| When was the last time you saw the floor of | | | | desk. You can purchase a folder organizer. Call |
| your child's room? Is the mess in there piling up to | | | | your local office supply store to see if they carry |
| the point you might lose your child in it? If so, let's | | | | them. If your child has trouble getting rid of old |
| clean it up. Then let's organize it in a way it will be | | | | schoolwork and artwork tell them they can keep |
| easier to keep neat. | | | | X amount per school year and the rest needs to |
| First, go through all the toys in your child's room. | | | | be released to the recycling bin. Or for the |
| Have two piles. One pile is for stuff to keep. The | | | | artwork it can be given away to relatives. If your |
| other pile is for things to give away (charity) or | | | | child doesn't have a desk, once again, you can put |
| to sell at a garage sale. Honestly, your child | | | | the keepsake papers in plastic bins. But don't |
| doesn't need 100 stuffed animals. Their room is | | | | store them in your child's room if he/she doesn't |
| not a big storage space. It's a place to play and | | | | need them. Store them in the garage or attic. Or |
| sleep. Let them keep any special stuffed animals | | | | even the hall closet. The point is you don't want |
| and the ones they play with. The rest need to go. | | | | your child to go through the papers again and |
| Also, get rid of any games or toys with broken | | | | then have them strewn about the room once |
| pieces which can't be fixed, or in reality, won't be | | | | more. |
| fixed. You can make an exception if it's their very | | | | Hopefully by now things look neater. If the room |
| favorite toy or game that their grandpa or uncle | | | | still seems cluttered, look around and ask yourself, |
| gave them. But tell them everything can't be their | | | | "Does my child need every item in here?" |
| very favorite toy. Go through the books. Keep | | | | Remove excess furniture and large toys your |
| sentimental ones and ones they might read again. | | | | child doesn't use. Maybe it's the rocking chair you |
| Also, if they have a younger sibling keep books | | | | rocked her in as a baby. If she doesn't use it, |
| he/she might read. Donate the rest to your local | | | | remove it. She can use the space. If there are |
| library. Many libraries have monthly book sales to | | | | any big toys, such as a plastic doll house that |
| raise money for new books, etc. So not only are | | | | hasn't been used in ages or a frog bean bag chair |
| you teaching your child how to clean up, but | | | | that has a leak, either put it in the attic or get rid |
| you're also showing them how to help out their | | | | of it. |
| community. | | | | I saved organizing clothes for last. Pick a period in |
| Once the toys and books have been gone | | | | the day you and your child will have enough time |
| through, take a look around to see how to best | | | | to go through their clothes. Go through all their |
| organize them in the space you have. If there is | | | | drawers, as well as the closet, to see what fits |
| ample room under the bed, get some rolling | | | | and doesn't fit anymore. Clothes that don't fit, but |
| plastic bins to go underneath. Organize the toys | | | | are still in good use, can be passed down to a |
| inside by sizes. If there isn't much room under the | | | | younger sibling, a relative, or a friend. Or you can |
| bed, buy some plastic bins of assorted sizes. Keep | | | | give them to a homeless shelter. Once you have |
| the store receipt and return the bins you don't | | | | gone through their clothes, teach your child to fold |
| use. Put games in one bin. Larger toys in another. | | | | their clothes neatly. You can label what goes inside |
| Toy cars/small dolls in yet another. Building blocks | | | | what drawers with removable sticky tape if you |
| can have their own bin. Etc. Label the bins. Then | | | | want. It's easiest for children to have separate |
| put them on the closet floor. You can stack | | | | drawers for each clothing type. A pants drawer. |
| smaller ones. If your child doesn't have a closet, | | | | A shirt drawer. A PJ drawer. A sock drawer. An |
| stack the bins against a wall. Or better yet before | | | | underwear drawer. Though the socks and |
| buying bins invest in a bin organizer. You get four | | | | underwear can go together to save space. If you |
| to eight metal/plastic bins which fit inside a | | | | live where you have seasons, you can save |
| wooden or medal shelf system. | | | | space by using the drawers for only seasonal |
| To save room you can purchase a hanging net to | | | | clothes. The rest of the clothes can be stored in |
| put stuffed animals in. Hang the net in a corner. | | | | bins and taken in when that season arrives. |
| For the books, hopefully, your child has a small | | | | If you really want to get into organizing you can |
| bookcase. If not, consider buying one or making | | | | organize by clothes and color. Take the closet: All |
| one. For a used one look online on Craig's List. | | | | plain shirts are hung first. Start with the color |
| There are some real bargains to be found there. | | | | white and go darker. White. Yellow. Light blue. |
| If you prefer to make a small bookshelf you can | | | | Violet. Dark blue. Brown. Black. Next, hang the |
| buy wood pieces and nails at a hardwood store. | | | | fancy shirts. Go from white to dark again. After |
| You can paint and stencil it too. This could be a | | | | that, hang the dresses. Then the sweaters. Then |
| nice project to do with your child. | | | | the jackets. All by light to dark. This looks great, |
| Once the toys and books are taken care of, go | | | | but remember your kid is just a kid. If it doesn't |
| through any papers. If your child has a desk, get | | | | stay this way, let it go. With a messy child just |
| him/her to organize the papers. Afterwards put | | | | be thankful if they can keep their room clean for |
| them inside folders. Put these folders inside the | | | | a week. |