As a mom of two very-active boys, I get asked quite often how I keep their rooms so neat and organized. Besides my infinite superpowers and mad-cleaning skills, my go-to solution is decluttering (and often). My rule of thumb is to do a quarterly full-sweep of their rooms – and again, making three piles: one to keep, one to donate and one to recycle (for toys, books, and clothing). I try to involve my children in this step, as it gives us the chance to breathe new life into their stuff and most importantly, find new homes for items that are not age appropriate or not well-played with. And without a doubt, I want to raise my children to be mindful of their possessions – to buy less, choose wisely and make it last.
Creative ways to organize your kids’ bedrooms
I am a big fan of bookshelves with bins – not only do they do wonders for hiding clutter, they make clean-up so easy. You can colour-code the bins depending on what your child plays mostly with, such as a dedicated red bin for Lego (because trust me, like your linen collection, your child’s Lego collection will grow exponentially over the years).
Can we talk about books? From an early age, I really wanted to instil a passion for reading in my boys, so they always had a well-stocked bookshelf. Besides the obvious clutter, having an Amazon-worthy collection of books is not always a good thing and by removing ‘book overload’ children are more likely to thrive better, as choosing is easier with fewer choices. Simplifying your children’s books will not only help to get organized, but will also put focus on the books that they actually enjoy reading. For storage, the key is to mix it up with horizontal and horizontal stacks, and even some baskets and magazine file holders for awkward shapes. I find that using a combination of various elements keeps things interesting – although, keeping to the colour scheme of the room.
I love decorating with memories. For collectible toys/keepsakes, hang them on the wall or display them on a separate part of the bookshelf. Don’t you just love what we did with the team jersey? A keepsake that is not taking up space – yet, adding to the mood of the room.
How to declutter kids’ clothes
Pass them on! I have a lot of clients that have a sentimental attachment to their children’s clothing. Trust me, I get it. I unabashedly kept my boys’ baby clothes for years. Yes, years – the organizational nerd in me had lost the battle. It wasn’t that I was saving them for the what-ifs, rather I was desperate to hold on to the memories. The only thing was that my plastic bin nostalgia was taking up space – not only in our limited storage, but also in my mind. Letting go is so important for a mother – to make headspace for what really matters. My advice is keep a few special items, such as their first pair of shoes, first baby blanket, etc. – and for all the rest, take pictures (to, erm, hopefully, one day make a photo album).
For storage, a drawer divider is a game-changer. Trust me, you need one. Now. This is where your newly-honed folding skills will make the difference. Tip: you can even pass these mad-skills onto your little ones and maybe, just maybe – instead of fighting over who plays with what, they will argue about who folds what. Ok, maybe that’s every mother’s dream – nevertheless, a simple storing technique will not only create new space, but it will keep things neat and easy to find (which is so important for those early mornings when the caffeine has yet to kick in). You’re welcome.
Never organize what you can declutter!
In the world of simplifying things, the cliché use-it-or-lose-it is true. If your children are not using it, then it is clutter. Give it away. Happy nesting!
Cher x
