Simplify to Finally Succeed in Being Organized

As I've mentioned before, I am a veteran of numerous organizational methods. I think many adults with AD/HD are. We're always looking for that magic organization bullet. When we come across a new method in the bookstore or in a magazine, we think "Maybe this is it!" We buy whatever tools we need and set up the system according to the directions of the evangelist who swears this is an easy, effective way to stay organized.

I think one of the most popular targets for organizing methods is paper, as setting up a system is difficult and maintaining it takes a lot of discipline.

After decades of trying to keep my paper out of piles, off the floor and neatly filed in folders (and failing miserably most of the time), I finally realized that I was never going to have all of my paper "stuff" organized like that. Granted, about once a year I spend an afternoon going through my two or three piles of papers (in some cases I actually get them into a shopping bag), throwing out what wasn't needed anymore and filing the things we needed to hold onto. But other than that, I just made piles and stopped trying to be someone who files every piece of paper immediately in a nicely labeled file folder.

I couldn't completely ignore the issue, though. The problem was that not all of the papers scattered here and there were those that I might possibly need at some point. The problem was the papers that I needed easy access to, usually for school or daycare.

This summer was a challenge. My son attended five different kinds of camps. Although only two organizations were involved, each camp had to be registered for separately.

I was tearing my hair out by June. I had to fill out paperwork to have the camp give my son his medication (but first I had to find it). I had to find the information packet with all the details, like what he was supposed to bring his lunch in and what illnesses would keep him home. (He got pinkeye within a week of starting the first camp). I needed to fill out and turn in the camp registration for the swimming camp in the first week of August (but first I had to...you know the rest). All of these things were in different places, and of course I had no idea what those places were. And this was just the beginning of the summer!

It finally dawned on me that all I needed to do was keep all of the camp papers in a file folder. I didn't need to label it with my labelmaker (although that would have been nice). I didn't need to do a separate folder for forms that needed to be filled out and turned in, and one for information. In short, I could simplify the system down to the basics.

And you know what? It worked. I kept everything in one folder. Whenever I got information from a camp, it went in the folder so I could find it and refer to it when necessary. All the forms that needed to be filled out went in there. And the folder was with me wherever I went. When I was at work it was in my tote bag, and when I was home it was on the dining table.

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Five Ways to Keep a Child with ADHD Organized and On Track

For me, parenting a child with ADHD is two parts love and one part frustration. I find myself saying, "But how could you forget to do that?" almost as many times as I say, "I love you, honey." We know from experience that simply telling an ADHD child that he has to remember deadlines, stop losing things and stay on task doesn't work. Our children just aren't wired that way. The best thing I've found to alleviate some of that frustration is to find ways to compensate for my son's shortcomings. Here are a few strategies you might want to try:

Manage the morning rush by getting ready for school the night before. Lay out clothes, make sure homework and permission slips are signed and in your child's backpack, and all sports equipment and other items for extracurricular activities are clean and ready to go.Make cleaning out the backpack part of homework time. That way permission slips and notices from school won't get lost, food won't turn into a science experiment, and then there's also a chance to talk about what activities are coming up at school.If your child is old enough to write, get her a daily planner and show her how to use it. Not only can she keep her class schedule in it to stay on track at school, but can also keep track of upcoming activities like field trips. Once the permission slip for the activity is signed and returned, one of you can put a check next to the field trip entry. She can note schoolwork deadlines in the planner as soon as she learns of them from the teacher. How many times have you told your child to get dressed for school, only to find out ten minutes later she's sitting in their underwear on the floor of her room examining a toy or reading a book? Kids with ADHD get distracted easily, as we know. Use a kitchen timer to help keep your child on task in the morning or at other times when staying on track is essential. Make sure the timer ticks loudly - it's an aural cue to remind her that she's on a deadline.Think about all of the time you've wasted with frantic searches around the house for backpacks, library books and equipment for extracurricular activities. The problem is that your child can drop their stuff anywhere in the house from the time they come in the door till they roost in front of the tv, computer or refrigerator.  Neither you nor your child have any idea where everything ended up. Consider establishing a "drop zone" near the door where your child enters the house. Keep reminding him to drop everything he's carrying the minute he walks through the door, and eventually it will become second nature. Whenever he needs library books to read or homework to do in another location, he has to remember to take it back to the drop zone when he's done. You'll have to nag him a lot in the beginning until it becomes a habit, but I'll take nagging over frantically searching for something any day.
How do you keep your child with ADHD on track?
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