Ask Amy- My Kid Loses Everything!
b'All kids lose stuff sometimes. Some kids lose stuff all the time. Sometimes it\'s ADHD or general inattention. Sometimes it\'s just a slower development of executive function.\\xa0No matter what, it\'s frustrating (and expensive). What\'s a parent to do?\\nA member of our Facebook group asked:\\xa0\\nAny suggestions for the kid who loses everything? My son is 9. He lost three sweatshirts in the two months he was in in-person school, a tennis racquet at tennis camp, baseball glove at baseball practice, shin guards at soccer camp\\u2026 and don\\u2019t even get me started on water bottles!\\xa0\\nThe \\u201clost and found\\u201d turned up one of the many things he has lost, but that is it. He swears each time that he put the things in his bag. Unless, there is a sweaty shin guard thief, this obviously is untrue.\\xa0\\nWe\\u2019ve tried charts and check lists. We\\u2019ve tried making him earn the replacement items, but nothing seems to stop the constant misplacing of items. HELP!\\nFor the truly forgetful kids, the oft-cited "natural consequences"\\u2013 if he doesn\'t have his shin guards, he won\'t be able to play, and he\'ll sure remember next time!\\u2013 rarely work. Your child will feel chagrined, but be just as likely to forget the next time.\\nIn this episode Amy suggests what has worked in her household, like\\n\\nmaking reminders unmissable\\xa0(put the reminder ON the doorknob, not hanging above it)\\n\\nlabeling everything that costs more\\xa0than the label would (Amy uses oliverslabels.com)\\n\\nuse list-making apps and model using them yourself (Amy uses Workflowy)\\n\\n\\nand check out Carolyn Dalgliesh\'s ideas for helping forgetful kids get organized:\\xa0http://www.carolyndalgliesh.com/\\nKids do well if they can. Don\\u2019t give up on the checklists and the reminders if they don\\u2019t work right away. Keep your support system consistent\\u2013 and non-shaming\\u2013 and eventually your child will check for those shin guards before he leaves the field.\\xa0\\nSpecial thanks to our "Question of the Week" sponsor: \\nJane.com\\xa0is a boutique marketplace featuring the latest in women\\u2019s fashion, accessories, home decor, children\\u2019s clothing, and more. By shopping at\\xa0jane.com, you support small businesses, 1500 of which are women-owned. And you will not believe the prices!\\xa0Visit\\xa0jane.com/laughing.\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices'