Organisation tips for the kids’ rooms

For parents there are few things more stressful than trying to persuade your children to tidy up their bedrooms. Despite the inevitable feeling of swimming against the tide, getting in amongst the mess and organizing the kids’ room can really make a difference.  Be warned however – it takes a lot more than just putting up a few shelves and painting the walls.  A child’s room must use every inch of available space in a fun yet efficient manner – and organization that lasts requires plenty of storage.

Starting the project

Getting started is easy: the first thing to do when organizing any child’s room is to sort through everything and decide what goes and what stays.  So that the kids don’t get upset about what Mum and Dad are getting rid of, let them help.  A child who knows that his or her voice is being heard and respected is a happier child.  Take the time to go through clothing, books, toys and games together.  This is also a great time to sell your stuff online, so make several separate piles for what is going to be thrown away, sold or donated.

Attack the cupboard

The cupboard in a child’s room is often the most chaotic area, simply because both parents and kids can shove everything inside – from clothes and shoes to books and games – and shut the door.  However, an organized room needs an organized cupboard!  Start by removing heavy cupboard doors and giving kids easy access to this space.  Select hangers that are specially designed to hang children’s clothes and put a basket inside to collect dirty clothes at the end of the day.  For shoes, use different coloured bins to collect each pair rather than using up valuable floor space.

Think like a kid

One of the best ways for an adult to organize a kid’s room is to think like a kid.  What works for an adult won’t necessarily work for the little ones.  Get down to a child’s eye level and take a look around.  Are the shelves too hard to reach?  What about those tough dresser drawers?  Where are the child’s favorite books?  Effective organization solutions should fit the child.  Instead of a dresser with hard-to-open drawers, why not invest in a cubby case with bins that can be easily pulled out?  Use shorter shelves and bins for books and toys that the kids use frequently.

Store things before storing

This may seem like a confusing tip, but it really does make sense.  Many toys have lots of tiny parts that can easily get lost.  It doesn’t make sense to store these things in larger toy boxes or on open shelves, so think about corralling the toys first before storing them.  Use plastic shoeboxes with tight-fitting lids to store doll clothes, blocks, trucks and other similar toys.  If the containers are opaque, make sure to label everything clearly!

Keeping things organized

Organising the kids’ room can be a daunting task, and parents will likely feel relieved when the project is over.  But, how does one keep the chaos from coming back?  A good way to keep the room maintained is to establish an organisation routine.  Always make the bed first thing in the morning and make sure the kids put all their dirty clothes in the basket after bath time.  Play a nightly pick-up game and just see how organised the room stays!