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If you have a child who is unorganised when it comes to their school assignments, project due dates and homework, it can be quite troubling. Some children like to wait up until the last minute to get their work done. This can lead to them falling behind and, if the pattern continues, it might disrupt their grades when they go to university.

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What can you as parents do to help them get more organised?

Firstly, you have to understand that some children are born with prewired organisation skills but don’t despair. The good news is that organisation can be learned. The slightly less good news is that you’re going to have to help, which means investing time, effort, and maybe even some money. But the following strategies will get you and your child pointed in the right direction.

Get them tested

You want to rule out any underlying medical conditions that might be contributing to the problem, such as ADHD, a learning disability, vision problems, or something else.

Get connected

Ask your children’s teachers to keep you up to date on their assignments and grades. If the school uses an online system, insist that your child give you the login info and check the system every day. This will help you keep track of what’s due, when it’s due, and when each assignment has been completed.

Organise

Keep assignments on a shareable calendar app and help your child organise their binders so that completed assignments are always in the same place. And make sure pencils, erasers, printer paper, flash drives, and anything else your child needs to do the work are readily available.

Think small

Help them break large projects into smaller, easier-to-manage chunks.

Encourage breaks

If your child finishes one of those chunks or stays focused for 15 or 20 minutes, have them take a five-minute break to text, check email, listen to some music, or whatever.

Think backwards

Starting with the due date, how long will it take to research and complete each step? Then set a completion date target for each one.

Prioritise

Encourage them to complete the most difficult or time-consuming assignments first.

Remind

Eventually, you want your child to do all of this on their own. But for now, they need your help. Since you know what’s due and when, check on their progress and remind them as necessary.

Establish routines

If possible, homework should be done at the same time and in the same place.

Be there

Have your child sit next to you while they do their homework. Knowing that you’re going to be looking at the screen may keep them from getting quite so distracted.