5 Things to Consider When Organizing for Children

by Laura Leist

For each client I work with, I attempt to individualize the organizing process. I consider their personality and learning style. Are they more left- or right-brain oriented? Are they left- or right-handed? Do they have physical constraints from medical conditions? Do they enjoy color and whimsy or neutrals and clean lines?

Much thought goes into these aspects with each client. This should also be true when organizing for children. In order to set them up for success in keeping their spaces tidy, it’s important to consider organizing from their perspective. Here are five things to keep in mind when organizing a child’s space.

Teach Routine With Activity Zones

Setting up the room in zones will help the child learn to think through his or her daily routine and categorize things by their functions. Think of the common activities that take place in your child’s room and set up zones accordingly. Some common activities may be sleeping, getting dressed, doing homework, working on hobbies or art, and playing with toys or games. Consider what items are used during an activity and place them in the related zone.

With sleeping, for example, your child may like to have a bedside table, lamp, alarm clock, books and a stuffed animal. For homework, the zone may consist of a work surface, chair, bookshelves, lamp, desk supplies and garbage can. For the dressing zone, don’t forget a hamper for dirty laundry that otherwise may end up on the floor. As a bonus, storing items in zones will help with cleanup since items that are used together are also put away together in the same area of the room.

Look From the Child’s Perspective

To help with this task, think through the types of items that you want the child to be able to access. Will the child need access to all or part of his wardrobe to get dressed independently? In the closet, make sure there is ample storage for these items within easy reach. If not, consider adding shelves, drawers or hanging rods that are at a level that can be easily reached for accessing and putting things away.

Are there a certain toys or books that are used often and should be easily accessible? When choosing storage furniture like dressers and bookshelves, make sure they are the right height for the child and don’t have large, heavy drawers that will make it too difficult to use independently. As adults we often don’t like to store things near the floor as it is uncomfortable to stoop down to access the contents. Children, on the other hand, often do best when they can get up close to items – and for them that is often near the floor! Of course, keeping everything at lower height levels isn’t ideal for maximizing storage space, so do use the upper section of walls for display shelves of collectibles, memorabilia or artwork and the upper section of a closet for seasonal items.

Be Creative

Have fun and be creative with storing children’s items. For infants and younger children who often have lots of very small items to store, I like using an over-the-door shoe organizer. These are great as they provide many little pockets to store small items like hair and clothing accessories, brushes and combs, tiny socks and shoes, washcloths, bibs and toys.

I also like to find furniture that doubles as organizational space. Consider finding a bed with storage drawers underneath, or create your own with under-the-bed storage bins. For older children who can handle sleeping up high, loft beds are a great way to create more floor space for play or a desk for a homework zone under the bed.

©Eliminate Chaos LLC

Another idea is to utilize a bench with space for storage cubes underneath. This provides seating for hosting friends or a spot to put on socks and shoes, and it doubles as toy storage.

Picture via homedecorators.com

Allow Room to Grow

One universal fact about all children is they grow – FAST! Keep on top of this fact in a couple of ways. Keep a bag or bin in the closet that can always be there to collect clothes that are too small or toys that are no longer being used. This way, as soon as an item is deemed too small, it can immediately go into the bin instead of back into the drawer. This is a good organizational habit to allow kids to practice independently as they dress themselves for the day. Also, as items that are too small are removed, routinely keep tabs on what wardrobe items your children need to have replaced. This may seem counterintuitive, but having a complete wardrobe with the right pieces that fit actually helps maintain organization. Your child’s room will be tidier if he can put outfits together without rooting around in the closet or dresser looking for something to wear.

Get the Kids Involved

If the child is old enough, I think one of the most successful things you can do when organizing a kid’s room is get them involved. This may be for the entire process or just part of it, depending on age and personality. When the child has been a part of the picking up, sorting, and decision-making about where items will be stored, it creates a sense of ownership for maintaining the end result. It not only helps them realize how much work goes into getting their room cleaned and organized, it often creates a feeling of pride in the accomplishment of getting their room looking great. Just don’t forget to revisit the room’s organizational systems with your child each fall and spring as you prepare for the new seasons, or more often as necessary.

You can begin teaching organizational skills to your children even from a young age. Make the task fun, age-appropriate and frequent, and you will certainly see organizational know-how grow and blossom as the years go by.

Warmly,

Laura Leist, CPO
Organizing with Laura