Why some kids have messy backpacks

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Quick tip 1
Make a daily backpack routine.
Make a daily backpack routine.
Create a schedule of when kids should prepare their backpacks for school or home. Use tools like picture schedules and checklists to help them with the task.
Quick tip 2
Sort and group supplies.
Sort and group supplies.
Sort supplies into clear categories. For example, put pens, pencils, and highlighters together. Then have kids pick a pocket in the backpack to store these items in. Labeling or color-coding pockets can help kids remember what goes there.
Quick tip 3
Do regular backpack check-ins.
Do regular backpack check-ins.
Staying organized takes time and practice. Set aside time each week or month to check in on the status of the backpack.
Quick tip 4
Talk about the benefits of a neat backpack.
Talk about the benefits of a neat backpack.
Some kids don’t see the point of having a neat backpack. Explain why organization matters — and why it helps them: “When your backpack is neat, you can find your homework and get started right away. That might give you more time to play later.”
Quick tip 5
Praise the effort.
Praise the effort.
Even if kids don’t keep their backpacks perfectly organized, praise the effort: “The backpack is neater now — I like how you used your pencil case to organize small items.” This kind of specific feedback encourages kids to keep trying.

Most people would agree: A book bag or backpack that’s overflowing with things that are randomly thrown in is messy. Do kids with messy backpacks not see the mess? Or do they not care about it?

For some kids, messiness is a choice. There are things they’d rather be doing than cleaning up and getting organized. If it’s up to them, they’re going to do the stuff that’s interesting and fun. Having to sift through a mess is a chore. But if they need to get it together and clean up, they have no trouble doing it.

For other kids, organizing a backpack (and keeping it that way) is a real challenge. Messiness isn’t a choice. They simply have a hard time staying organized. That’s because cleaning up a messy backpack involves a bunch of steps. And it requires skills like staying focused and planning.

When messiness is a choice

So how can you tell if messiness is a choice? One way is to see what happens when it’s time to clean up the backpack.

If kids know all the steps, stay focused on them, and follow them until the backpack is organized, you’ll know the task isn’t a challenge. You may need to set up a system, though, to help kids remember how and when to clean up the backpack.

Parents and caregivers: Try these tips to help your child with organization.

When messiness is not a choice

If you see kids struggling to follow steps and keep things organized when it’s time to clean up the backpack, messiness may not be a choice. And the reason behind the messiness may not be so obvious.

When messiness is not a choice, you might see behavior that doesn’t even seem related. Kids might:

Get really frustrated or angry when it’s time to do an assignment
Walk off without taking out a single thing when it’s time for homework
Throw most things away without looking at them
Have other messy spaces, like lockers or desks

Some kids have a hard time keeping their backpack and other spaces neat because they have trouble with focus or with following directions. Others have difficulty with organization and planning.

If you’re concerned about the reasons behind kids’ messy backpacks, learn more about trouble with focus and trouble with organization.

Next steps

There are lots of ways to help kids who have a hard time being neat. Once you come up with a system, it should be easier for kids to get and stay organized.

Parents and caregivers: Get tips and watch a video on how to organize your child's backpack.

Educators: Download these free printables to help your students and their families get organized.

Quick tip 1

Make a daily backpack routine.

Make a daily backpack routine.

Create a schedule of when kids should prepare their backpacks for school or home. Use tools like picture schedules and checklists to help them with the task.

Quick tip 2

Sort and group supplies.

Sort and group supplies.

Sort supplies into clear categories. For example, put pens, pencils, and highlighters together. Then have kids pick a pocket in the backpack to store these items in. Labeling or color-coding pockets can help kids remember what goes there.

Quick tip 3

Do regular backpack check-ins.

Do regular backpack check-ins.

Staying organized takes time and practice. Set aside time each week or month to check in on the status of the backpack.

Quick tip 4

Talk about the benefits of a neat backpack.

Talk about the benefits of a neat backpack.

Some kids don’t see the point of having a neat backpack. Explain why organization matters — and why it helps them: “When your backpack is neat, you can find your homework and get started right away. That might give you more time to play later.”

Quick tip 5

Praise the effort.

Praise the effort.

Even if kids don’t keep their backpacks perfectly organized, praise the effort: “The backpack is neater now — I like how you used your pencil case to organize small items.” This kind of specific feedback encourages kids to keep trying.

Why messiness can make kids anxious

- Being organized requires executive function skills some kids lack. - Organization is hard for kids with ADHD. - Messiness can create anxiety for different reasons. For some kids, messiness is a choice. Theyre not upset by mess or clutter and can clean up when they need to or want to. But for

4 reasons your organization tips aren’t working for your child

- Many kids have poor organization skills. - Its common with kids who have ADHD and executive function challenges. - Your childs organization system may not match yours. You try every strategy you can think of to help your child with ADHD and executive function challenges get organized. But you

ADHD and messiness

Some people are naturally neat. They keep their things fairly organized and try to avoid making a mess. But many kids and adults with ADHD are the opposite theyre messy most of the time. And it can cause problems at home, school, and work. For example, kids might miss a field trip because the permis

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Why some kids have messy backpacks

Quick tip 1

Make a daily backpack routine.

Make a daily backpack routine.

Quick tip 2

Sort and group supplies.

Sort and group supplies.

Quick tip 3

Do regular backpack check-ins.

Do regular backpack check-ins.

Quick tip 4

Talk about the benefits of a neat backpack.

Talk about the benefits of a neat backpack.

Quick tip 5

Praise the effort.

Praise the effort.

When messiness is a choice

When messiness is not a choice

Next steps

See what ADHD feels like

Quick tip 1

Make a daily backpack routine.

Make a daily backpack routine.

Quick tip 2

Sort and group supplies.

Sort and group supplies.

Quick tip 3

Do regular backpack check-ins.

Do regular backpack check-ins.

Quick tip 4

Talk about the benefits of a neat backpack.

Talk about the benefits of a neat backpack.

Quick tip 5

Praise the effort.

Praise the effort.

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About Understood