Having struggled all my life with being overwhelmed in the face of complete tasks, such as cleaning a very messy space, micro projects are what keep me going. The more micro projects I have done, the less intimidating tasks are, even ones I haven’t yet broken down into parts. As a parent, I consciously break down tasks when having my children do what needs to be done. In my opinion, the skill to break down projects/tasks into bite sized pieces is invaluable and should be taught from a young age.
I only realised that i never learner the skills for decluttering and so now i am trying to learn them and implement them. But it is so hard! Especially because i need to see things to keep them in mind but i need them out of sight to feel at peace! Anyway, I'm working on one and done (ie deal with it straight away) so helpfully that eventually becomes a habit that i can maintain.
Thank you! Micro projects really works. My son struggled with mowing the lawn but when I said to just mow the left side of the house and do another section another day, he could do that. Your suggestions are always helpful and help me to help my 2e kids.
you have described my daughter in many ways. We help her with the 10 items per day. She has to help pick up or organize 10 things a day, sometimes there are only a few, it all depends on the day. Same but different.
This is a good strategy for anyone experiencing overwhelm, not just kids. I am currently doing a deep declutter in my kitchen. It is a big overwhelming project so I am going through one cupboard at a time. I have several done now, all over the kitchen, but it is getting done one project at a time.
Another thing that may calm down the sense of anxiety and overwhelm is to ask to commit to just now, just today. That also counts as a micro-project. "Just for today, I will put my clothes away"
I love the micro protect idea, for my kids and for myself. I tend to get overwhelmed and feel the need to do everything. Even when I break it down, I think I often don't break it down enough. I feel the need to break down the entire project, not just one step at a time. Needless to say I haven't done a great job of teaching my kids this either. Thank you for the tip! Question, any suggestions about how to help a child declutter when they don't want to let go of things?
What strategies do you have for motivation or encouragement to do the micro tasks? I totally get breaking it down but my young teen will still bristle and avoid it. If I microtask it small enough to lessen that-- socks on the floor of his room maybe, it would just escalate with other things he puts on the floor? I’m guessing I’d have to assign a microtask several times throughout the day but then he’s going to say he’s overwhelmed with the number of tasks.
What do YOU think? Add your ideas for helping kids through these challenges below...
Having struggled all my life with being overwhelmed in the face of complete tasks, such as cleaning a very messy space, micro projects are what keep me going. The more micro projects I have done, the less intimidating tasks are, even ones I haven’t yet broken down into parts. As a parent, I consciously break down tasks when having my children do what needs to be done. In my opinion, the skill to break down projects/tasks into bite sized pieces is invaluable and should be taught from a young age.
I only realised that i never learner the skills for decluttering and so now i am trying to learn them and implement them. But it is so hard! Especially because i need to see things to keep them in mind but i need them out of sight to feel at peace! Anyway, I'm working on one and done (ie deal with it straight away) so helpfully that eventually becomes a habit that i can maintain.
Thank you! Micro projects really works. My son struggled with mowing the lawn but when I said to just mow the left side of the house and do another section another day, he could do that. Your suggestions are always helpful and help me to help my 2e kids.
Glad it helped!
you have described my daughter in many ways. We help her with the 10 items per day. She has to help pick up or organize 10 things a day, sometimes there are only a few, it all depends on the day. Same but different.
This is a good strategy for anyone experiencing overwhelm, not just kids. I am currently doing a deep declutter in my kitchen. It is a big overwhelming project so I am going through one cupboard at a time. I have several done now, all over the kitchen, but it is getting done one project at a time.
Wonderful!
You are awesome, Seth!
Another thing that may calm down the sense of anxiety and overwhelm is to ask to commit to just now, just today. That also counts as a micro-project. "Just for today, I will put my clothes away"
I love the micro protect idea, for my kids and for myself. I tend to get overwhelmed and feel the need to do everything. Even when I break it down, I think I often don't break it down enough. I feel the need to break down the entire project, not just one step at a time. Needless to say I haven't done a great job of teaching my kids this either. Thank you for the tip!
Question, any suggestions about how to help a child declutter when they don't want to let go of things?
The word you’re looking for is either “colander” or “sieve”.
What strategies do you have for motivation or encouragement to do the micro tasks? I totally get breaking it down but my young teen will still bristle and avoid it. If I microtask it small enough to lessen that-- socks on the floor of his room maybe, it would just escalate with other things he puts on the floor? I’m guessing I’d have to assign a microtask several times throughout the day but then he’s going to say he’s overwhelmed with the number of tasks.
👏 Promo>SM