Closet Organizing For Kids

Do you have a child? Does he have a bedroom? With a closet?

Are you afraid to go in there?

Relax! Closet organizing is not just a topic for adults. After all, if you could get your child to keep her closet organized, you could get her to...rule the world. See? This is good stuff.

Successful closet organizing for your child is based on the same ideas you would use in your own closet.

-- Everything has its place.

-- Everything is accessible.

-- Get rid of what you don't use.

-- Use tools and accessories to prevent clutter.

For maximum effectiveness, I suggest you organize your closet with your child working alongside you. While you have the final say in all decisions, a child that has some input will bring cooperation to the process and undoubtedly will have some vital pieces of information to contribute.

Your child needs to tell you how she likes to use her closet. Lots of hanging clothes? Toys stored in the closet? Need more shelving? Tiny items that need to be sorted?

If your young sweetie can't see the point in this domestic exercise, you can try pointing out that an organized closet will save him time and energy. But, at the end of the day, you may simply have to play the Big Card.

"Because I said so", is the parent's reason of choice and always plays well with "the buck stops here".

Once that's settled, here are the quick steps to use during this closet organizing session with your child.

1. Take a good long look.

The first step is to open those closet doors wide and see what's really in there. Can't see the back or the floor? Then everything should come out.

Yes, this is the part of the process for the strong and the mighty. Steel yourself. Unclaimed food nestled in the back corner of the closet will NOT make you and your child feel closer.

2. Get rid of what's broken, moldy, out-of-date, or no longer used or wanted.

As always, recycle usable items to a local charity. Be sure and include your child in this important step of community involvement.

3. Assess what's left.

This is where you both decide what needs to get hung up, folded and shelved, put in bins and baskets, or archived to a better place.

4. Make a list and shop for the organizing accessories you need. Together.

Or use cardboard boxes and customize (including decorating) to your kiddo's satisfaction. This is the fun part!

5. Put everything in its place.

You are not done with your closet organizing until EVERYTHING has a place. Everything. Period.

6. Allot ten minutes a day to KEEP everything in its place in this newly organized closet.

This is the crucial step. If you don't enforce this, you might as well not even start in the first place. The truth is, this part is called 'discipline' and most kids aren't born with any. But they need it and you can teach it to them. You'll find this is a fantastic opportunity to do so.

If necessary (and it probably will be), your child may need help seeing the value of keeping their closet in perfect working order.

-- Do they like to socialize with their friends?

Then they put in their ten minutes (or thirty seconds if they get practiced) of clean-up time every day.

-- Do they enjoy some free time?

Have they done their ten minutes?

-- Do they look forward to other privileges?

Is everything in its place each and every day?

This is simply a new habit and like all habits, takes a bit of time and practice to master. Give your child the opportunity to feel terrific about themselves by tackling a closet organizing session with them. It may just inspire you to go take a peek in your own closets!


About The Author: Colleen Langenfeld has been parenting for over 26 years and helps other moms enjoy mothering more at http://www.paintedgold.com. Visit her website and get more closet tips at http://www.paintedgold.com/Organize/closet-organizing.html .

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Mac Tips

My Kid's Cool Closet

By Ron Maier

Sometimes your kid’s closet can be a nightmare. Kids are notorious for destroying the things that you would like to keep organized. If you’re looking for an interesting kid’s closet idea, then you’ve come to the right place. There are all kinds of organizers out there that can help your kid keep it together.

Start by giving the entire closet a make-over. This can be something that you do with your child. Make it fun! Encourage your child to pull everything out and completely empty the closet. Painting the inside of the closet can make it more interesting for your child to keep things in there. It may sound silly, but personalizing a small space for your child can help them to feel more special and involved. Let them pick the color. Even if it’s something wild, most people will never see it, so let you child be creative. Validating their choices is the first step to developing self esteem.

For children in school, a daily organizer can be fun and encourage them to take care of their things. This also makes things easier on you. You can help your child lay out school clothes for the week. It’s another activity that you can do together on a regular basis. Make sure that socks, underwear, pants and shirts are all in the cubby for the day that you’re planning. You may even check the weather together beforehand and ask your child to make informed decisions about what to wear on what day. Take every opportunity that you can to teach your child and encourage independence.

Another good idea for creating a fun closet is to get a hanging clothes hamper. These are really lightweight and don’t take up any space on the closet floor. Dirty clothes have a special place to go that’s fun and interesting to a child. They come in a lot of colors and some are available with characters. These are great for teaching small children where dirty clothes should go. For girls, you can also install a hair accessory organizer. This is a fun way to keep up with all of those hair ties, bows and barrettes. Most kids like having little special cubbies for each of their things. Shoe pocket organizers can also be used for hats and gloves.

Top it all off with some special interesting hangers that are made just for kids. They’re available in all sorts of interesting shapes, sizes and colors. You can even get glamorous beaded ones! Every little thing that you can include in your child’s closet to make them feel special is going to boost their self esteem and encourage them to stay organized.

Make the whole closet make-over a joint effort. Ask lots of questions and validate your child’s choices as often as possible. Decorating a closet together is a unique way for you to bond. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on the project, just keep encouraging your child to come up with new ideas on how to make the closet special. You’ll have so much fun together and your lives will become more organized in the process!

About the author:
About the Author: Ron Maier is the owner of Only Kids Hangers, a leading provider of childrens hangers. The right childrens clothes hangers really make the difference in kid's retail or home organization. For more information, please visit www.onlykidshangers.com.

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