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ORGANIZATION STRATEGIES FOR THE DISORGANIZED STUDENT

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Problem: Your child’s backpack has been deemed a disaster area by the Department of Homeland Security. Special forces units are currently sweeping his bedroom looking for last week’s homework. And, worst of all, missing assignments and lack of notes have taken a toll on his grades.

Solution: “Some kids are just messy” isn’t an excuse. And while it may be true that brilliant minds can’t be bothered to keep things neat, Einstein still found a way to turn his work in. Luckily, organization and note taking doesn’t have to seem like a chore. Here are some ideas to suggest to your child:

  • Binder with planner/calendar
  • Set aside time to organize
  • Look into specific note taking systems
  • Don’t forget the devices
  • Binder with planner/calendar

This will always be the first thing a teacher recommends for a messy, forgetful student (if they don’t require them for everyone already). Buy a 3-ring binder with one plastic folder for each class (they’re more durable). Stick in a planner/calendar and a pouch for supplies. For extreme cases, contact your child’s teachers and have them review the notes taken on the planner for accuracy and sign them. You do the same when they come home. That way the student learns not to try to put anything over on the adults.

Set aside time to organize

It’s the rare student that decides for themselves when it’s time to clean up. They need help. So make it a point of regularly setting aside time to remind your child to clean out their backpack, binder, locker, room, etc. Once a week will probably work. Program a reminder into your phone if you have to.

Look into specific note taking systems

Although note taking skills are technically the domain of the teacher, you can step in if that ball is being dropped. There are plenty of organized note taking systems out there that make taking notes easy. The one used by Cornell University is particularly popular. So are certain graphic organizers and other diagrams.

Don’t forget the devices

Backpacks and lockers are all well and good, but in some schools they are also obsolete. They’ve been replaced by devices in a 1:1 or BYOD scheme. If you child is a heavy user of technology in school, don’t forget to help them organize their digital data as well. Make sure folders are being used and data that doesn’t need to be saved is deleted.

Do you have any other organization tips for children? Share them in the comments section or share this article on your favorite social network to start a conversation of your own.

Summer Job Advice for your Child

friends-1084598_1920For many, one of the classic rites of passage in adolescence is working a summer job. It’s perhaps the first step on the way toward adult responsibility. Kids come out with a paycheck and experience. Parents come out with the stress of realizing their child is about to leave the nest.

That being said; there’s a lot of guidance that a parent can provide during the summer that can lay the groundwork for a successful school year and a lifetime of work. Here are some things to keep in mind.


They aren’t going to be responsible

You would like your child to dutifully stop by the bank on the way home from a job to deposit their paycheck into some long-term, interest-bearing account. They won’t do that and stop thinking they will. They’re going to blow it on electronics, junk food, and hanging out with their friends. There’s nothing wrong with that.

That doesn’t mean they aren’t a responsible person overall. Kids are going to be kids, especially when they get their first taste of “serious money.” They still get all of their assignments in at school, right? They get themselves up for work, right? If they aren’t, they weren’t ready for a job in the first place.

Don’t let them slip academically

We’ve covered a few strategies about minimizing “brain drain” during the summer, including making sure students keep reading for pleasure and providing learning experiences for them during your family’s summer activities.

Just because a summer job can be a valuable learning experience in itself, don’t let those ideas fall by the wayside. There’s a difference between keeping the brain active with a job and keeping the brain sharp in anticipation of the new school year.

Don’t forget the ramp-up

We’ve also talked before about how important it is to have a period before school starts where the student prepares for the new year. Bed times should be scaled back. Kids shouldn’t be allowed to sleep until noon. In other words, days should become more structured, at least a week before school starts.

This might be aided or hindered by the summer job. Maybe it’s kept the student on a regular schedule throughout the summer. On the other hand, maybe it’s a night job, and they’ve been completely thrown off. If it’s possible, pull back on the reins.


Don’t forget the fun

It’s way too early in your student’s working life for them to equate a job with a meaningless slog with no fulfillment. Summer jobs are supposed to be a fun way to earn a little extra money. Everything else is gravy. If it’s not fun, don’t let them do it. If it’s taking too much of their free time, help them scale back. If they aren’t spending any time with their friends, help them figure out ways to make that happen. Summer is supposed to be a break, even if they enter the working world.

Planning For Summer

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The words “plan” and “summer” don’t seem like they go together. It’s every family’s biggest chunk of free time so it doesn’t seem like a plan is necessary or wanted. And maybe that’s the case. If so, consider yourselves one of the lucky ones.

For most of us, the hectic schedules continue—perhaps even increasing in severity. After all, now you have to fit in camp and vacation(s) and sports and… If that sounds like you, here are some hints on how to plan the summer.

Ramp up to school

If it’s possible, don’t schedule the major vacation or camp right before school starts. It’s too much of a shocking change to go from lounging by the pool or fishing at a national park to being confined in a classroom for eight hours.

Instead, schedule the big things in a way that gives some lead-time for the start of school, even if it’s just a week. That gives you an opportunity to adjust the kids back to a reasonable sleep schedule and perhaps prime their brains for the school year with some of the ideas we had about keeping kids sharp over the summer.

Do something new

If summer follows a predictable routine every year, eventually it doesn’t seem special anymore. Everyone just goes through the motions. It might as well be October!

Make it a point of trying something new every summer, whether that’s a trip destination or simply a new hobby. Maybe it doesn’t work out. Maybe it becomes one of your new favorite summertime activities. Either way, summer will feel fresh again.

Give everyone ownership

Schedules are sometimes dominated by one person’s needs or a particular aspect of family life. Perhaps you are locked into always going to see Aunt Edna every summer because she can’t travel to see you. Perhaps a kid’s swimming camp throws off the rest of the summer schedule.

Some of those things are unavoidable. For the rest of the time, give everyone a chunk to do with what they choose. Let the kids choose a trip. Give dad time for a golf weekend (the family can still come and hang by the pool). With this, there is less feeling that the summer got away from everybody and less resentment that someone always gets priority.

The plan is just a guideline

Some of the best memories are those that didn’t go according to plan. Yes, you might have something scheduled at the end of a long drive, but when is the next time you’ll have an opportunity to see the world’s largest acorn?

The beauty of summer is that there’s usually plenty of time for everything. Yes, plane schedules and other things just can’t be moved without penalty, but other than that the sweetest words on any summer day are “what should we do today?”

This Summer’s Best Camps for Kids

This Summer’s Best Camps for Kids

Does your child have an independent streak and want to travel the world before they become an adult?

Every year, we cover some of the best, most creative, and wildest summer camp options around the country. Some of these are new while others are just worth mentioning because they stray so far from the sleepover camp by the lake. Either way, if you don’t have your child’s summer plans lined up yet, here are some ideas.

Smithsonian Summer Camp

Washington, DC is a popular summer vacation destination, but if you’d like to have some adult time during the trip, drop the kids off for one of the Smithsonian’s summer camps. They run weekly on either a half- or full-day basis covering all sorts of topics.

Apple Camp

Have an Apple Store nearby? Think your kids don’t spend enough time on devices? Each Apple Store runs Apple Camp over the summer, where students learn how to better use Apple devices to accomplish creative projects like moviemaking and digital photography. The best part? It’s free!

Explosives Camp

Does your child have a destructive streak? Why not turn that into a career? At the Missouri University of Science and Technology, campers get to learn how to use explosives to uncover new mine shafts. They practice on all sorts of objects, including steel beams, watermelons, and even a whole chicken.

Westcoast Connection & 360 Degree Student Travel

Does your child have an independent streak and want to travel the world before they become an adult? These companies offer student trip experiences unlike any other. From baseball trips to community service adventures in the developing world, campers see things that most adults can’t even dream of.

Girls Who Code

There’s been a lot of press about how far behind girls are in the STEM subjects. Girls Who Code might be the remedy. Their summer immersion program not only teaches campers about creating apps, but also gives them job experience at the hottest tech companies near the camp’s location (there are 14 around the country). It’s a definite resume builder.

Passport NYC: Culinary Arts

There are quite a few camps that focus on cooking, but only one has access to the resources of the Food Network and The Chew. Students go completely from farm to table to create experiences for the taste buds. It might be a window into a completely unconsidered career path.

The School Supplies You Really Need

It comes sooner every year. For me, it was yesterday—the school supplies display at the local store made its appearance in early July this year.

Many schools publish their request lists early. And though you probably don’t need more than a month to plan your annual shopping adventure, you might be itching to get it out of the way. But what’s really necessary and what can be skimped on?

The School Supplies You Really NeedThe old supplies are still valuable

You might think that in the 21st century, with the amount schools are spending on tablets and laptops, that the old standbys like paper, pencils, and notebooks might be obsolete. That’s actually not the case in the vast majority of classrooms.

Believe it or not, many of the latest learning strategies work with graphic organizers to help kids organize their thinking. These require paper. In certain rooms, even more paper is being used these days than before. Stock up, but keep in mind that paper is paper and pencils will be lost. Feel free to go to the dollar store.

If you find a deal on chargers, take it

That being said, more students are bringing their own devices to school or are able to bring school-owned devices home. It won’t surprise you to find out that kids aren’t the most organized people in the world. All this tech travel will mean accessories get lost in the shuffle.

I would suggest that this process requires three chargers: one at school (perhaps provided by the school in the form of a charging cart or other arrangement), one at home, and one for the book bag. If one of these is no longer available, they need to be replaced. Stock up if you see a sale somewhere. And don’t forget other accessories like cases, styluses, and screen protectors.

Buy the best planner possible (and use it)

Many schools, realizing how important it is for students to hone their study and organization skills, print and distribute their own planners for students to track their assignments. If your school isn’t one of them, this might be the most important purchase you make this year.

Find one that makes the process as easy as possible for your child and then commit to using it. Notice I didn’t say commit them to using it. Staying on top of assignments should be just as much a priority for you as for them. Check the planner nightly and communicate with the teacher that you’ll be doing so and you’d like them to sign off on what your student has written down. Then there are no miscommunications and everyone can focus on getting the work done.