So while reading a great magazine this afternoon I came upon a very interesting study having to do with neatness and children. The study said that children who are raised in a neat, orderly home grow up to be more successful in their school and work lives than kids who live in a messy environment.


According to the study, teaching your child to be tidy when he is a toddler doesn't just make your house less of a disaster. Learning to organize now has a major payoff later when your child has to present a neat notebook to his teacher, find his homework, or keep his video-game collection in order.



But the brainy benefits last even longer than you might think. "Clean up routines improve a child's ability to stick with a task and plan well later in life," says Dr. Brooks-Gunn, who led the review. "Whether you clean up before bedtime or throughout the day doesn't matter, she says. "It's the planning and routine that really helps your kid." Another perk: Toddlers are more likely to pitch in without whining if they know when to expect cleanup time.