Practice your ABCs
This post is from 2018, before the Pandemic. The information in this article is still relevant as people have returned to their office full or part-time and our children are back in school.
Practice your ABCs, when your kids go back to school in two ways
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been cleaning my home office. This entails organizing bookshelves and office supplies, cleaning out file drawers, and filing papers. At the beginning of doing my newsletter, I would write out my articles long hand and then type them into the computer. Eventually, I saw the inefficiency in this and now just type them. In one file, I discovered one of these long-hand articles and decided to reprise it here as part of this newsletter.
ABC #1
A. Absolutely everything in one place
B. The Bag
C. Clean Daily
As for A, all items you will need daily should be stored in one place and returned to that place each day. This way you won’t spend time looking for car keys, homework, or your wallet. Each family member including your kids should have a spot for their bag, briefcase, or backpack. Any items removed from this “bag” should be returned when done making for no forgotten homework, marketing reports, or to-do lists.
As for B, your “bag, whatever it is, should be packed up the night before, so nothing is forgotten. If you pack a lunch you can pack non-perishable items the night before and group perishable items together in the fridge for easy grab-and-go.
As for C, clean out your bag daily of garbage, and receipts and replenish items as needed. This way you always have what you need when you need it. I keep a few safety pins in the change pocket of my wallet, just in case. “Morgenstern says, ‘Don’t put options in your bag — just-in-case-I-have-time things. Options are what bog people down.’ You might think you can’t leave the house without hand cream, sunscreen, a screwdriver... or if you live in Seattle, an umbrella. If that’s the case, Morgenstern suggests buying the smallest, lightest versions of these items you can find. ‘There’s really no excuse for carrying full-size anything,’ she says.” (By Kari Forsee, Huffington Post)
The key is to ensure that everyone in your family has all they need each day and leaves nothing behind helping them start the day on the “right foot.”
ABC #2
A. All about the space
B. Being Prepared
C. Cellular Break
As for A, is the space clutter-free and conducive to focused work? Make sure that wherever your child(ren) does this/her homework is free of clutter and distractions. Make sure there is ample flat surface for paper, pencils, and other necessary items because kids often spread out. My daughter does, so the kitchen island is a nice place for her to go when doing her homework.
As for B, fill a plastic bin with all the necessary items (i.e. pencils, pencil sharpener, glue stick, etc.) your child needs to do homework, so they can grab it and get to work. You may want to store this with extra binder paper or other specialty paper needed for school so all of it is reachable in one place.
As for C, electronic devices should be for homework use only or for listening to music. Set guidelines with your child(ren) about device use during homework before the school year starts, so everyone is on the same page. Be prepared to take away devices if the guidelines aren’t adhered to by your child(ren). “Children who spent two to four hours a day using digital devices outside of schoolwork had 23 percent lower odds of always or usually finishing their homework, compared to children who spent less than two hours consuming digital media.” (By the American Academy of Pediatrics, Phys.org)
The key is to ensure that wherever your child/children do homework, the environment supports their learning, and staying focused on the task at hand, that is the homework.