How to Stay Organized with Kids

Very few people are naturally organized. Just like learning to dress yourself, tie your shoes, or ride a bike, organization is a skill that must be learned and practiced. For parents who never fully mastered the skill themselves, it can feel even more challenging to raise organized kids. This month, I’m going to walk you through how to set your children up for success while making your home more manageable and organized in the process!

The very first thing I recommend is creating routines. Kids thrive when they know what to expect throughout the day. Having routines encourages both comfort and confidence. Depending on the age of your children, you may need to start small, but even a toddler can put dirty clothes in a hamper or toys back in a toy box. My boys have a daily checklist that evolves with their capabilities and my needs.

Here is an example of an average weekday checklist for my 8- and almost 10-year-old:

• Get dressed

• Clear bedtime and breakfast cups/dishes to the counter

• Take allergy medicine

• Brush teeth

• Straighten bed

• Put clothes in hamper

• Complete daily chore*

• Empty and hang up backpack

• Do homework

• Read for 20 minutes

• Take Clyde for a walk

• Set the table

• Bathe (including washing hair)

*Daily Chore List

• Monday: Put away laundry

• Tuesday: Clean bathroom sink and mirror

• Wednesday: Clean room

• Thursday: Empty trash cans into main trash

• Weekend: A chore of Mom and Dad’s choice

Each of these tasks took practice, but for the most part, they are now able to manage the list independently. Of course, they still need reminders from time to time, but because they know my expectations, none of it comes as a surprise. They understand that these tasks are part of their “job” and their contribution to our home.

Once you have your ideal routines and chores set, it’s important to model the desired behavior yourself. If your kids are young, that’s ideal, but even older children can learn new habits. When kids see you following routines and staying organized yourself, they are much more likely to follow your lead.

Dealing with Incoming Art and Schoolwork

I know this is a tough one, but even if your child worked hard on every single piece of schoolwork that comes home, you do not need to keep it all. Especially during the preschool and daycare years, the amount of paper that comes home each week can be staggering.

Personally, I go through everything daily and decide right away what stays and what goes. I ask my kids if anything is especially important to them, and at this point (2nd and 4th grade), very little is. I recycle anything that doesn’t “spark joy” for me, which leaves me with only a handful of items throughout the school year that I file.

For the items they do deem important, I have them hang them on their bedroom walls for display. As the wall fills up, we edit the collection together. They also each have a small bin for treasured work, such as writing assignments they are especially proud of or sentimental mementos. Once or twice a year, we go through those bins together to decide what still feels important. Unsurprisingly, much of it no longer does.

This process can be difficult for many of my clients, but if kids see that you are not overly attached to the items, they are often able to let go of much more than you might expect. My kids know that I am proud of the effort they put into everything they create. They know that I know they are creative, capable, and constantly learning new things. But that doesn’t mean I need a physical reminder of every single step along the way.

Cleaning Up

You’ve probably heard it before, but in most cases, the fewer toys children have, the more they actually play with them. It’s easy to accumulate too many toys, especially if you have generous family members who love giving gifts, but you do not have to keep everything, and you definitely do not need to have everything you keep all out at once.

I’ve also found that many of the “free” items kids receive at birthday parties and events are low quality and break easily. Because of that, my general rule is either not to let those items into the house at all or to allow the kids to play with them for a day or two before getting rid of them.

So how do I organize toys for easy cleanup? I find it helps to keep similar categories together. Some categories I’ve created in my own home and others over the years include:

• Hot Wheels cars

• Barbies

• Trains and tracks

• Rocks (yes, rocks!)

• Fidgets

• Activity kits

• Blocks

• Art supplies

• Games/Puzzles

• Stuffed animals

• Pokémon cards

• Legos

Both of my kids keep their own books on shelves in their rooms, but shared series (like Dog Man or Captain Underpants) are assigned a designated shelf. The books can be “borrowed,” but during cleanup, they always return to their assigned spot.

This system makes cleanup much easier because everyone knows where things belong. For example, if we are cleaning the living room and find Legos, we know they belong in Russell’s room. If we find remote-control cars, we know they belong in the downstairs playroom. When everything has a designated home, staying organized becomes much simpler and more manageable for everyone.

This is just a glimpse into how I help my kids stay organized, but I would love to help with any specific challenges you face in your home! Please contact me to set up a free consultation or ask any questions you may have.