Why Kids Can Organize Better Than Adults

Several years ago when my oldest granddaughter was around 8 years old, she came to grandmas for a sleepover. She was used to us creating 'something' every time that she slept over. We would go through my 'everything' box and look for things that we could put together to make something useful.

On this particular day, we both drew a blank and couldn't come up with anything, so, what do you do under those circumstances? You go shopping of course! We decided to go 'looking around' for ideas for everyone for Christmas and Birthdays. We would then write the ideas on our list that we always hid in the filing cabinet. This list always came in handy especially when it came time for the sales!

We were looking through the office supplies and came across a cute desk set that would look nice on her desk in her bedroom; and then we saw the price! I really had not planned to take a mortgage out on the house, so, we didn’t purchase it. We decided however, that our shopping spree had come to an end and we went to McDonalds instead.

When we went back to grandmas, she started going through the 'everything' box, pulling things out and stacking them on the table. "What are you looking for?" was my first question and "Why", was the second question I had. She was so intent on what she was doing that she did not hear a thing I said. Finally, she came in the kitchen and asked if we had any empty boxes, the small kind that we used for in drawers. She retrieved the boxes in the shapes and sizes that she needed, came back in the kitchen, washed out the empty can of peas, proceeded to take the label off, and then disappeared into the dining room.

In a matter of 30 minutes, she called me in to view her masterpieces; she had created a set of desktop organizers that matched her bedroom. She used a can for holding pencils, pens, a checkbox cover to hold her small stapler, and staples, a small jewelry box cover to hold her post it notes and made a telephone book with a matching cover.

She used boxes of different sizes, a can, typing paper and part of a roll of Contac paper that we had left over from another project. The colors that were in the paper matched the colors in her bedroom perfectly and the desk organizers added organization and color to her once bland desk.

Give a child the idea, the tools and the freedom to explore and they are better organizers than adults are. Maybe it is the benefit of having that young and vibrant imagination that gives them the ability to visualize things.

Children love to be creative; they just have to be taught to see beyond one way of thinking. Yes, a can is used to hold food, but what else can we use it for?

After cleaning it and taking the label off, we can use it for a variety of things:
1. holding pens and pencils
2. holding crayons
3. adding cake mix and baking
4. holding a glue bottle in case of leakage
5. holding makeup and mascara brushes
6. a comb holder
7. a wooden spoon or kitchen utensil holder
8. a remote control holder
9. a holder for nail grooming accessories
10. a candle holder- with designs cut in the tin

These are the ideas that were given to me by that same little eight-year-old girl. How many of those would you have thought of? Open a world of visualization and organization to a child and as adults, we will also learn.

Jan Hayner, a Professional Organizer, offers tips, hints and shortcuts on organizing and cleaning for men, women and kids go to Organizing Your Life THE EASY WAY (www.organizingyourlifetheeasyway.com) and get her free pamphlets, newsletter and more.

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