Teenagers have a reputation for being messy. Their rooms are disaster areas, their backpacks are crammed with crumpled papers, their bathrooms are full of dirty clothes. Your teen might have difficulty finding items that should be easily accessible. His lack of organization can affect his grades, waste his energy and infuriate you as a parent. But it is possible to motivate a teen to get organized by using a few simple tactics.
Step 1
Insist that your teen begin his organizational efforts by decluttering his room. Help him get rid of the remnants of his early childhood. Help him decide what to keep and what to throw away, but let him make the final decisions.
Step 2
Buy your child the supplies that will help her organize her belongings. Get storage supplies that are appropriate for your child's possessions. For example, if your teen has many pairs of shoes, she could use a hanging shoe rack for the back of her door.
Step 3
Give your child a calendar and a planner. According to the Family Sanity Savers website, your teen should keep track of all his school, family and social activities on one calendar. If he jots down things in many places, he is likely to forget something.
Step 4
Ask your teenager to set up zones, including one for studying. For example, she might want a desk area, a music area and a place to work out. You might have to sacrifice a little space in your garage or family room to accommodate her needs.
Step 5
Put a clothes hamper and a wastebasket in your teen's room. This will make it easier for him to keep clothing and trash off the floor. Insist he empty both every other day.
Step 6
Request your child set up a schedule of daily activities. This will include school, extracurricular activities, work and cleaning. Make sure she designates a time during the day to tidy up her room, do her other household chores and lay out her clothes and books for the following day.
Step 7
Work on time management with your teenager. According to Onlineorganizing, time management skills can help your teen be more efficient and productive. Help your teen set up a basic plan for handling project deadlines, studying for tests and finding time for social interaction.
Step 8
Praise your teenager for his efforts. Learning to be organized is a process. It is not, unfortunately, going to happen overnight. Be patient but persistent in helping him acquire this skill.
Tips and Warnings
- Be a good role model. If your room is in disarray, you can't expect your teen to be motivated about organization.
Things You'll Need
- Containers
- Calendar
- Planner
- Clothes hamper
- Wastebasket
