5 Things to Think About when Organizing a Child’s Bedroom

1) Organize yourself first.  It is up to us as parents to be role models for organization. Whether you feel it or not, clutter tends to weigh on us mentally. Some parents may need to start with themselves and clear away the clutter in the rest of the house. Things are more organized when there is a specific spot designated for every item that you own.  If you run out of places to put things, then you need more efficient shelving, or you just need to have less stuff. Donate usable items to charity, and recycle the rest. You will feel lighter, and you didn’t really need all those items, anyway.

2) Take inventory of the things in your child’s bedroom: toys, games, clothes, books, electronics, craft items (markers, paints, paper, etc). Create three piles: keep, donate, and toss (or recycle if you can). Put the “keep” pile in one corner of the room. Immediately donate and toss the other two piles. This will create more space in which to work. It is up to you whether or not you want your child involved in this process. Some children will not handle this process very well; others will be ready to pitch right in. Make sure your children know that they are doing a good deed by donating their unwanted toys and clothes.

3) About all that media: It is a personal choice, but I would highly recommend removing televisions and computers from your child’s bedroom. This way you can keep an eye on what they are watching on TV as well as with whom they are chatting online. This will also allow them to have their bedroom as a sanctuary rather than just a place to go and “plug in”. Not only that, but it will free up space in the room and lessen that cluttered feeling.

4) Create zones. No matter the size of your child’s bedroom, you should create zones for dressing, reading, play, and sleep. The dressing area can be a closet with a chest of drawers and mirror nearby. In the reading area add a bookshelf and comfortable place to sit. Older children may need a desk for homework and studying. Make sure there is sufficient lighting in this area.  The play area can hold toys and a nice colorful area rug. If the room is large enough, a kid-sized table and chair set would work well for games and art activities. Make the sleep area comfortable with soothing colors and cozy cotton bedding.

5) Storage. Now that you have set your zones, you will probably need to invest in a storage system for each area of the room. Remember that you can get more efficient storage from vertical wall space with shelving than you can from horizontal space like bins and toy boxes. Also, bins and boxes tend to be less accessible whereas shelving can be easily labeled and items put back in the correct place. Here are some suggestions for storage in your different zones:

Dressing area: In the closet make sure rods for hanging clothes are at the appropriate height for your child. Don’t forget about the inside of the closet door as a storage area. You can hang a canvas shoe holder there to store shoes, or things like socks and underwear. If the room is really small and the closet is large enough, consider putting a small chest of drawers inside the closet to maximize space, or invest in an entire closet organization system and ditch the chest of drawers altogether.

Reading area: Bookshelves are a must in the reading area. Again, make sire they  are the appropriate height for the child. Older children may need a desk with drawers to hold school supplies and a filing system for papers the want to keep.

Play area: I highly recommend vertical shelving in the play area to hold games and toys. If your child has toys with small pieces, put like items in bins, label the bins, and put them on the shelves. If the child is too young to read, use both the word and picture for the label. This will not only help them put their toys in the correct place, it will also help them learn to read.

Sleep area: In the sleep area, put a little night stand next to the bed that can hold books, a cup of  water, a cd player or anything else your child needs for a comfortable night’s sleep.

The final key to organization is maintenance. Make sure your children get into the habit of putting all of their things away at the end of the day. Picking up should be a breeze because everything has a clearly defined place. Your child will no longer feel overwhelmed at the task of cleaning his or her room because it will become ingrained and automatic if they are prompted on a daily basis. Also, remember to periodically donate and toss out items that your child no longer needs or uses. Being organized will set them up for success in their adult lives.