If you’ve got young children in the house, then you’re probably involved in the never ending battle against toys, projects and artwork that seem to take over every room. While no one expects infants and toddlers to pick up after themselves, young children can begin learning the basics of organization with a little help from their parents.
By implementing some of the following strategies you can be well on your way to a more organized, cooperative, and harmonious home life.
Start with the most practical room arrangement. Whether it’s the bedroom, the playroom, or somewhere else, decide which activities will take place there and provide the furniture and accessories to meet the needs.
If your child has been in preschool or attends after school care, you may have noticed that classrooms are often divided into activity centers. There’s usually a quiet area for reading and nap time, an area with tables for eating, writing, arts and crafts, and puzzle work, and a special corner for imaginative play where kids can act out their fantasies, try out different roles, and practice social skills.
Create activity zones at home. If your children have communal play areas in addition to their private space or bedroom, focus different activities in each. For older children whose toys often come with lots of very small parts it’s especially important to keep these potentially dangerous objects away from small children.
Having separate play areas also gives your children the opportunity to entertain themselves, enjoy quiet time alone, or choose to interact with family members depending on their mood. It also signals that everything doesn’t have to be shared.
Since the bedroom is a place of rest and tends to be quiet, some logical activities to station there might include reading, doing homework, drawing, or writing. Be sure to provide a desk, chair and a lamp for these tasks. You may also toss a soft beanbag chair into a cozy nook for reading or solitary play.
No matter which activities you choose for your available play areas, be sure to provide convenient, ample, and practical storage. Unless the toys and games have a place to rest when they’re not in use, you will never achieve the organized room you hope for.
If your children play primarily in a room that’s seen by visitors to the house, you may want your storage containers to look more like furniture, so that when things are put away, no one will know the room doubles as a playroom. Try storing toy bins and baskets behind cabinet doors, place a chest in front of a couch for storing larger items, or provide nesting tables that can be pulled out during the day to provide additional surface area for games and other activities.
You might even hang a fabric curtain or place a folding screen in front of an area that looks messy, even when everything is in its proper place.
Some families prefer to set guidelines for the level of messiness they can live with. To keep peace among the family members and help calm the nerves of the “neatniks” in your household, you may designate certain areas as “must clean up by the end of the day”, while others don’t require such stringent standards.
Even as adults, we often find ourselves in the middle of a project that requires several days to complete. If we had to set up and take everything apart on a daily basis it would waste a lot of time and take some fun out of the project.
When setting up activity zones, keep in mind the amount of noise an activity generates so you don’t promote the conflict that could occur when the TV is next to the reading area.
If you have a toddler and an older child playing in the same room, make sure the little one can’t reach the toys of the older one.
Keep toy containers small and lightweight enough for easy access. Your children will feel independent and gain a sense of accomplishment knowing they can get what they need without your help.
To make cleanup easier, label toy containers for the school-age readers in the household. For younger siblings go online or cut pictures from toy catalogs that represent the type of toy that belongs in each container. Then, attach the picture to the bottom or the front as a reminder of what belongs there.
When it’s time to clean up show your child what you want them to do. In the beginning, the results may not be perfect, but if you remain positive your child will be eager to please you again the next time. All human beings want approval so praise the results of a job well done.
Try making it a fun experience by playing music or offering a reward for the fewest complaints or the quickest completion. About 15 minutes before playtime is over prepare your child by telling them they’ll be moving to a different activity soon. Set a timer so that you’re not the bad guy when the time comes.
Copyright 2006. Nancy E. Peham All rights reserved.
Nancy Peham, professional organizer and owner of Helping Hands Personal Services, a Dallas based company, works with her clients to create order, relieve stress and improve their lives. In addition to residential organizing Nancy stages homes for sale, is a speaker, writer, and frequent contributor to the media. Visit her website http://www.HelpingHandsPS.com and sign up for her free monthly newsletter.
