Organizing Mail Q & A
from Shantau
A:One of the best ways to tackle the daily mail is to create a mail station for all of your incoming papers. Sort your mail as you open it and put the papers into files or baskets based on what you need to do next:
* DO – high priority errands and tasks
* Pay
* File
* Waiting/Decide – waiting to make a decision or pending items
* Go – events, classes, parties, tickets
* Use – coupons, gift cards
Next: make a little time each day to DO your DO items.
Pay bills 1-4 times a month.
You may even want to have “theme days” so you are more likely to get stuff done. Example of theme days:
Monday – file
Tuesday – Do to-dos
Wednesday – errands
Thursday – weed out and decide on items in the waiting/decide file
Friday – pay bills
Toys, Toys, Toys!
We are answering your questions that you send in.
Q: What approach do you use to organize toys?
A: The main reason toys are so difficult to organize is because most people have waaaay too many of them. It is a daunting, overwhelming task when there are more than 50 toys, games, books and puzzles with dozens of pieces to many of them.
It can take days to get a toy room in order, just to have the kids mess it up again. So why bother?
We bother because playing is fun, educational, and helps a child be a creative builder, artist, entertainer, teacher, doctor or whatever he or she wants to be.
So lets talk about approach. Here are the best ways to get the toys organized and keep them that way:
1. Cut your toys in half. Delete 50%.
When you and your children have less stuff to manage and put away, it is more fun to play. When children have fewer things, they can be more creative playing pretend with objects and using them for other uses. We’ve all seen how happy a child is with a cardboard box! That is because it is a blank canvas that can become anything the child dreams of. That is creativity.
If you don’t want to donate the excess, put the items into storage to play with later or rotate them from time to time.
2. Group toys together by how they are used.
Put the playdough with the clay tools. Keep the paint with the paint brushes and cups.
3. Group things together that are similar.
Create zones of similar items. Do it just like in kindergarten. Some usual zones:
- Arts and crafts (art supplies, splat mat, table)
- Pretend play (dress-up)
- Building (blocks, legos, knex)
- Reading area
- Games
- Toddler toys (these are usually bigger and bulkier)
- Sports (balls/bats)
4. Use good sturdy containers that can be re-used for other toys later. Kids grow out of toys but the containers can be used for a decade if it is sturdy. Plastic bins, baskets, shelves and other sturdy items will keep you from having to buy more containers down the road.
5. Ten Minute Tidy
The problem with toys is they’re only fun when they’re out of the boxes. So pick a time to tidy up with kids daily. This will keep parents from getting grumpy and it teaches a valuable skill to the children.
– Allison
Forgetful Student – Back to School
We’re back from a summer hiatus and answer your questions that came in over the summer about organizing:
Q: I am wondering if you have any suggestions or ideas on how to teach my son (now 8 years old, 3rd grade) organization. It is only the second week of school and despite reminding him ad nauseum about what to bring to school and what to bring home from school, we are already experiencing homework folders left at school, vocabulary cards left at home when they should be at school…etc. This is leading to much homework drama, arguments and tears.
Paper or Electronic Planner?
People often ask me, which is better to use: a paper or electronic planner?
Here is the answer: There is no right answer.
You first need to figure out some things about your brain and your life, such as:
1. Do you remember things better when you write them down? yes, no
2. Do you have only one or two appointments in a day? yes, no
3. Do you need to see the whole week or month at a glance to get the big picture? yes, no
4. Are you uncomfortable using tech gadgets or have trouble trusting tech gadgets? yes, no
5. Do you often skip reading instructions when you get a new gadget? yes, no
6. When you read a book, do you flip back pages or forward pages? yes, no
7. Do you remember where you wrote something down? Or what color? yes, no
8. When you ask for directions do you prefer a map drawing instead of turn by turn directions? yes, no
9. Do you remember the day of the week more than the numeric date? yes, no
10. You do NOT need to share calendars with anyone. yes, no
If you answer yes to most of these – you will likely do well or better with paper.
You may be a visual, global thinker, who processes information by writing.
If you answer no, you may be more detail focused and can remember things without seeing them. You may be comfortable using electronic planners.
If you have a ton of appointments to keep track of and you can get by just looking at one day at a time, electronic will proably be a better match.
If you’re some of each, you need a back-up calendar, or you plan with family or colleagues, then you may need to try the electronic thing and do your best to make it work.
One way to be both paper and electronic is to enter things electronically, but print the daily or weekly calendar out to carry with you, keep in a binder,or post on a wall.
Now with that said, you can do the electronic thing and just be a little less comfortable. I have switched and still don’t trust it and don’t remember, so I have to look at my calendar more often. So you may have to do a little somethin’ to MAKE it work.
Have you switched from paper to electronic? How did you make it work?
Have you switched back to paper? We want to know! Leave a comment.
– Allison
