Carter says that summertime is a good time to clean out clothes, because you can evaluate what doesn’t fit anymore and what your children need for the upcoming school year. She suggests making children a part of the process and teaching them what should go and what to keep. “When you do clean out, do it with your children,” Carter says. “It teaches them how to do it; that way they learn to be organized adults. You’re modeling the behavior.”

If clothes aren’t the problem and you are trying to find a way to tackle the mass of toys piling up in your child’s room, Carter gives a few tidbits of advice for lightening the load. She advises parents not to buy oversized toy bins to alleviate the problem because everything gets lost at the bottom. “They give you free reign not to get rid of things,” she says. Before tossing toys into a bin, sort them according to condition and use. All broken toys should be thrown out first, along with puzzles and games that are missing pieces. Follow this by dividing the remaining toys into groups of favorite toys, sometimes-used toys and rarely used toys. “Once that is done, it is usually easier for the child to part with the rarely used toys because they see that they have enough left of their true favorites,” Carter says.

If you can’t decide how much to get rid of, Carter suggests selecting an arbitrary number that you can live with, such as 10 stuffed animals or five Barbie dolls. You also can select the criteria based on the space limit (i.e., you can keep all the cars you can easily fit into this box). “Let the child pick out the ones they want to keep,” Carter says. “If space isn’t an issue, but it’s just too much to manage, that is a good enough reason to cut back.”

Mission #2 Divide and Conquer
In order to keep the toys from rapidly accumulating throughout the year, Carter suggests weeding out toys seasonally as well. “Holiday time and birthday time are easy reminders, because you can anticipate more toys will soon be coming into the house,” she says. “Talk to your child about making room for more good things to come by clearing space.”

In order to create the ideal organization system, the child’s needs must be assessed first. Depending on the child’s age, room size and interests, a plan should be created to organize the space. Based on these factors, a layout for the room needs to be drafted to determine what areas the room will be divided into. Some possibilities include a reading area, a study area, a craft area and a sleeping area.

Carter reminds parents to include bookshelves in a reading area, storage bins and a table for a craft area, and a desk for a study area. She also says to leave a small space in between the wall and the bed in the sleeping area so the child can make his or her own bed. The sections can be as specific as the children’s interests. If a young girl loves to play dress-up, an area can even be created with hooks for hanging items, a mirror and bins for accessories.

Each area will require a storage plan that will coincide with the child’s size and abilities. Kelly Vrtis of The Container Store advises planning room shelving and storage according to the child’s height. That way, they can easily put things away within reach, and it keeps other items off limits. “Kids don’t need access to everything all the time; easy access should only be for age-appropriate toys,” Vrtis says. “Toys that are better left for parental supervision need to be out of reach of little hands.”

When shopping for shelving, Vrtis says brands like Elfa are ideal since all the shelves aren’t screwed into the wall, and therefore the height of them can be changed easily as the child grows.

She also suggests keeping in mind the types of containers that are used to store toys on the shelves. Many children will opt for the easiest route to put something away, so often, simple containers without lids are best. “You know how your child functions; build a system based on this,” Vrtis says. “Don’t make a child take a box off the shelf and take the top off to put something away.”

When storing items on shelves, Carter says clear containers often work best. Not only are the contents easily visible, but they are also a good investment, since children will not grow tired of them as they would with bright colors that match a current room theme. Clear containers can play various roles throughout the house, and they make it easy to modify a space as the child gets older. “Containers that a 10-year-old might use for ribbons and bows can be used for make-up and jewelry when she turns 16,” Carter says.

If you choose colored boxes, Vrtis suggests color-coding them so that there is a defined system for the child to follow. She also says that placing pictures on the outside, such as a LEGO picture on the box of LEGOs, will alleviate the mystery.

For storing items that are used regularly, Carter recommends using over-the-door organizers and pegboards. Over-the-door organizers are ideal for gloves, scarves, small toys, hair accessories and things children need to take to school with them. Similarly, pegboards can hold items used just as frequently and that are designed to hang, such as hats, jewelry and sports gear.

Keep it Routine
Once the room is spic and span and everything is in its place, you’ll need to show your children how to maintain it. Carter points out that parents frequently are the culprits for the disorganization. “I am often called in by parents who are afraid that their children will not learn to organize properly because they can’t do it for themselves,” Carter says. “We talk about modeling behavior as a way to teach children and even spouses. We may still start in the child’s room, and the parents can do the same process and apply the same organizing rules to their belongings.”

Vrtis agrees that a change in behavior needs to take place to keep things neat and tidy. “It is one thing to buy the containers, but it is another to train yourself to put everything away,” she says. “It is very important for a child to know that the system you are installing is for use on a daily basis. Repetition is key.” She adds that kids can learn to be organized, but parents need to have a lot of patience and keep things consistent.

“Be sure to celebrate when your child does it the right way, and if they don’t, be patient,” Vrtis says. “Set a good example in your home, make organizing fun, and you’ll set the stage for good organizing habits for years to come.”

There are certain colors Ewing suggests that parents not use in kids’ rooms. She says black is always a “don’t” for wall color, except if black chalkboard paint is used in one section. She suggests painting the shapes of flowers or animals with chalkboard paint so that children can color them in with chalk.
Ewing also warns against colors that are too bright. For example, red is a stimulant and should only be used in small doses. “Kids already have so much energy that the red reinforces it, and they could be bouncing off the walls,” Ewing says. “Bright yellow has the same effect.”