How to encourage your kids to tidy up after themselves

Getting your kids to tidy up after themselves is certainly a never-ending battle. In fact, teenagers and older kids are often much worse than younger children, so encouraging tidiness early on will help set up good habits. Here at Tutor Doctor we know encouraging great habits like this is much easier said than done. That’s why we’ve come up with a few simple and straightforward methods for you to encourage your children to be tidy and stay that way!

Set a good example
Children are often much more sensitive to what we do rather than what we say. That’s why setting a good example when it comes to tidying up after yourself is vital, especially if you want them to adopt the same habits. Taking pride in looking after your home and keeping your belongings in order will increase the odds that your kids will have a positive attitude towards doing the same. Showing them how it’s done and letting them know you expect the same too, will help tidiness become the norm!

Clearly define expectations
Letting your kids clearly know specifics in regards to tidiness expectations makes it much easier for them to understand and follow. Break it down into easy rules- here’s an example of a few:

• Make your bed every morning
• Put dirty washing in the laundry pile
• Hang up clean clothes
• Put all toys away after playtime
• Put dirty dishes in the sink/dishwasher
• Throw rubbish/empty packets in the bin

If you find they’re really struggling to follow these guidelines, why not turn them into a fun poster that you can stick on the fridge or on their bedroom wall? Not only will this act as a friendly reminder, you can even put a progress tracker on there too. Giving incentives by offering a reward if they tidy up for a whole month is bound to get them motivated!

Make sure everything has a place
Making sure that everything in your house has a place will help hugely when it comes to your kids staying tidy. If they know exactly what lives where, then when they use something they’ll be more inclined to return the item to its ‘home.’ When items just live in piles or don’t have a specific place then it’s easy for clutter to build and can confuse your child as they don’t know where to put away things once they’ve used them.

Teach them how to care for their belongings
Teaching your kids to care for their own things is going to help them be more respectful towards them. This means notions of putting things away after using them will become second nature- meaning no more mess!

Reduce the number of toys
We guarantee your child has accumulated way too many toys over the years, meaning more items to leave out and more to tidy away! Try having a clear out and going through of all of their toys, games and books. Let your kids only keep the items they truly love and give the rest away to charity. We bet they’ll still have more than enough to play with and activities to do- there just won’t be as much clutter.

Stick to a routine
Establishing and sticking to a routine is a great way to encourage tidying. Start by making sure your child tidies away all their toys, books and anything else they’ve been doing before they eat dinner or go to bed. Other easy practices include putting dirty clothes in the laundry when they get changed into their pjs, clearing up empty packets and wrappers after eating something and putting books and papers back onto the bookshelf or desk when they’ve finished their homework. All of these easy routines will be sure to set up great tidying habits for life.

The benefits of young people taking part in sport

For many parents, encouraging their kids to get involved in sports is a struggle. However, recent studies have shown that participating in sports can have a positive impact on a child’s social and physiological well-being, meaning there’s never been a better time to make your kids health and fitness a top priority. Here at Tutor Doctor, we know how beneficial sports can be. Athleticism not only ensures your child is active but teaches valuable life-skills. Whether it’s gymnastics, football or swimming, we’ve shared 7 benefits of getting your kids into the action.

Community
Joining a sports team or club gives kids a sense of belonging and provides an excellent opportunity for them to make new friends. Being part of this external community away from their everyday school life can also mean that your child has a fresh start and can be completely themselves with a wide support system. This can be a very exciting feeling, especially as school can be tough for many kids.

Losing Gracefully
Taking part in sports regularly will mean at some point your kids will probably lose a race, a competition or miss a goal. No one likes a sore loser and they will quickly have to learn to dust themselves off and try again. Doing this will help them learn how to lose gracefully and embrace a competitive spirit.

Being Patient
Practicing sports skills and techniques requires a huge amount of patience and determination- after all it’s impossible to become a pro overnight! Practicing on a regular basis is going to be central if your child wants to improve in their chosen sport which can take months- years even. Patience is the key!

Dedication
Being part of a sports club or a team requires high levels of commitment and dedication. Showing up, being positive and willing to work hard at each practice can really boost your child’s belief in dedication, something that can be of benefit for the rest of their life. It’s even been found that participation in sport is linked to higher academic achievements at school.

Being a team player
Being involved in sports clubs is a fantastic way for your child to learn to be a real team player. Not only will they need to understand that communication is key but also realise that a team can’t succeed without working together.

Building self esteem
Sports and other physical activities have been found to positively contribute to the development of self-esteem in kids. A high-five from a teammate, a “well done” from a coach or even a really fun practice will help your child build character.

Selflessness
Sport, particularly team sports are an amazing platform that can help teach your kids to be less selfish. Often your child will have to think about what’s best for their team and not just what’s going to benefit themselves. Practicing selflessness regularly will also carve their personality as they head into adulthood.

5 ways you can help de-motivated kids succeed

All parents want their kids to thrive at school. But if your child is going through a phase where they’re feeling de-motivated then it can be difficult for them to perform to the best of their ability. Here at Tutor Doctor we know that kids struggling with de-motivation often avoid asking for help and don’t know how to get out of their ‘funk.’ That’s why we’ve put together 5 ways that you can help your child become motivated and inspired with learning again! Don’t forget- it takes time and patience to see results, so don’t expect miracles overnight.

1. Be a good listener
Kids with low motivation get frustrated easily, so it’s important you let them know that you’re there to listen to any problems they’re having. Whether acknowledging an issue with homework or just chatting about what’s going on at school, knowing they’re heard will help them get back on track. It’s also a great way for you to offer a more positive perspective.

2. Create a fun homework space
Homework isn’t something that many kids look forward to, especially if they’re already feeling de-motivated. Small changes such as jazzing up a homework space at home can make all the difference. Find a spot where they can be comfy but alert and let them make it their own. Fill it with fun posters, inspiring books, colourful folders and post-its. Even the most de-motivated child might start looking forward to sitting in their vibrant space and completing assignments. After all, learning doesn’t have to be boring -- it can be fun!

3. Celebrate little successes
When your child is feeling de-motivated, it is super important that you recognise and celebrate even the little successes. Whether that’s getting one good grade or completing a big project on time, verbally telling them you’re proud goes a long way. Positive recognition can even motivate your kids to want to achieve more, meaning they will work harder at school to get back on track.

4. Identify Goals
Sitting down with your child and getting them to identify some academic goals or career ideas is an easy way to help with motivation levels. Encourage them to spend some time researching their goals, or creating spider diagrams to find ways they can reach their aspirations. This should help them feel much more inspired and excited to try their best to succeed at school.

5. Encourage learning in new ways
A great approach to combat de-motivation within children is to try and spark new interests. Do this by encouraging learning in new ways such as heading to your local library together, finding interactive and interesting educational websites for your kids to explore or even spend the occasional weekend visiting local historical sites, art museums and zoos.