My kids heard me talking to them about how to purge out-grown toys and clothes and asking them to keep to a daily routine of tidying up their rooms.  However, it wasn’t until I read them The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room that they realized these organized behaviors I had been teaching them were valid and worthwhile.  My daughter made the connection that the sorting and purging Mama Bear had her cubs doing with their toys was the same thing she did in her room.  She went on to say that if the Berenstain bears needed to declutter and enjoyed living in a tidier space, then it must be a good thing and she skipped off to clean up her room.  It was then that I remembered how we have a variety of times and resources to teach our kids life skills, including organized behaviors.

Organized behaviors are teachable behaviors.  Some people gravitate toward these skills naturally and others need more support.  Helping our children acquire, develop and practice skills and habits that allow them to effectively set goals and manage their time and resources to meet these goals are invaluable life-long skills.  At Simply Placed when we work with families to reduce clutter, reorganize areas of the home and establish systems for streamlining and reducing stress in a busy household we like to include working with children to teach them how to let go of clutter and to use more organized household systems.

Here are a few other books I’ve used to teach and reinforce organizational skills with my children:

• The Berenstain Bears Think of Those in Need 
• The Bearenstain Bears and the Trouble with Chores
• Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, chapter 2 The-Won’t-Pick-Up-Toys-Cure
• Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, chapter 6 The Never-Want-to-go-to-Bedders Cure