As parents, we’ve all been there, we spend hours cleaning our kid’s rooms and before we’ve even walked out of the room, it’s a total disaster again. There came a point where I couldn’t take it anymore and knew I needed to do some kids room organization. I used to joke that my son could care less about the mess in his room. It really didn’t seem to bother him!

His desk became a dumping ground for everything that I asked him to put away. His closet was full of bins, containers, and shelving units that just didn’t work for him. We got to the point where enough was enough and we decided to go through his entire room and gave everything a proper home: puzzles, Lego, books, games, etc. were now easy to find and put away.

A before shot of my son’s closet.

As a professional organizer I work with clients and when we finish, it is always my favourite part because the reward for me is how people react when it’s completed. It is honestly, the best feeling! I see this from adults all of the time but I really didn’t think that clutter bothered most kids or that they wouldn’t care if it was organized because they just messed it up the next day.

What my son said to me was a game-changer. After we finished he said
“Mom, I thought I liked my room before but now, I love it! I didn’t think it bothered me before but now, the way it is, it just feels so good in my body.”
Wow! Tears!

Kids Room Organization Tips

From this experience, I started to think of how many kids don’t feel comfortable in their space and how that might manifest in poor behaviour or sleep disturbances because they can’t articulate how they feel. Not everyone can redo their closets with a fancy closet organizer. But, there are some kids room organization ideas that we can do to help our kids be more situated in their space.

An after shot of my son’s closet.

The key is to not set them up for failure by making their kid’s room organization too complicated to maintain. It may make sense in your mind but not in theirs. When it’s too difficult, the toy you just asked them to put away will get left on the floor.

So here are some tips to help your kids succeed at keeping their rooms organized:

Everything Needs a Home

No matter what type of system they have in their room whether it’s bookshelves, dressers or closet organizers, everything needs a home. Grouping items into categories (puzzles, dolls, books, toys) during a kid’s room organization extravaganza makes it easier to ask your child to put things away correctly. Remember to always check-in and ask them if they remember where the correct spot to put something is when tasking them to put it away. It may take a while for them to remember. But, if this process is repeated, it will get easier and easier.

Make Everything Easy to See

Have you ever gone through your child’s room and found that toy that they really wanted for Christmas stuffed in the back of the closet? When you bring it out, they play with it endlessly but for some reason, they never searched for it before.

For most kids, if it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind. If it’s too difficult to find, they may not play with it, and if it is difficult to see, it makes it that much harder to put away. So, if you are going to plan a kid’s room organization event, buy bins to group items into, make sure they are clear and don’t put bins behind other bins! I often remove the lids too because a lid becomes just one more obstacle for a child.

Labels

Once you find a home for everything, try and label the categories. Use something that sticks but is also easy to remove. As kids grow, things change and so do their items. If your child can read, put a written label on the bin so that they know which category it is. If they can’t read, draw a picture or print one off and attach it to the front of the bin.

Remove Flat Surfaces

Don’t get me wrong, some kids do like a desk and they actually do keep it neat and clear to do their homework, crafts, and colouring on. But in the majority of houses, most of that stuff gets done at the kitchen table and then the desk becomes a dumping ground. Kids will do what is easiest, so don’t make it easy to throw things on the desk as opposed to putting them away in their proper homes.

Declutter

Children don’t just grow out of their clothes, they also grow out of their toys. But when you ask kids if they would like to get rid of anything in their room, they will usually say no. Help make it easier for them to make decisions by laying out a group of items.

For example, lay all of their puzzles out and instead of asking if they’d like to get rid of any, start by asking which ones they don’t use anymore or which ones they don’t like. Another good motivator is having them choose a friend that they would like to give them to. Or, you can agree to take them to a consignment store and any of the money that is made, they can use to buy something that they really want.

Simply Just Start Your Kids Room Organization Extravaganza!

All of these ideas may feel great to you, but you’re still lacking the motivation to make all of these changes. I would suggest simply just starting. Pick one of these five tips and get started with it. The others will come once you get into the organizing zone. You can also ask your child if they’d like to help you. This could be a fun way to let them feel like they’re making a difference in their space as well.

If you’re still struggling and would like some help, I offer home organization services! I am located in Ladysmith, BC and can travel to help families get organized! Reach out to me today to discuss what you’re looking to have organized, and let’s see how I can help.

5 Tips for Kids Room Organization