Disorganization

Nancy, I found what helped my highly disorganized son was to construct 1 notebook that worked for all classes. Here is what I did I got one of those 2 inch binders, got single subject note books for each class and a corresponding folder the same color. The best folders are the plasic see through kind that you don’t have to open (it is like a sleeve). The binder he has has an extra storage section for his assignment notebook. We also placed a pencil bag in the binder with the required daily supplies. I take and review his homework when he is done (just to be sure it is done) and have him place it in the corresponding folder. Another helpful tip is to have an extra set a textbooks. After the 1st year of this it became automatic for my son. He no longer needs the extra set of books and he automatically puts his homework in the correct folder and best yet I dont even have to tell him to do it because he knows what is expected because he has it written down in his assignment book which he does not forget with this system. Hope this helps. Good Luck.

In the book “out of the fog” about ADD there was a pretty easy organization system. You buy a three subject note book. In the first section, you write down anything that comes to mind, any time it comes to mind. If it suddenly pops into your head “Oh, I hope I don’t forget that dentist appt.” Go and write it down. Also, all sort of plans and goals, such as “clean basement” or “graduate from college.” Anything goes.

In the second section you have your daily planner. Consult the first section, and write down anything that needs to get done that day, and preferably the time it needs to get done.

The third section is a project planner. ADD people often don’t start on large projects ( or even small ones, for that matter) because they can’t break it down. They don’t know where to start. In this section of the notebook, you break down larger projects into smaller steps. Like “Clean basement: step one, bring down trash bags and broom. Step two, pick up things that can be thrown away” and so on.

I am using a notebook like this for my daughter who is in a home cyber school. I find it helps her keep on track. I break down each subject, what is due and when. We consult it often, so things aren’t “forgotten”.

are good for home organization tips. There are lots of books about housecleaning by people who are professional organizers. There are also people who you can hire who will come it and show you how to organize yourself and your life. Basically it is learning to throw things away and put things away where they belong and not being a pack rat.

I have worked with many families over the years who have been in similar situations. There are no magical answers,but the ones I have found to be most helpful are the simple solutions. If you try anything too complex it will probably end up not working.

1. With your son sit and negoitate a mutually set time for homework to be done. Allow him to cross out sport’s training times, T.V. times, eating time, phone time, playtime etc. But he must find time each day to fit the work in. ONce this time has been decided he is not allowed to change it. Write this up on a timetable and dsplay in area for all to see so that no other plans can be made to change it. If there is a day when it is impossibe to fit the time in then there must be a double up on another day.

2. Have a set place where work is always done. This becomes an area where correct work habits must be demonstrated and followed. This is not to be in front of the TV or the middle of an area where other people are socialising.

3.Organise boxes, tins etc to store the necessary materials to work with. This would involve pens, pencils, ruler, rubbers, glue, paper, dictionary, atlas etc These are only to be used when doing schoolwork, not for drwaing, talking phone messages etc. They must be kept here only. This will cut down on the time rushing around and delaying the tASK TO BE COMPLETED. It would help if you allow your son to help select and discuss the storage etc. This will give him some ownership of the tools and area. Of course you need to update the materials as time goes by.

4. Each night ensure that all school books amd materials are returned to bags or the correct area. Children need to know from an early age that everthing has a “house” and that if returned it will always be there when needed.

These are only a few but they are some handy ones to start with. Hope all goes well. Let me know

Disorganization,I believe,is something that CAN NOT be changed,learning to live with it is the only way.
Sticky notes. LOVE them. I can always find a sticky note they are all over the house. Might find this where the binder would be ,WHO KNOWS!. Daily Plannner,left mine at someones house gee,about two years ago,still haven’t gotten it back! I find that if it is another book to keep up with,forget it!

I forget to punch in when I arrive at work,why? I get to talking or doing something and before I know it it is four hours into my shift and I am not getting paid! I made sign,put it on my visor in the car,looking it at it all the way to work,helps,sometimes.

I am disorganized,will always be disorganized ,come from a long line of disorganized people,there are aids,but it will not erase this strong personality trait. I have learned to accept this,at work I will say,okay let’s try this,but you know I will forget to follow up,can you do that part? In other words some people can do the organization part some can’t. Hey us disorganized people are less boring anyway.:-)

… as a severely disorganized person, one of my major frustrations is books “to organize *anybody*” … that totally underestimate the problem. Oh, they describe people who are “more disorganized” and are real horror stories — but so often the “cure” is stuff that works for people who are sort of disorganized, but not really.
I’ve had fun cruising through www.flylady.com — and if I could figure out some e-mail issues I might even get on that yahoo group, if I ever get around to it …

Actuallly SHE Sidetracked Home Executives was funny because these woman wrote it together and they were disorganized and it they shared what they discovered by helping each other. It is a hoot. I learned how to clean houses from Don Aslett and my ADD-Inattentive mother certainly didn’t teach me. I learned from a book…but I go through states where I am extremely organized and when I am really disorganized. It is frustrating but I am learning to manage it better. I can handle clutter but if it gets out of hand I go nuts..

A friend of mine is a production coordinator for a small Marketing & communications firm…3 partners plus her and 2 office staff, VERY successful. YOU SHOULD SEE their office. To me it is a nightmare…piles everywhere, paperwork, samples, products they have made (from soup to nuts. folders, brochures, promo stuff) it is NUTS. They all love it…I can’t even visit there, it gives me a headache. We laughed when my friend got this job — she has always been known for being a ‘bag lady’; ‘packrat’ ‘clipping freak’ who saves EVERYTHING, and she has found her ‘soulmates’. From this chaos comes the most wonderful work…me I was born this way but fight it with good habits cuz I can’t think as well in chaos!

My son is similar…if you teach him to make things a habit he has little trouble, but he is not neat naturally. This year his teacher is a VERY organized person…she has really helped us both. We went to cubs the other night and I noticed he was putting his gloves in his boots. Turns out this is one of the things she teaches her class…hmmmm, I WONDERED why we have not had one lost mitt so far this year!

By the way, my son is (I’m pretty sure) the only dyslexic in his class, and two guys are ADHD — but if you subtract them, at least 5 other kids have WILDLY messy desks…worse than my son’s since they are (I assume) doing fine academically and so only participate in the once-a-term desk clean…so out of 26 I noted 8 kids with pretty messy desks…30%. Perspective, perspective!

Lisa, We did a similar thing with the plastic see through sleeve folders, but homework is not put in the subject folders—just work in progress and returned work (which I help him clear as old papers are no longer needed.) All homework that is to be turned in goes into one homework folder at the front of the binder. As soon as he gets into class, he looks through that folder to get the homework for that class. Ideally, the folder should be empty by the end of the day as everything should be turned in. (I look at it every night to make sure things were turned in—I haven’t figured out yet what to do about teachers that don’t explicitly ask for homework they have assigned to be turned in.) We tried putting the homework for each subject into the subject folders but he got too confused about looking into different folders to retrieve homework.

I didn’t read these posts before my earlier post… now I have to say it louder:

YOU ALL HAVE TO VISIT FLYLADY.NET!!! You will love her! The whole site is devoted to SHEs. FLY stands for Finally Loving Yourself. CHAOS stands for Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome – we’ve all been there. Honestly, I don’t recommend many things to people but you really can just stop by our house now and we accomplish so much more during the day. Its a relief.

My question exactly! At a team meeting it was actually brought up that an aide would go to my son’s class to make sure he turned in his math homework. Why would it need to come to that? If, after all these years, every night I still have to tell my 10 and 12 yr old to brush their teeth and go to the bathroom before bed or they won’t do either, a teacher should be able at some point in the day ask specifically for the homework since it seems to be such a trouble spot for most of our kids. Probably most of everyone’s kids!