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An Organized Kid’s Room is Totally Achievable

Kids are messy, let’s face it. It may seem like they never put anything back where it belongs, but that’s not true. It is just hard to find what you’re looking for because everything is scattered all over the place. But don’t worry, we’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks for achieving an organized kid’s room without going insane. 

Whether you have a toddler or a teenager, this article will give you methods that are right for you and your family. 

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The Problem with Organizing Kid’s Rooms

When you have kids, your house becomes a complete mess. Unfortunately, this leaves parents with a lot of extra work. One of the best ways to keep your sanity is to organize the room for your kids–better yet, have them do it while you supervise! 

Additionally, the benefits of creating an organized kid’s room are numerous. Firstly, being organized has been shown to reduce stress levels (for both you and your children). 

According to 4 Ways to Teach Kids An Important Success Skill: How to be Organized:

 “Chronically high levels of stress can lead to depression, fatigue, fights, and lower productivity.” 

AFineParent.com

Additional Benefits of an Organized Kid’s Room:

  • Increased self-esteem & independence
  • More free time for kids to play
  • Saves time — for the both of you — no more searching for items
  • Enhanced life skills
  • Academic success
  • Increased productivity
  • Improved responsibility

By involving your child in the room organization process, they’ll be more likely to remember where things belong and feel capable, independent, and in control. From toy storage to organizing school items, this article will give you all the tips and tricks you need for an organized home with just a few key items.

Items Needed:

  • Storage Bins / Containers
  • Trash bags
  • Donation bags

It is easy to get carried away collecting all sorts of toys for your kids to play with. This can be the most challenging part of having an organized kid’s room. Some parents are in denial and will most likely claim that the mess is there to stay and nothing can be done about it. 

But the truth is, an organized kids’ room can be achieved pretty easily. All you need is a little knowledge and a few tricks of the trade. 

Your goal should be a room that is uncluttered, well-organized, and very clear on where things belong.

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4 Simple Steps to Organize a Kid’s Room

Kids are messy. There is no way around it. They have more energy than you can imagine, and they don’t know what to do with it. 

Below are the 4 simple steps to organize your kid’s room without going insane.

Step 1: Create Item Categories.

What is your child’s room like? Spend time in the room with your kids. Brainstorm together how they use this space. Ask them about their interests and focus on the goals.  Listen to what they say. It’s better to talk about the decisions with your kids instead of doing it yourself. 

Next, focus on what types of items (or categories) are here? Then create a list and divide all of the bedroom clutter into separate piles. Some examples include: 

  • Desk & School 
  • Toys
  • Books
  • Dresser 
  • Closet 
  • Video & Gaming 
  • Sports

Divide the room into several different areas and assign a category for each of your child’s interests. Here are six types of common item categories for kid’s bedrooms: 

  • Desk and school supplies
  • Toys
  • Books
  • Dresser and closet
  • Video and gaming
  • Sports

Step 2: Sorting. 

Go through the cluttered problem areas first and pull out things they no longer use. Often, our kids don’t play with their old toys anymore because they’re only interested in the new ones. Either donate them or throw them away. 

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Helpful Questions to Ask While Organizing

Organizing your kid’s room may seem like an arduous task. However, taking a moment to organize and clean your child’s room can help you create a more peaceful and productive environment for your child. 

Here are a few helpful questions to keep in mind while organizing your child’s room:

#1. When is the last time I used this? 

If the answer is 6 months to 1 year ago, put it in the trash or donate bag.  Similarly, if you come across things you don’t see yourself ever using again, get rid of it! If it doesn’t serve a purpose in your life, you’re just holding onto clutter. Embrace minimalism momma

Think about whether you’ve been keeping things because you truly love them (or as Marie Kondo says — sparks joy) OR can you live without them? There’s likely someone else who could really benefit from your unused items!

#2. Is this broken and unfixable? 

There’s no reason to hold onto broken items. These belong in the trash. 

Alternatively, if you genuinely intend to fix it, put it in a “needs fixed” bin and give yourself a timeline to fix it by, like one week from today. Write the date on the front of the “needs fixed” container and toss it if you don’t fix it by the deadline.

#3. Did I forget I owned this? 

When you pull everything out to sort and organize, you’ll come across things you forgot you even had. If you plan to use it, you’ll know where it is by sorting it into a category and storing it where you won’t forget about it again. 

On that note, things in your home should be stored in an intuitive location where they will actually be used, and easy to get to (not shoved in the back of a closet and forgotten about). Do you really have room to store these things?

For the items they want to keep, sort everything into categorized piles. Then separate these piles into smaller subcategories. 

For example, the categories used in step 1 could be broken down as follows:

Desk and school supplies: 

  • Pencils
  • Crayons
  • Markers
  • Arts & crafts supplies
  • Notebooks

Toys: 

  • Doll stuff
  • Trucks and cars
  • Building blocks
  • Puzzles

Books:

  • Educational workbooks
  • Reading for pleasure

Dresser and closet: 

  • Jewelry
  • Hair bows and scrunchies
  • Clothing
  • Shoes
  • School backpack

Video & Gaming: 

  • Tablets
  • Computers
  • Gaming systems, controllers, and electronic games
  • Board games

Sports: 

  • Equipment
  • Uniforms
  • Special sports footwear

Step 3: Storing and Labeling Sorted Items.

Now your child can keep their items neatly sorted into separate storage containers using the categories (and subcategories) you created in steps 1 and 2. I suggest you label and color code each container.

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Step 4: Keep It Clean.

You can either remind your kids to put things back in their labeled containers after using them or at the end of every day. Personally, I want my kids to do their chores without being asked. I add tasks like this to my kids’ daily chores checklist so I don’t have to nag them. 

Are you struggling to convince your kids to do their chores? I was too! That’s why I designed the Complete Chore Reward System. It’s a foolproof way to give children incentives and make chores fun! This easy-to-use system includes a free printable chore chart, chore reward chart, tracking point system, and age-appropriate chore lists that will make it easy for you to get started. 

Learn how you can use this proven chore system to help your kids want to do their chores!

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Final Tips for Parents on Creating an Organized Kid’s Room

Firstly, let them experience the natural consequences of disorganization and then work with them to help them improve their organizational skills using the 4 step process above.

The idea is that your kids will have a functional space, but it’s also just enough to make it exciting for them to play and live in their rooms. 

Secondly, make use of sensible storage solutions! Smart organizational products are easy to find and options are widely available for every budget big or small. Some popular options include vertical wall storage, floor storage, drawers, shelving, and bins.. Whatever you use, keep in mind that an organized kid’s room should never exceed storage space.

And lastly, don’t try to do it all at once, otherwise, you’re going to have a hard time. Take it step-by-step. I know that as a mom, you want to get to the point where everything is clean and organized, but that can take a while. Get as much done in one day as possible, then come back later for another try.

An organized kid’s room is totally achievable! Getting everything in order is a great way to reduce clutter, keep remaining items under control and easy to find while saving both your kids and yourself valuable time otherwise lost searching for misplaced items.

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