking- Visual timers are great for those children who tend to take more time than necessary on simple tasks. Timers can also help to keep a child focused and engaged in the activity.
- Create a place for all items to have a specific home- Designate places for items and stick to it. Growing up with the golden rule ‘Always place an item back in its original place, in its same or better condition’ may help keep the house cleaner. Utilizing organizational tools, such as visual prompts (numbering, color coding) and charts can help too.
- Check in- They will need a little help! Have the children show you their completed work, planner, clean space, etc. Make them feel accomplished and help them problem solve solutions to existing problems.
3 Activity Ideas to Facilitate their Organizational Skills:
- Tackle a junk drawer, pantry shelf, or game closet- Have them help a parent problem solve through the organization of a messy place. Starting in a small place is key so there are no overwhelming moments too big for the child. Have the child think through the task with the parent facilitating only when needed.
- Cook with your child- A successful meal requires significant planning, working memory, organization, and time management. See how much they can lead the cooking activity and help when needed. This can be fun for the child while having a great learning experience!
- Have them set up the family’s calendar for the next week or month- Give them the tools to place all of the activities on the calendar and check their work when done. Have the child help recognize and problem solve through time conflicts.
If you have questions or concerns about your child, we would love to help!
Interested in learning more? Read our related post, How to Tame Your Sensory Seeker!
