| How many times has your child told you that | | | | |
| night that they need a poster for a project | | | | Solution? On the family calendar have each |
| that is due tomorrow and you have to run to | | | | child mark long-term projects in a signature |
| the store at 7pm? What about the permission | | | | marker color along with important tests and |
| slip for a field trip that "forgot" to get | | | | anything else that needs to be prepared for |
| signed the night before and now you find | | | | in advance. Each night that can be looked at |
| yourself rushing to the school that morning | | | | and short term goals can be attained over the |
| to sign it? | | | | long run rather than one BIG push to get it |
| | | | done the night before! |
| Don't worry. You are not the only parent | | | | |
| going through this! The biggest problem most | | | | Issue: School news and activities are over |
| students have is a lack of organizational | | | | before you ever hear about them. |
| skills. Here are some strategies that might | | | | |
| help make this your student's best year yet! | | | | Solution? Although older students need to be |
| | | | somewhat independent, parents still need to |
| Issue: The homework gets finished nightly, | | | | know what is going on with their school. |
| but not handed in the next day. The homework | | | | Instead of snooping and having to go through |
| gets haphazardly tossed into the backpack but | | | | the backpack when you student gets home, be |
| then lost in a sea of papers by the next day. | | | | in the habit of asking for all papers that |
| | | | require you to look at them when he/she is |
| Solution? In a two pocket folder, designated | | | | doing homework or at dinnertime. You might |
| just for homework, the left hand side becomes | | | | also have a pocket designated in their back |
| the "assignments to do" side and the right | | | | pack that is only "papers for mom" so that |
| side becomes the "work to turn in" side. For | | | | they won't feel that you are constantly |
| the early grades you can check with your | | | | questioning them or going through the rest of |
| student to see that the left side is empty | | | | their backpack. |
| and the right side is full. This will help | | | | |
| train them for the later grades when they | | | | Starting now with good habits will help them |
| should be doing this on their own. This | | | | through the rest of their school career and |
| strategy also gives them the feelings of | | | | putting these into practice will eventually |
| accomplishment thus helping to reinforce | | | | result in habits that are formed to help them |
| their self-confidence. | | | | with their organizational skills throughout |
| | | | their lifetimes. An organized adult will be |
| Issue: A large project is "suddenly" due | | | | a decided asset for any job or career. |
| tomorrow! | | | | |