Tips from Professional Organizer, Elsa Elbert: Keeping Your Kid's Room Organized
by Elsa Elbert
It’s no secret that somehow our kids rooms can go from clean to looking like a tornado hit in the blink of an eye. While we can’t as easily control our children’s whirlwind, we can control the organization within their rooms. Face it, there’s probably some Goldfish hidden in their drawers, and dinosaurs behind the bed. By eliminating excess items and organizing the space within their bedroom, it’s less likely that their toys and snacks will find homes other than where they belong.
If you don’t have the luxury of hiring a professional organizer to tackle their rooms, these tips and tricks can be easily implemented.
Go through their clothes regularly! Toss anything stained or torn, and donate anything they’ve outgrown. It might be best to do this portion while the kids are at school, especially if you are trying to get rid of stained clothing in their closet that they still have an attachment to. (If you want to save anything for another little one, store it out of sight)
File-fold all the clothes in their drawers. It’s so easy to do, allows you to see every item of clothing, and creates about 30% more room in each drawer. Note: If your kid likes to help pick out their own outfits, this makes it easier to keep their drawers tidy because they can see their options and won’t be digging through!
Use drawer dividers, drawer organizers, plastic storage boxes, baskets, woven bins, bins with handles, and even empty shoe boxes to keep small items from spilling over. Think socks, headbands, tiny hats, etc.
Keep their visible toys to a minimum. Children are just as overwhelmed by clutter, if not more so, than adults. When they see hundreds of options, they’ll just choose the same toy over and over again. And, we all know the problem will grow with the next birthday or holiday and a new influx of stuff. Keep some of their toys, and presents, aside and rotate them out. This way you reduce the feeling of overwhelm, and your kids feel like they always have new things to play with.
Ask your kids what they like! When you involve kids in decisions, they are more invested in the result. Ask them which toys, books, or items of clothing they don’t really love and they’ll tell you!
Label label label! I love to label everything in my kids’ rooms. When they’re little, it helps them recognize words and learn to read. When they’re bigger, it makes Clean-Up a breeze and there are no more excuses of not knowing where things go.
If everything in their room has a spot where it belongs, it will be much easier to tidy up the chaos quickly and efficiently! Not to mention that getting out of the house will become less of a time consuming task if you can grab what they need from their beautifully organized drawers and go!
*Elsa Elbert is the owner of Composed Living, a Los Angeles based Professional Organizing Company.