To Molly, being organized means being able to finally locate her homework in her 23 pound backpack. It means piling papers in 27 locations throughout her bedroom, then spending most of the night rifling through them to find the instructions for a long-term science project due yesterday. To make matters worse, she just landed the lead in the middle school play. Molly thinks she can handle it all, but you know better.

Teacher says: Get the hook on Molly’s mangled organizing systems. The timing is perfect. “It’s easier to dictate to young children…If they experience difficulties, it’s a golden opportunity to turn them into silver linings,” says professional organizer Marcia Allen of Northwest Washington.

Some ways to organize Molly’s space and time:

Account for style.

“Examine a child’s style, get on their wavelength, see how they process and create ways to work from there,” advises Ann W. Saunders, a licensed clinical social worker and professional organizer in Baltimore. Since Molly likes things separated, suggest an open file box with 27 dividers to accommodate her piles.

Make color coding meaningful.

Says New York City professional organizer Donna Goldberg: “Kids see subjects in color. They’ll tell you ‘math is always green,’ or ‘I always see history as red because it is about battles and blood.’ Associate a subject with a color.” Then, she adds, “divide the open file box and the three-ring binder in the same order and color.

Arrange things logically and in order.

Starting with Molly’s heavy backpack. “Children need to be taught that it’s not necessary to carry everything all the time,” says Goldberg. Lee Donald, a professional organizer in Mobile, Alabama, recommends backpacks with pockets of graduated size — reserve the smallest one in the front for keys, money, pencils, and calculators; the middle for planners and play scripts; the biggest for books.

Provide some unique organizing spaces.

Get a Homework Helpmate — an open, portable, toolbox-style organizer for 15 standard school supplies. It “takes the work out of homework,” says inventor Susan Brown of Gaithersburg. For keeping track of assignments, test dates, projects and dramatic productions, try “a teacher’s lesson plan book,” says Goldberg. It organizes subject by subject, day by day, period by period, all week long.

Help Molly revise her thinking about time management.

Put homework front and center. “Parents should know how much homework each teacher is requiring,” says Allen. “They can do calculations to determine just how much time is needed each week.” Then plan Molly’s week around it, eliminating, postponing, replacing any other extracurricular activities that interfere with study time and, now, play rehearsals. Don’t forget to plan time for yourself. “Parents must maintain their own boundaries with no infringing. The family can’t override the individual or the parent will become exhausted and overwhelmed,” says Saunders. Let your own limits then become “a natural limit for them,” says Allen.

Set up family planning time.

Planning “gives a sense of accomplishment before and after the events. It gives a sense of being in control, not being reactive; it also leaves time for the unexpected,” says Saunders. Plan for weather, sickness, cancellations, the school play. Saunders recommends weekly family planning meetings with nightly tune-ups.

Be open to making deals.

Professional organizer Bonnie Wilder of McLean suggests having Molly “try something new for a week.” If that works, move on to something else. “Do it in steps; each process that you go through makes it easier,” says Wilder.

Expand the supporting cast.

Don’t hesitate to turn to Molly’s middle school teachers for ideas and advice on organizing systems for students. They’re masters of time and space management, especially with adolescents prone to drama, onstage and off.

Make the systems rewarding.

Professional organizer Rosy H. Stadick of Springfield Illinois believes organized behavior should be doubly rewarded of their organizational ideas benefit the whole family. “Reward good organized behavior, even yours,” adds Stadick.

Marcia Allen believes that some kids are “instinctually organized” and some, like Molly, don’t get it, can’t find it, never even see it until a problem puts it in the spotlight. Take your cue. Bring color and order and logic to Molly’s places. Change her thinking about being organized by showing her the benefits of making flexible, efficient plans that accommodate a snowy day or a starring role. Show her that being organized allows more time for the creative moments she loves.

Special Thanks to Evelyn Porreca Vuko for allowing us to use this article.