Organizing kids rooms
May 1, 2009 by Marci
This week has been kid’s room transformation week at our house. First, we painted and reorganized our 4 year old’s room. It turned out great. All done in a couple days. Then, we decided to reorganize my daughter’s room. It took me all morning just to pick the 2 laundry baskets of junk off her floor (not including the stuffed animals)! Since she is in school today, I threw stuff away until I came up with just a half basket for her to sort when she comes home. The problem is that she is a pack rat extraordinaire. She wants to keep every little piece of paper, every wrapper, every string, every broken toy…. It is just getting out of hand. My daughter has chores and morning and evening routines that she is very good about completing. Her room is another story.
My plan is to go through the remainder of her stuff with her and what ever she wants to keep has to have a home. All her toys and art stuff have homes in plastic containers in her closet and the toy room. Its the odds and ends that need addressing. She doesn’t really have any other storage for her treasures or half-finished art projects. We will need to brainstorm to find out what will work best for her. That is my next project.
I took some ideas and tips from Laura at Organizing Junkie. She has a really good post about getting kids involved organizing. I am excited to get my daughter involved in the planning of her reorganized room. Evidently, my version of organization didn’t work for her. Its her space and I want her to enjoy it. I want it to be functional for her.
What works for your kids? Do they have a space for everything? Are they neat freaks or pack rats?
Comments (4)
We are big time into bins and totes. Everything has it’s place and like items (like toys-cars, people, animals) get put together in each totes. My only caution is ton buy clear totes so you can actually see what’s in there. It will save frustration when you or one of the kids are looking for something and wildly opening up every tote to see what’s inside. Good luck!
Supply Chick-
The clear tote idea is great. In the past, I have bought clear and colored. You are right…the clear is much easier for the kids.
WOW, are we on the same wavelength or what?!
I spent most of the day (yesterday) in my son’s bedroom, organizing. We are going to move our daughter in there too (they are dying to share a room!) but we have to re-texture the walls. (Long story…I’ll skip that part)
My son is a packrat, like your daughter. He doesn’t like to throw out anything, and he wants to keep every Burger King toy whether its broken or not. (No, we dont eat a lot of BK, but you get the idea.) Asking him to donate un-loved toys to Goodwill is like banging your head against a brick wall.
I did make progress, but we have a ways to go.
My youngest daughter is like yours -she is a pack rat. I clean her room, throw out a trashbag or two of stuff, and then try to organize her. My system is never her system – of course, her system is to keep everything. One possible solution we are trying is to get her a larger desk with drawers – her current desk is a small, oak, antique secretary with not much storage space. She also helps around the house and is very meticulous about the jobs she takes on – it just doesn’t translate to her room.