The Solutions Organizing Simple

Good-bye Summer/Hello Autumn!

Well, Mother Nature seems to have caught up with the calendar - we finally have some beautiful sunshine and it's expected to continue through the end of September, so if you didn't get a chance to get out and do something "fun" in July and August - make the time to do it in September, winter will be here before you know it. In the meantime, it's back to school for students - whether your child/ren attend an actual building or you home-school it's time for routines, homework and the inevitable "clean your room already"! We have some solutions to end the clean-your-room battle once and for all time.

We are also pleased to announce a new addition to the S.O.S. team! Gena Burzan joins us providing in-home counselling.

As always, we have some tips, tricks and ideas to help you. Drop us an email and tell us how you're doing.

Practical Solutions to
Organize Your Child

Well, it’s that time again. Back to routines, schedules, lessons and parents pleading with their kids to clean up their messy rooms. If you go anywhere in the world, in any household with kids you will hear: “How many times do I have to tell you?” by this time they tune you out, and the frustration continues.

At the beginning of the school year, have a family meeting and assign a chore for each child. Make sure this includes morning routines, homework, help with dinner and bedtime routines. Kids thrive on predictability; it gives them security knowing what comes next.

Your child needs your help and guidance. More likely s/he doesn't have the skills, enough space, shelves or containers to organize his room. Talk to her and choose a date to organize and clean his room. In order to commit, persuade your child to mark it on the calendar. This is a perfect opportunity to spend quality time with your child, teach her a valuable skill and accomplish something.

Pull everything out of the closet. Sort the items that belong together: clothes, shoes, books and toys.
Have her try on the clothes to make sure they fit. Get two big boxes and mark them: donate and keep. Go through every piece of clothing, keeping only what fits and what your child likes. Keep in mind that 25 T-shirts is a barrier to the things children really need. To reward your child for donating his clothes and toys to a less fortunate child, take her to a movie, offer to do some of her chores or have a friend over for a sleepover.
Use open shelves and containers instead of a toy box to store toys. With a better view of their belongings and easy access it is easier for children to put their toys away.
Help your child choose a color for his personal containers, baskets or shelves. Let her decorate the containers with stickers, stenciling or pictures of animals, flowers or with pictures of a favorite sports star. Label everything. Buy a laminated chores poster and write down the weekly chores, then erase the board when the chores are finished.
Lower the rods in the closet and buy child-size hangers to make it easier for him to hang clothes.
For older children, buy a portable filing system to store documents, awards and pictures. Pick out one or two “special” items from the items sent home from school. Recycle or throw out the rest. Be sure to explain that you can’t keep everything, or we’d be taken over by paper.
Create a permanent space in your kitchen or living room living for your child’s school supplies/projects and home work. Mount a couple of shelves on the wall for books, trophies and knick knacks, not too many.
Put a small desk under the shelves, hang a dry-erase calendar with big squares nearby to help with scheduling appointments and activities. Help your kids decorate this space with posters or pictures of their choice.
Mount attractive big pegs to hang robes or pajamas or buy over the door hanging pegs.
Buy a laundry hamper and garbage can for your child's room. Write down laundry and garbage days on the calendar.
Help your child to maintain his room by having her make the bed every morning and putting the dirty laundry in the hamper.
Remember, children respond to praise! Here are 98 Ways to Say "Very Good!"

Once the room is organized and cleaned, it will only take a few minutes to keep it clean and tidy. Encourage this by doing a walk-through every few days, give your child(ren) 15 minutes warning, tell them you are going to walk through their rooms, anything on the floor or not put away will go in the garbage. This may seem harsh, but you will find that you will only throw away one or two items before they catch on and keep their rooms clean.

As with any system, it is key that your child(ren) keep their rooms tidy, there is no point in you going in and cleaning their rooms for them, they will not learn the necessary skills to keep their homes clean when they move out if you don't start early.

Gena Burzan and In-home Counselling

Solutions Organizing Simple is very pleased to announce an addition to our team: in home counselling for our clients provided by Gena Burzan. By helping our clients explore feelings and emotions that are often related to their life experiences Gena is able to help our clients consider new ways of doing things. Working in our clients’ homes in a confidential setting,she listens attentively to our clients, offering them the time, empathy and respect they need to express their own feelings and perhaps understand themselves from a different perspective.

The aim is to reduce any confusion our clients may feel and enable them to make the necessary changes to improve their lives and how to stay on track.Through her gentle approach to counselling she gives her clients skills, not just advice, to find individual strengths, resilience and courage. Gena can help you navigate through your life’s transitions by exploring options you may not have considered.

TESTIMONIAL

I can wholeheartedly recommend Gena Burzan. She is a warm, supportive individual who was also very practical in helping me downsize my apartment. Gena was also able to assist me to analyze and deal with issues which were bothering me. Working with Gena was a joyous experience.~A.S. White Rock, BC

RESOURCE BOX:
Ranka Burzan is the owner of Solutions Organizing Simple and the author of “Helpful Hints to Organize and Clean Your Home, Your Junk or Your Life, 10 Tips to Organize Your Child, Praise Helps to Get Children Organized, Replace Nagging with Guidance to Cut Clutter, Liberate Your Garage and her first book “Kick the Clutter, Get Organized, 101 Tips to Organize your Space and her new book SOS Guide to Organize and Clean Your Home” She specializes in helping seniors downsize and relocate.

Have a wonderful week!

Ranka Burzan
Professional Organizer, Speaker & Author

604.538.3240
info@SolutionsOrganizing.com

www.SolutionsOrganizing.com

September 2011

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Susan Thomas for
Surrey City Council

Vote:
Nov 19/2011

We are proud to endorse Susan Thomas for Surrey City Council.

A long time member of the Surrey community, Susan Thomas feels it is time to take her business experience and give back to the community at a much higher level. Her list of accomplishments is extensive and she will bring a wealth of experience to the Surrey City Council.

She currently sits on two committees: The Crime and Justice Committee and the Transporatation & Infrastructure Committee; she has also just been nominated for the Surrey Board of Trade "Surrey Women in Business Awards" and is one of 3 finalists, the winner will be announced Mar 10th.

Peruse her website www.susanthomas.ca
to find out more about Susan Thomas and consider her for your vote on Nov 19, 2011!

New Workshops!

Where to find us...

Join us at our new blog and keep up to date on all our tips!

You can also find us on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Our cleaning products and books are now available at:

White Rock Wellness Centre & Store
101- 1493 Johnston Road
The Whale Wall Bldg
White Rock
604.541.6110

Farmer's Market!
Join us every Sunday until October at the Farmer's Market

Fresh baked goods, local musucians, vegetables, SOS cleaning products and demonstrations and much, much more all at the Farmer's Market at the White Rock Wellness Centre & Store.

S.O.S. Guide to
Or

ganize and Clean Your Home
is a perfect gift for any occasion; it is available in both hard copy and as a digital download.

The cute and charming boy on every S.O.S. product is the youngest member of our family, my Great-Grandson, Luka Joseph Burzan, he's one year old in the picture on our labels

Friend Us!! We are on Facebook and if you Like Us you will receive tips to keep you on track with your organizing goals.

JUNK BEE GONE
“You Call We Haul”
100% Bondable

Available 7 days a week

For all your moving and junk removal needs, please call Alex 778-918-5865

TESTIMONIAL
Dear Alex, Thank you so very much for moving us to our new home. You and your team were very helpful, pleasant and speedy. It has been a pleasure working with you.~
Gratefully, H. Burgess