Donna's Place For Everything

Isn’t it amazing how a pile of tiny clothes and shoes make a bigger mess than that in the deepest corner of your basement?  Welcome to your kid’s closet!  However, there is a light at the end of this cluttered tunnel.

If you start with these few steps, order and functionality will quickly reside in the space behind a door you fear to open.

1. Use the same standards for kids’ clothes that you do for your own: purchase good quality, basic coordinating pieces.  Avoid the “looks cute on the hanger” temptation and ensure the material will withstand rough play and numerous washings.
2. Install lower rods and shelves in kid’s closets so they can reach their clothing.  Adjustable shelves work best and can be altered as your child grows.
3. When your child fits into a size 6, it is time to dispose of baby hangers.  Purchase adult size hangers:  plastic (one color), wooden or the latest felt covered (my favorite).  Rule of thumb:  No wire hangers or store hangers allowed…ever!
4. When the seasons change, sort through your children’s clothes, socks, shoes and pajamas and divide them into piles:  too big, too small, worn out and not going to wear.  Donate any unwanted items to charity, a friend or the garbage.  Store anything not worn “now” out of sight in bins.
5. To ensure your child does not put on shorts in January (in the northeast), keep one season of clothes accessible at a time.  Store off-season clothing in a bin on the top shelf of a closet or in a another room.
6. Organize clothing by activity:  school clothes, play clothes, dress-up clothes and sports clothes.  This will keep your child from confusing their soccer uniform for church attire.
7. Unless your child’s closet is exceptionally large, the items to be stored in this space should be clothing related.  If toys, art supplies and sports equipment must be housed in the closet, segment and store accordingly.
8. No matter how tidy the closet appears today,  objects will inevitably end up on the floor.  Control clutter by keeping a storage container in the closet to use as a “catch-all”.  Make it  a point to periodically haul the container throughout the room/house, picking up and returning items to their home.

WIth your kid’s closet well underway, let’s turn our focus next month on a real challenge…your master bedroom closet!