Does your child walk around with chaos in his wake?
Follow these steps to helping your child get organized in no time.
Helping Kids Get Organized
As a parent, you are trying to put yourself out of a job one day.
You want your child to thrive–and eventually be a responsible adult who can live successfully on his own.
So how do you get him from here to there?
Help your child get organized so his life is simpler and more manageable.
You design the organization system, and then your child maintains it.
Organization for Kids
“A place for everything, and everything in its place” is a time-old saying for a reason. When your child has a spot for everything in her life, not only can it keep clutter off the floor, it can save her valuable time. (How many times have your heard, “Where is my _____?”)
Organization systems don’t have to be complicated to work.
Try these simple ideas.
Laundry Spot
Have a spot in your child’s room for dirty clothes.
I like mesh laundry bins with handles because you can carry them easily to the washing machine.
If you want your child to sort lights and darks, buy a laundry bin with separate compartments.
Clean Clothes Hooks
Sometimes children try on clothes and then leave them on the floor.
The clothes aren’t dirty, but they might as well be (because now they share the floor space with the dirty clothes).
Hang hooks behind your child’s door as a “hot spot” for clean clothes in need of folding.
Every couple of days she can fold and hang the clothes on the hooks.
Shower Caddy
These aren’t just for college students.
Put all your child’s bath supplies in one place.
This caddy can live under the sink or on a shelf, but remove the clutter from the bathtub or shower itself.
School Bin or Shelf Plus Backpack Hook
Have a parking spot for your child’s school bag or backpack.
Nearby, have a shelf or bin for extra school books.
Set out a paper inbox to catch the day’s spelling test or math practice worksheet (and all the random paper shoved in the backpack).
Clean out the inbox at the end of each week.
Shoe Storage
Shoes find the best hiding spots!
Get rid of that issue by having a spot for shoes.
You can keep a pair of sneakers or sandals near the door if that works for your family, but all other shoes need to go on a shoe caddy or shoe shelf.
Clothes Storage
If the bar in the closet is too high for your child to reach, it serves no purpose except to hold out of season clothes.
Add a second lower bar to the closet.
Put clothes bins in drawers or on shelves to hold folded clothes.
Do not overcrowd a drawer or a bin.
That will only lead to wrinkled clothes.
Label drawers or bins if necessary.
Every type of clothing item needs its own place.
Craft Supplies
If you have a child crafter or artist, you know what a true mess looks like.
Organize those craft supplies with an over-the-door shoe caddy.
Toy Storage
First step: clean out the toys.
Give away what is broken, donate what is unused, and then store the rest.
Keep the stuffed animals in one place, like a chest, bin, or bean bag chair you can stuff.
Tiny building supplies (like LEGO, K’NEX, and Lincoln Logs) need their own bins (preferably clear with snap-on lids).
Choose storage options where you can dump the toys inside and then hide them away.
Make clean-up easy for your child.
You Might Also Want to Check Out: 13 LEGO Organizing Ideas for People Tired of Stepping on LEGOs.
Books
If your child is a reader, a bookshelf is a must.
Don’t overcrowd bookshelves; use bookends to keep space on the shelf for future books.
Place a small shelf near the child’s bedside or reading nook to hold whichever books she is currently reading.
Helping Your Kid Get Organized
Kids want to succeed; organization systems can help them do that.
By helping your child get organized with simple, workable systems, you will help her develop self-confidence and self-reliance.