How to Get Your Kids Organized

Kristin Bailey Murphy

When your kids' organizational system consists of cramming every toy, book and article of clothing they own into the closet, a clutter avalanche is just waiting to happen. Help your kids take control of their stuff with this step-by-step guide.

Get Your Kids Involved

"Don't do it by yourself," warns Debbie Williams, who wrote Organized Kidz: E-z Solutions for Clutter-Free Living (Let's Get It Together) with the help of her nine-year-old son. Asking your kids where they want things to go will help them feel invested in the new system -- and help motivate them to stick to it later. Besides, says Williams, "if you don't involve your kids, then all you are is the maid."

Sort the Stuff

Get four boxes and label them "KEEP," "TRASH," "GIVE AWAY/SELL" and "UNDECIDED." Start with one item and ask your child which box it should go in. By inviting him to think about what he actually uses -- "you know, 'Do I really need four watches and 12 baseballs?" -- rather than just trying to find room to store it all, you're teaching him to live more simply, says Williams.

Deal with the Boxes

Once you've sorted through everything, it's time to take action. The easiest box is the one that goes to the trash; walk it out to the curb with your child and talk with her about how good it feels to be cleaning and organizing her room. Later, return to the "Undecided" box, helping your child sort the remaining items into one of the other three categories.

Finally, give the items in the "Give Away/Sell" box to charity or to extended family members as hand-me-downs. Reesie Maple, 35, of Helena, Alabama, gave the contents of her son's latest giveaway box to an orphanage. "At first it was difficult for Nash to let his things go," she says, "but once I explained how he was helping someone else in need, he actually enjoyed cleaning out his closet and toys."  Another option is to take items to a resale shop and use the profits to buy new shoes and clothes for your child to grow into.

Figure Out Where to Put It All

Now it's time to organize what's in that "Keep" box. "A lot of organizers tell you that everything in a child's room should be low to keep items at their eye level, but remember that as kids grow, their eye level gets higher," says Williams. Choose stacking tubs or basic stacking shelves that you can place low and horizontal when children are younger, then stack vertically as they get older. Label bins or shelves with pictures to help reinforce what goes where. "Whenever my daughter or I put things away," says Gemima Smith, 35, of Los Angeles, "we talk about where everything goes to help her remember next time."

For storing shoes or random little doodads, try over-the-door compartmentalized shoe bags. "I like clear ones so kids can see what goes where instead of your having to label it," says Williams.

For outgrown or out-of-season clothes, get under-the-bed tubs. Every six months, switch out winter clothes for summer and give away the castoffs. You could also consider rotating toys in and out of these tubs. "Every few months I bring out the ones I've put away and replace them with ones Ava hasn't played with in a while," says Smith, "so that cuts down on her wanting new things."

Keep It Up

To keep clutter at bay, schedule seasonal sort-throughs with those same four labeled boxes. You should also set a regular time for daily 15-minute tidy-ups with your child so she learns to pick up her things before messes get the chance to multiply.

Now congratulate yourself and your child -- you just moved a mountain!

Kristin Bailey Murphy is a writer and mom who lives in a very organized house in Los Angeles.

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