How to Keep Your Child’s Playroom Organized
Kids have personalities just like adults, but it is still a chore to get even the most tidy ones to clean their bedrooms or playrooms. There is a great book called Nurture by Nature: Understand Your Child’s Personality Type and Become a Better Parent by Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger that can help you figure out your kid’s personality type, so you know what kind of child you’re working with. Every type who lives in disorder is going to give up trying to keep things neat if there’s no organizational infrastructure. Our recommendations here are for how you can best deal with your youngster’s messes- as you will need to in their earliest years. As they get older and can help out more, knowing you have a Classic Structure on your hands or a Smart Freedom will then assist you in finding the best way to teach them how to organize.
Purge!
This is the first step when getting organized, and we say it over and over again because we believe it is one of the best things you can do! This rings true, especially for your kid’s playroom. Toys multiply faster than rabbits, so purging is a frequent necessity. While we would love to say to everyone: “Do it before the holidays every year,” who in the heck has extra free time then? In an ideal world, your kids would be involved in this process as it helps to teach them how to make tough decisions. The keyword here is “ideal” as we know how hard it is to get kids interested in cleaning. But it still has to get done! And besides, it is usually easier to purge toys when kids are not around, especially if you know which toys they adore. Set aside any toys you’re unsure about, rather than donating or recycling them right away. Start with toys that are too young for them, broken toys, toys missing pieces, and toys you hate. Doing this regularly will help keep your playroom clean and sanity intact.
Matching Bins for Toys
Kids will learn to clean up if there are labeled places for all their stuff. After a day of play, all the toys on the floor can be overwhelming for both you and them. Without bins, you have no homes for the toys you do not toss or donate, and as much as all of us would love to have our children put them neatly back on trays or shelves, don’t waste your precious time trying to keep it in order. Bins make it easy to put toys away quickly without having to line them up or make sure they look nice. But if they’re a mishmash of plastic bins and baskets that you have collected over the years, it is not going to look organized. Regardless of your Pixie Personality Type, EVERYONE needs matching or coordinating bins. Put large toys on the floor so kids can pull them out on their own. Reserve high shelves for the toys you do not want kids to access on their own like games with small pieces, puzzles, and craft supplies.
Get Creative with Your Labels
Without labels, what is obviously a bin for “Animals” or “Cars” will eventually become a disorganized mess. The best labels for kids have laminated visuals and words. They are a pain to do, but it will help kids participate in the cleanup before they can read. Plain gift tags work on baskets, but sticky labels and label-machine tape can work too.
Bins Aren’t Just for Toys
Kids grow out of clothes faster than you have time to properly store them or decide what to keep, what to give to your friends and family, and what to donate. When they’re babies, it happens at a breathtaking speed. We suggest having a large bin in their closet to make this frequent pruning easier. When the bin fills up, go through it, put in deep storage what you want to preserve, and donate/recycle the rest. Another spot for these bins is under the bed. Growing out of clothes happens less frequently as kids age, so eventually, you can keep the bins in storage to free up space in their room. Keep empty bins stacked in your storage area for those clothes.
Want to learn more about organizing your child’s playroom or bedroom? You can purchase our book on Amazon here for all of that and more! Still not sure what your Pixie Personality Type is, or what it means for your organizational style? Take our in-depth quiz here. If you have any questions about the book, the method, or general tips on keeping your home and life organized you can always reach us via email here.