kids
Parenting & Family

Creative ways to keep the kids organized

Staying organized with children in your household can be challenging. Kids grow quickly, which means changing out their household items and toys with things that are age appropriate somewhat frequently. The same is true for trying to keep up with their schedule while finding time for yourself.

While life with kids may never be perfectly organized, there are a few simple ways to keep everyone on track. Check out the following for creative ways to get organized with your family. 

Family schedules

When teaching your children how to get organized and maintain a schedule, one of the best ways to do it is with an easy-to-understand visual calendar.

A chalk calendar is a fun and low-tech calendar for family planning that everyone can enjoy. This is so much cooler than a typical paper calendar because it appeals to kids of all ages. You can draw colorful images on it to show young children when an upcoming trip or event will be happening, and older kids can have fun writing their own schedule using colorful chalk. 

Donate or discard old items

Even minimalist families have kids who outgrow clothes, toys, and furniture. Give items a second life by donating them to friends, family, or donation centers for someone else to enjoy.

Once items are torn, stained, or damaged, they don’t make for good donations but can be reused, recycled, or thrown away to declutter. There are many do-it-yourself upcycling projects like these crib repurpose projects that extend the life of things you already own. 

Organizing the living room

Keeping living room toys organized is no easy task for most parents, but it is important if you want to make the living room a space suitable for both kids and adults.

One of the best ways to keep toys from cluttering the living room is by storing them in multi-functional furniture. If you are looking to buy a new sofa, consider one with a built-in storage below the seat cushions. Some armchairs even have that feature, but the most affordable and common storage piece is an ottoman with storage. Just avoid sharp metal hinges that pinch kids’ fingers.

If you want to keep toys hidden but easily accessible, look into getting storage baskets. If you have vertical wall space, add hooks to your wall where you can hang soft, lightweight rope baskets. When storage baskets are placed on bookshelves and other furniture that’s within reach of children, they can get to their toys at play time and help put them away afterward.

Large woven baskets and crates kept on the floor serve the same purpose. These can be dressed up by adding decorative ribbon. 

Kitchen organization

Aside from keeping your kitchen clean, you want to keep it organized. Put mail and bills that need to be paid in an organizer or tray. Keep coupons in a drawer or hanging bag inside a cabinet. Mount a magnet inside your cabinet to keep your magnetic shopping list out of sight when the cabinet door is closed.

Allow older kids to make their own breakfast on certain days by keeping cereal on a lower pantry shelf and preparing fresh fruit the night before. Teach your kids to help with cooking and chores in the kitchen with increasing complexity as they grow, from washing fruit to putting away dishes. 

Organizing kids’ rooms

Toy organization in bedrooms can be difficult to conquer, especially since toys are all different sizes. Install floating shelves with plenty of separation or a bookcase with adjustable shelf height that is firmly anchored to the wall.

Since you probably change sheets on your kids’ beds often, keep their spare sheets folded in the nightstand or in a basket next to the bed.

Dirty laundry can be a real mess, but a laundry hamper in each bedroom provides organization. Once kids are old enough, they can sort light and dark clothes in a divided hamper to keep laundry day simple. 

A place for homework

Whether it’s in the kitchen, living room, or their bedroom, kids need a place for homework. A child-sized desk in their bedroom, or the dining table, are favorite places to spread out notebooks, textbooks, and homework. Maintaining a rule about clearing the table and putting everything back into their backpack after homework is complete is important. Installing a sturdy hook for backpacks near the front door or in your child’s bedroom gives them a place to keep it out of the way.

Hopefully these tips will help you to keep every room organized with kids. From storing toys in the living room and bedroom to organizing sheets, laundry, and homework, making the effort to get organized can make all the difference and teach your kids valuable skills in organizing.

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