Tips on helping your kid stay organized?

Meghan&Rich

Mason is having some trouble staying organized at school.  When he brings home his folder each night, he is either missing items or has them on the wrong side of the folder (one side is for papers that stay home; the other is for homework and things to return to school).  I've also returned papers to school that he has then misplaced, etc. He is doing well with his actual school work and learning the information taught to him.  He also gets rewards for good behavior, so I know he is paying attention, but he seems to be really absentminded when it comes to being organized.

We do go over his folder and backpack every night to talk about what he brought home, and what he needs to take back to school, but I thought about creating some type of chore chart/routine chart to keep him aware of the tasks he needs to complete each night.  I'm not really sure what else to try at home - any suggestions?

waltsgirl102503

Noah is in 4th grade and I haven't figured it out yet.  He is like an absent minded professor...so smart that he's not always "smart", you know?  So I don't have any suggestions really...just sympathy.  

In first grade, the teacher had a very organized girl in his class "help" him to remember.  That worked some.  And just trying to remind him and have it be the last thing we say before school helps, too.  (But not always!)    Honestly, I hope some day he marries a very organized woman, because I think it's the only thing that will help!  

denalea

Would something different than a folder help?  A totally different system?  Or maybe two folders (different colors?)  Maybe he is just hurrying and jamming stuff wherever he can fit it?  Does he have enough time to plan and grab all of the stuff?  Can you help him learn to take a minute after each subject to get what he needs instead of waiting til the end of the day?  (If that is the source of the issue?) 

Just some questions to help you think.

I hope you can help him get it figured out!  It is so good to learn those skills early. 
I say this knowing that I love the IDEA of being organized and on top of things, and can play the part decently well in very small tasks....but my desk and office is a MESS....and I know things still get lost both there and at home, and get overlooked. 

amyjoy18

Are the papers making it into the folder, just the wrong side?  Do you think  you could get him to draw a small star or something in the corner of the papers that need to be returned? Easier than getting them into the correct folder, but let's you know what to do with the papers.

Meghan&Rich

Thanks for your suggestions (and sympathy!).  I can't really do anything about changing the system, it is the one his class uses.  All of the students have one folder - what goes home is to go on one side of the folder, what is returned to school goes on the other.  He does have a sticker on the "go home" side to help him remember, but so far it hasn't helped.  I'm able to figure out which paperwork stays home/gets returned, but I'd like to help him be more on top of it since he has lost papers before (I've returned things that never made it to the teacher, the teacher has found some of his papers on the floor, etc.)

His transition to K has gone really well, so I don't want to make a huge deal about it, but like you said Dena, they're good skills to learn early on.  I don't want to overlook it and have him develop some bad habits.  Also, I am type A organized, so I get a little twitchy when going through his folder. 

Amber - that's exactly how I would describe Mason -  an absentminded professor.  My friend also dealt with the same thing with her son, and the teacher assigned someone who was more organized in class to help him. Maybe I will talk to the teacher about that!