I am NOT organized by nature, and my husband (who IS organized by nature) has been reminding me lately that I am modeling bad habits for kids. If I don’t teach them good habits now, they aren’t going to learn it later in life.
Professional Organizer Lea Schneider takes a similar approach in her book Growing Up Organized: A Mom to Mom Guide. She also reminds us moms that trying to do everything yourself makes it almost impossible to be organized. In each chapter she underscores several principles:
You can get rid of clutter.
You can become organized.
Your children can learn personal responsibility for their things.
The family can work together.
This book was easy to read and is chock-full of advice that is practical and easy to implement. Topics that were of particular interest to me are
- How to tackle a big organizing job
- Keeping up with the cleaning (maintenance)
- Sharing the household chores with the family
She also includes things in this book targeted directly to families – things I would not have considered an organizational issue, such as managing homework and reading deadlines and those school lunches!
“Part of disorganization comes from trying to do everything for everybody” (page 153). Does that resonate with anyone else? Are you tired of trying to keep up with your own stuff and everyone else’s?
You can buy this book (and I recommend that you do!), either on amazon or at her website (where you can also buy an e-book, which is the version I used so that I could download it to my Kindle, using the emailed pdf option. Other than a few formatting glitches, I enjoyed reading it this way.).
You can find more information at Lea’s Organize Right Now! site, including signing up for her newsletter.
One of you will win your choice of a printed copy (U.S. only) or an E-book (anywhere in the world!). Leave a comment if you’d like to win. Just for fun, tell us who the most disorganized person in your home is (you don’t have to name names).
Jennifer Donovan would have honestly said she was most disorganized in her family, but lately her tween daughter is edging her out. Read more about her family’s strengths and weaknesses at Snapshot.
This is part of the 2009 Back-to-School Giveaway. We’d love it if you helped spread the word!
- Leave a comment on this post as your entry.
- This giveaway is open to residents anywhere in the world (e-book only)! One entry per person.
- New giveaways will be posted through August 26. Winners will be announced August 31.
- Check out the list of the other giveaways in the 2009 Back-to-School Giveaway at the main post.
I have a weakness for reading organization books, then not having enough time to get organized. ha. The most disorganized member of our household is my daughter, who now is off at college. We could immediately tell that she no longer lived in our house because it stayed so much cleaner.
I would love to win this. I am probably the most disorganized. : (
oo what a great sounding book.. I have a lot of great intentions of getting organized but not enough follow through.. I would have to say I’m the most unorganized.
I’d like to read this book. The most disorganized person in my home is my husband. He’ll throw anything anywhere.
Looks good — please enter me! I know I’m the least organized adult in this house, but the kids give me competition. 🙂
I NEED this book! I am terrible, and the current view I have of my family room and kitchen proves it!
Please count me in!
Oh I’d love a copy of the e-book!
I’d have to say the position of most disorganised person in my family is between my youngest sister and myself. It used to be hands-down, flat out my sis… her room was a danger zone to enter! But the past couple of years my life has kind of spiralled out of control and this have gotten such a mess that it’s reflected in everything around me: my house, my room, my paperwork, my classes… argh! i need help getting myself organised!
Oh, I need help with organization, I seem to be getting worse if that is possible.
Ok, I will not mention my husband’s name then. I so agre with #4…..when he’s done with it..that is where it sits or lays.
The most disorganized person in my home is my 8yo daughter, lol!
I am the most disorganized in my home. It seems I don’t ever have time to get it all done.
I need help! I think I’m organized but I’m really not!! Actually I think my husband is the most disorganized as far as leaving things lying around…he’s blind to it!
I could really use this book. Thank you!
I love being organized and would love to read this.
I can use the help to organize my mess
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
This book sounds great– I am pretty organized but I actually worry that I am doing too much for my kids, rather than teaching them the skills they will need themselves.
looks great
I’d love to read this, I need all the help I can get! I am the queen of unorganized!
I could definitely use some organization help at my house!
Growing up I was probably most disorganized, now it’s my son. He and my husband think I should know where everyones’ stuff is. I could use Lea Schneiders’ help.
This is great!! Someone else to ferret out the details of order – A recipe for sanity!
This would be a god send for me and other members of my family.
I could really use this book! Please enter me!
Awesome item. I would really put this one to use.
Well, I guess it would be me. My oldest daughter is away at college so I can’t blame her and although my three other children are disorganized they’re only 5, 4 and 2 so I’ll let them off the hook too. 🙂 Sounds like a great and useful book.
I can be pretty disorganized! I try, but sometimes things slip through!
Well, we are all very disorganized but I would have to say my 23 year old son takes the cake. He can’t find anything.
Organization has never been my strong suit, since starting homeschooling it has just gotten worse, if that is possible! Great giveaway! 🙂
This sounds as though it could be a very resourceful book! Please enter me!
I am right there with you. My husband is just organized. I try super hard and have not made it there yet. Thanks for the heads up and a chance to win!
I would love to win this!! Thank you!
I need this book! I am the most disorganized in our house!
i need this, count me in please
Sounds like a great book.
Thanks!
Regrettably I am the most disorganized in the house. I’m so bad at organizing my time I tend to rush around everywhere. This would be great to win. I feel like I show my son its okay to be late, but it really isn’t. lol.
If this was a prize that was awarded based on need… it would be mine hands down!! I set such a bad example for my kids!
It is strange, but perhaps both of us are organized enough on our own – but together, we are all about randomness and chaos and turbulence. We have our areas of ‘organization’, where we are more rather than less organized, but overall, no choosing which is worse! Of course, I’d like to believe it isn’t me 🙂
Uh… that would be me! But I’m also the most organized, too, if that makes any sense. It just depends when!
I’m pretty organized except for office type things. I always like to throw things out.
I am the most unorganized person I know and bless my kids hearts, they have inherited the gene. I’d love to have this and maybe passit on to my 19 and 17 yr old daughters
I am definitely not organized.
The older I get the more unorganized I feel. I think it has something to do with having teenagers that are always on the go, but can’t drive yet.
Organizing is Good!
hubby is the most unorganized in our home
My husband would definitely be the most disorganized person in our house. He is always running around looking for something (keys, work id, wallet, etc). It drives me nuts.
This would help my husband’s anxiety…. lol
I would Like to Win a prize. Thanks for giving me a chance!
My husband is the most disorganized in our home!
kylie8cake(at)gmail(dot)com
Thank you for the AWESOME GIVEAWAY.. Please count me in 🙂