Paper Clutter ~ Getting our kids involved in Organization Goals

As I've mentioned a few times in various blogs, I am working on getting my house organized and de-cluttered, especially before Thanksgiving because I will have a house full of family and friends over.  I don't know if any of you have ever heard of FlyLady (www.flylady.com) but she is like a cleaning freak of nature and I think she's pretty amazing.  I've used a lot of her tips and tricks in my housecleaning adventures with lots of success.  I'm a member on the FlyLady Yahoo group as well and today there was posted a priceless article about getting our children involved in the de-cluttering process.  Today, she focuses on paper clutter.  I am soooo going to incorporate these suggestions into my routine.  I know Claudia will be happy to participate, too.  Besides, I need to teach her these things because they will come in SUPER handy in the future when she is older and in high school, college, and just regular working life.  I wanted to share this with my Vox friends and family because a lot of you have kiddos and will totally benefit from the article.  Sooooo...here it is:

Our kids love to bring home all of their school papers to share with
us and then they also love to share all of their creative drawings at
home. Before you know it these items are multiplying and we are
conflicted as to which things to save or let go of.

We get overwhelmed with the decision of what masterpieces to let go of
because we want to recognize our child's talent and encourage it. We
have several ideas that can help you with this struggle.

Just as with any other part of the FlyLady system we have to make this
a part of our Basic Weekly Plan. Do not allow your child's papers pile
up for a whole year and then try to do this. Establish a time each
week to go through the back packs and notebooks to clean them out.
Friday afternoons at the end of the school week or Sunday evenings
getting ready for the week ahead is a great time to do this. Take 15
minutes to clean out the backpacks and folders and then take the items
to save and one or more of the following:

1. Establish a Wall of Fame: This could be a bedroom door, a bulletin
board in the family room or anywhere in the house that can be seen by
the child. There is a reason that this particular idea works. It has a
limited amount of space - this offers you and your child to rotate
things on and off the wall to make room for the new displays. The
teachable moment is to allow the child to decide what to do with the
paper once it is time to come off the wall. Is it time to throw it
away, save it or pass it on? Allow your child to participate in the
actual removal of one paper and putting up the replacement. They have
to be involved in the physical and mental decision.

2. Pass It On: This is an opportunity to teach your child how to
address an envelope and mail a letter - the old fashioned way.
Complete with a trip to the mailbox or better yet the post office.
Choose a friend, god parent or relative to mail one or two of your
child's creations. This is another way to keep those loved ones in
your life included in your child's life and teaches your child to
bless someone else. Also if you have a relative or family friend in a
nursing home or assisted living facility that might enjoy a cheerful
drawing or picture in their room is another opportunity to bless
someone. You can spend some time together addressing and decorating
envelopes ahead of time and have them ready for when it is time to
share the art work.

3. The Special School Box: this is a reasonably sized plastic tub or
cardboard box (like a bankers box with a lid). Decorate the box with
your child using stickers, paint, markers, wrapping paper etc. The
point of decorating the box is to make the box a special place for
your child to place those papers that are the most special to him or
her. This allows your child the ownership of a decision.

4. The Scrap Book - now before you all start to get carried away with
the idea of the most perfect scrap book - this belongs to your child!!
Get a simple three ring binder (larger rings are easier to work with (
2 or 3 inch) and some 8 1/2 by 11 sized construction paper. Punch
holes in the school papers are that are full in size and use the
construction paper to mount smaller works. Allow your child to use
scissors that cut in zig zag or scallop shapes on the papers and mount
several on one piece of construction paper. Do not tell them what to
do or that what they are doing is not right. It is their book!!

5. Technology - In the digital age in which we live we are given a
huge opportunity to be able to use scanners and digital cameras to
capture those projects that may be too large to put on the wall, the
box or the scrap book. This allows your child to see that they don't
have to hold onto the actual project that is large if they have the
pictures that will remind them of that special creative moment.

Once you have established your wall, box or book this is something
that can be done in 15 minutes and be a part of building a basic
weekly routine for you and your child.

While you are working on your own paper clutter this month, include
your children and take the time to teach them not only by example but
by spending time with them and showing them while they are young so
they don't have to learn it the hard way the way we have!! There is no
better gift in the world to give to your child than your time!