If you’re on the verge of giving up on trying to keep your children’s things in order – toys, clothes, backpacks and electronics – you’re not alone. Nor are you without hope.
Designating space in your home that kids can call their own is the key to keeping their precious belongings organized. Creating special places throughout your home – without sacrificing design – can make life easier on everyone.
Purge
Assess your kids’ belongings to determine whether items are too old, age appropriate or simply not played with often anymore. Give away, donate or sell these unwanted items. Once your home is only filled with belongings they use, organizing can be simpler.
Designate Space
lEntry Area – Install lower coat hooks in a locker, a closet or on a wall for coats and bags. During colder months, provide a basket for gloves, hats and scarves and a special mat for shoes and boots.
Kitchen – Assign a cabinet or drawer within children’s reach to keep favorite snacks and kid-safe plates, bowls and cups. An under-the-counter refrigerator is handy for morning milk, juice boxes and fresh fruit and veggie snacks.
Home Management Area – A corner in the kitchen or somewhere near the most used entry (usually near the garage) is an ideal location for a family home management center. This is where a computer can reside, mail is sorted and electronics are charged. It doesn’t have to be large, but it’s better to create this space outside of a formal office or on a kitchen counter. A blackboard or tack board placed at a child’s eye level makes for easy access to special notes, school announcements, and fun cards or artwork.
Bathroom – If kids don’t have their own bathroom, designate a special drawer for their toiletry items. Install hooks at a lower height to hang wet towels and keep clothes from off the floor.
Family Room – Create a corner kids can call their own. Include a small reading chair, game table, and storage bins and baskets to hold books, games and toys. A portable storage container for electronic components is handy to keep all the parts in one place. Useful furnishings like armoires with doors to hide toys when not in use, ottomans with storage inside, and bookshelves make for easy clean-up and attractive pieces for when you want the room to look “grown up” again.
Bedroom – Make use of each piece of furniture and built-in. For example, instead of a bedside table on legs, buy a piece with drawers or a shelf below with a basket. Invest in extra shelving units and shoe organizers for the child’s closet. Consider a timeless palette and custom storage in a child’s or teen’s bedroom so the room can grow with them. Include space for stationery, books and a large desktop surface, plus areas for displaying framed photos and tacking up drawings and schedules.
Playroom – If you have the luxury of an entire room dedicated to toys and play space, it still needs to be kept organized. Add built-ins to keep toys, art supplies and games in their place. Instead of the usual plastic stackable bins or wicker baskets, opt for fun mismatched containers to sort books, toys and stuffed animals. Stroll flea markets or garage sales for vintage pails and buckets that add character to a kid’s playroom.
By Ashley Cole | Women's Lifestyle
