How Can Kids Organize Life?
Organization is an effort to grow maturity in our kids…pointing them toward responsibility, ownership, and independence. Cole leads us in how we can grow our kids to be champions in this way.
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace… 1 Corinthians 14:33
But all things should be done in a fitting and orderly way. 1 Corinthians 14:40
It seems most folks fall into one category or another…those who love organization or those who…look for things a lot. A quote those of the latter camp (ahem, my wife) like to throw around is, “organized people are just too lazy to look for stuff”.
Some (my wife again) say I can swing the pendulum a bit past healthy…yes, my sock drawer is organized, and my T Bar M t-shirts hang in my closet in the order of the summer themes on assigned hangers.
Ok, ok…maybe that’s a bit overboard, but I will tell you we do serve a God of order, detail, and structure. He has made that clear from the beginning (see Genesis 1:1-31). How do we train our kids to honor Him in this? I believe we can do so through making a plan, being consistent, and offering grace.
- Make a Plan. My overall encouragement is to take the time to make a plan that will work for your child. Here is a list of things I would recommend you concentrate on: every item having a “home”; establishing a “one in, one out” rule for things like toys, shoes, and clothes; institute the concept of O.H.I.O. (Only Handle It Once) so things aren’t laid on counters and not in their “home”. Proverbs 16:3 encourages us to “…commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”
- Be Consistent. Organization is not normally a “natural” thing…especially for kids. Our kids will see and even feel the benefits of organization when they are not having to look for stuff when it’s time to walk out the door, not wondering what happened to their favorite toy, and not having to miss out on things they want to do in order to take care of things they should have already done. Establishing routines will help tremendously. Labeling and signage in key areas of the house while habits are formed will work wonders. Lists are often the backbone of consistent organization. Philippians 1:6 is great encouragement here!
- Offer Grace. This is a huge learning step and we all need grace as we grow. Set up rewards for times things go well. Give coupons for jobs well done. Take a break on Saturday. Fully understanding that the habits and organization we are training our kids in today will serve them well in the future! Remember this is ultimately supposed to bring peace to our lives! (see 2 Peter 1:2)
As parents we want them to be prepared to be great contributors in this world…what a great platform to allow them to proclaim Jesus! They are never too young to start contributing to a “smooth running” household. They will rise up to the expectations we set.
Camper Corner:
Howdy Campers! Have you seen my shoes?? Where did my hat go? My favorite basketball is missing! Ughhh, isn’t that so frustrating! Hey, go talk to your folks and see what you can do about getting your stuff organized so you don’t have to wonder and look for things when you want them…you’ll know exactly where they are!
