Organization Mini-Series: Organize Your Kids

For the next few posts I will be doing a mini-series in preparation for the organization class I will be teaching next week. I wanted to be able to include the following things in more detail in my class: Organize Yourselves, Organize Your Kids, and Organize Your Time. However, because of time constraints in the class I can't fit them all in. Instead I will be posting them on here. :)

Aww, look at my sweet baby girl, Aftyn. The cutest princess wiper-offer ever!

Organize Your Kids

I. Introduction
A key component to having a more organized life is getting the whole family on board. If you don't put forth an effort to keep your kids organized as well as yourself chaos will ensue and it will happen fast! Five kids remember? Ha ha. ;) There are some great ways to help your kids be more organized which in turn will help everything in your household run more smoothly.

II. Teach Kids Independence
The more kids can do for themselves the less you're going to be running around like a crazy person trying to do everything for everyone. A small child is capable of doing many things if you just give them the chance. For example, they can help clean up, do simple chores, and fetch things. With a little guidance, they'll soon be managing a lot on their own.

I love checklists! They are super helpful for keeping kids on task. My kids (almost) never need to be reminded of what to do each morning and night. All they have to do is refer to their checklist. I've been doing the morning checklist for a few years now and it works great. The bedtime works well for my three middle children. My oldest is a teenager and although she knows what she is supposed to be doing, it's the convincing that's the problem. Ha! I'm still counting it as successful since three kids follow it like clockwork. ;)

Another thing that I do is have my kids set out outfits for each school day. The oldest now picks out her own clothes but I still have her set them out each Sunday night. The others prefer me to help and that's okay. That way I know they match. ;) It cuts back on morning chaos when everyone knows exactly what to wear.

III. Teach Children to be Helpful
I remember watching a reality show with Jessica Simpson. She had recently married and didn't know how to do any housework. Her mother had done it all for her and her sister, including cleaning their rooms while they were at school! She's rich so she can just pay someone to clean for her but the rest of us don't have that luxury. You are doing no favors to your kids if you don't teach them basic life skills, including how to clean. 

This is what I like to call the "Helpful Chart". Anytime I ask my kids to do something for me and they promptly obey with a good attitude they earn a sticker. After they've gotten ten stickers they earn a reward of their choosing. I give them three choices to help narrow things down and keep it fair. My kids love this chart and I love that it is so positive. Once a sticker goes on they can't lose it for naughtiness either. I love it. Plus, I laminated it so the kids just peel their stickers off when they're ready to start over again.

My kids also do chores regularly. During the school year they are mainly in charge of keeping their rooms picked up, taking out the garbage, clutter control, and bathrooms (Saturdays). In the summer they have many more responsibilities. They get paid allowance for doing these chores. I also provide some $1 "wild card" chores that they can pick from, up to three a month, if they're trying to buy something quicker. Chores are non-negotiable. They get done or they lose a privilege. They always get done. ;)

IV. Provide Storage for their Things
This last point is so important! If you don't provide places for your kids' things then there's going to be many lost shoes/ homework/ items. You have to train your kids to be organized and teach them your systems otherwise it's going to be a failed effort.

Those who know me best know how much I love my cubbies! They are tucked into the corner of my laundry room and have proved to be invaluable as far as keeping my kids organized. Each child has two cubbies; one for their shoes and one for their coats/jackets/hats etc. I got mine from IKEA and they were worth every penny!

I also provided hooks for backpacks and lunch boxes for each of my kids in the coat closet. The kids know the drill very well: Hang up backpacks, put shoes and coats away, done! Little things like this make life so much easier. Don't forget to label too. That way there'll never be any confusion on whose spot is whose. ;)

V. Conclusion
In conclusion, I just want to say that I get it. I truly do. Trying to keep kids organized is a daily effort and it's not easy! However, if you implement just a few simple changes I guarantee that it will become at least a little easier. Teaching your children to manage themselves and their things is so important. And even though they may balk at change, in the long run they will be glad you taught them. :)

Two Words: Stair Baskets

Everyone has their "pet peeves" when it comes to housework and I am no exception. There are certain things that just bother me. I can live with dirty toilets for a couple of weeks and crumbs on the table don't bother me either (although that is my husband's pet peeve so I am trying to get better). I tend to be pretty lax when it comes to cleaning, mostly due to my handicap. Being on my feet is just hard. However, there is one thing I cannot stand. CLUTTER.

I grew up in a very cluttered house. My parents were catalog hoarders and even though we had three bar stools sitting at the kitchen counter I rarely remember the counters being cleared enough to use them. And if they were it was usually because I cleared them! We never really had a system for containing our stuff and so it just built up and built up. Back then, being a kid in my parents' home, I really didn't have much control over the clutter.

Fast forward to my own home and I do everything I can to control it. When the house is picked up I feel more peaceful. In fact, if ever I am having a stressed out moment usually picking up the counter tops calms me right down. Whatever works right? 

Today I am here to tell you about a life saver to control clutter in a multiple level home. Stair baskets.

This little beauty right here makes life so much better when you can't stand clutter. Living in a house with five children can make clutter get out of control at lightning speed if I don't work to contain it. For a few minutes in the morning and then again after school the kids and I sweep the main floor in search of anything that doesn't belong.

Anything that belongs upstairs goes in the upstairs basket and anything that belongs in the finished basement goes in the downstairs basket. As I'm heading up or down for something I try and grab a few items out of the baskets and put them away. My sweet grandma likes to call this "Putting my head before my heels." :) But mostly, my kids are in charge of emptying them during their regular chore time after school. They do a great job and the random things get put back where they belong.

I love these baskets because they keep everything contained and out of sight until we can empty them. And since they are designed for stairs they fit perfectly along the wall and stay out of the way. The exact one that I have can be found here on Amazon. I've had them for several years and they have lasted well, especially considering that kids mostly handle them!

If I only had a one level home I imagine this system could be used just as well there. Someday Nathan and I plan to downsize to a rambler when our kids are gone and then I imagine having a cute basket at the entry to the hallway or something that can collect everything waiting to be put away.

If you are tired of things just sitting out because no one is motivated to walk all the way up or downstairs to put them away, try a basket!

Oh and make emptying them part of your daily routine otherwise they'll just go to waste. Or better yet... make your kids empty them! ;)

Containing Kid Clutter AKA TOYS

I am not a professional organizer. I want to make that perfectly clear. Organizing is a hobby of mine not a career. I feel a need to say this because there seem to be a lot of people out there who assume I am a professional. I'm not. Call it a talent if you will. It's just something I enjoy doing in my free time in my own home. Someday it might turn into a career but for now I am content sharing my ideas with those who are interested. If you are in need of ideas on how to keep your kids' toys neat and organized then read on because today I am sharing the love on that exact subject! :)

How to get started:
I like to view toy organization in the same way I view my wardrobe. If I haven't worn an item of clothing in a year then I get rid of it. I try to do the same with my kids' toys. We keep what they play with and donate what they don't. It's a little more tricky with kids' toys due to the various ages and like hand-me-down clothes there's always a toy hanging around waiting for someone to "grow into it".

However, in order to make your toy organization be as successful as possible you have to purge what your kids don't need. You can include your kids in this process if they're willing to be objective but if your kids are anything like mine they'll probably insist that every toy you hold up is their "favorite" and they "play with it all the time". If that's the case it's probably best to purge when they're not around. I guarantee you they won't miss what they don't play with. Mine never do. :)

What to keep and what not:
Ultimately you have to be the judge of what stays in your house and what doesn't but if you have so many things that the playroom gets trashed every time your kids play or they haven't a clue where to put things when they're done then it's time to downsize! When I go through my kids' things I start with the "junk" first. My definition of junk is anything that's worth nothing ie Happy Meal toys or just the cheapo "where on earth did we get this thing anyway?!?" toys. I don't donate them because I doubt anyone else wants them anyway. Instead I just toss them in the trash.

Then I look at the toys that are left. Try not to keep toys out that no one is developmentally ready for. For example, if you have a lot of baby toys laying around but don't currently have a baby then either box them up and put them in a closet until you have a child ready for them again or donate them. That goes for all rarely played with toys. Keep them up and out of the way; Only pull them out when they're asked for. If you bought a toy that no one likes, swallow your pride and get rid of it. The way I figure, it's better to give a toy away to a child who'll appreciate it then to have it gathering dust in my kids' room.

The fun part... Storage!
Now comes the best part. If you've successfully cleaned out your play space of anything unneeded or unwanted then you're now ready for some awesome ways of keeping all the toys contained! Most of my kids' toys are kept in a playroom in the basement. However, these ides would work for any child's room or closet. How do I know that? Because I have never had a playroom before I moved to this house so I am experienced in storing toys in smaller spaces as well. :) The key to any successful organization project is to utilize the space you have in the best way possible. This may take several attempts until you get the right flow in the room but that's okay. I have reorganized my playroom several times myself. It's working for now and when I see it's stopped working I'll do it again!

The best place I have found for inexpensive effective toy organization has got to be IKEA. I love that store! These metal shelves are $14.99 a piece with the bins running for about $1.50 each. I love bins. You can store so much in them and they look neat and tidy. See how I pushed the baby strollers under the shelves? Make every space count my friends!

These shelves are also good for free standing things as well. Just look at how many Littlest Petshop play sets fit on there! Also these shelves can be bolted to the wall which makes them safe. I had just enough room in between the shelving for the cute teatime table my sister made for my girls. Underneath it I slid the bin full of Little People stuff. My baby is the only one who plays with it so I wanted it to be at her level and I made good use of otherwise wasted space.

In the center of the playroom closet I made the boy zone. I put everything my one and only son plays with here so he has all his beloved cars in one spot for him and his friends. I love these open bins as well. I used to have one of these in each of my kids' closets back before we moved into this house. They don't take up much space and you can fit lots into them. Just make sure you label them so your child knows where to return their stuff. I got this particular storage unit at Target several years ago for about $70.00 I think. Looks like it's a little more expensive now but then again everything is these days isn't it? Back when I bought them there weren't a lot of options for kid storage but I still love them. They work very well for small people. :)

Here's another 3 tiered storage unit that houses the girl stuff. Next to it is an inexpensive set of plastic drawers where my girls keep their dress-up stuff, most of it anyway.

Tucked behind the playroom door is a simple set of hooks for my girls to hang their play dresses on. Another ingenious use of space if I do say so myself. :)

In each corner of the closet I have these wonderful shelving units. It was such a waste of space before but now look how awesome it is! Nothing drives me crazier than clutter. There's no clutter in the closet anymore now, thanks to IKEA.

The toys that my kids still play with, but only rarely, are tucked away neatly in the top shelf of the closet where only I can reach them. I'm happy to pull them down when they ask for them and happier that they are out of the way!

Phew! I think I've overloaded you enough so for now I'll leave how I store my youngest's toys for another day. :) I guarantee you these ideas will work for your child's toys. Heck, they'll work for your toys too! Comment on this post with any questions. I am always happy to offer up advice. :) Good luck!

Keeping Mornings Stress-Free

Now that it's back to school time for kids again it's time to think about ways to keep the mornings running smoothly. Here's a couple of tips to get you started!

Every Sunday night I make my way up to my three older kids' bedrooms and set out the clothes they will wear during the school week. My kids are all still young enough that they don't really have an opinion of what they wear and this way I make sure all of their clothes are being worn equally. If you have some opinionated kids then I suggest you have them in the room with you helping so they can make sure they're wearing what they want.

You could buy a fancy-schmancy clothing organizer doo-dad but I have found that the tops of my kids' dressers work just fine. I made some labels on the computer, laminated them with my trusty mini-laminator, and taped them to the walls using painters tape. Cheap, easy, and practical is what I'm all about.

It's my kids' responsibilty to get dressed when they wake up and because of my system it works great! Everyone always has something to wear and no one is frantically searching for an article of clothing.

I made this check list for my oldest back when she was in kindergarten. Back then I had a toddler and a baby to manage as well and so it was important to have the one who was capable of doing more things to be independent. Now I have a 3rd grader, a kindergartner, a preschooler, and a baby. The older three all have different school schedules so having a check list has become all the more important.

Instead of me hollering at my kids to get ready, they do it themselves. I have one of these lists posted on the fridge and another up in my girls' room so they can refer back to it as needed.  I also have added the times my older two go and come home from school along with the number to the school. That way mom doesn't forget anything either!

Getting your kids ready in the morning doesn't have to be a chore.

All it takes is a little planning ahead!

Clothing Organization for Kids' Drawers

Have you ever been in a time crunch and are running around trying to get kids dressed, only to hit a road block when your toddler refuses to wear anything you've picked out? We've all been there (or at least know someone who has).

Toddlers like to be able to assert their independence and who can blame them? They are realizing they are their own person and want some say in the things that happen to them, yet we as their mommies get to make most of the decisions for them.

I ran into this a lot when my oldest was about 3. She insisted on picking out her clothes (which usually consisted of the same shirt over and over), and I insisted on her matching and looking presentable if we were going to be out in public. BTW, if you are reading this and have no problem with your kids picking out their clothes all the time, just disregard this whole post! :)

However, if you're a control freak like me, then perhaps you'd like to keep reading to see how I stopped the daily battles about clothing at my house.

First, I took all the bottoms and tops Ainsley had and put them into outfits. Most people have more shirts than pants, so I found more than one possible shirt and put them both with a pair of pants or shorts. Then, I placed each outfit into a gallon sized storage bag and placed them neatly back into the drawers.

This resulted in Ainsley being able to pick out an outfit which made her happy and feel like she had a say in the matter. I was happy too, because I knew she looked presentable!

I have since done the same for second and third children's clothes but have taken it a few steps further. Since my second child, Aftyn, has so many clothes because she never outgrew last year's batch but has a whole new set from Ainsley for this year, I have organized her clothes by capri outfits (one drawer) and shorts outfits (another drawer). That way when the weather is a little cooler I can easliy find what I'm looking for.

Now when the time comes every morning to get everyone dressed, there are happy faces and no one ends up crying, even me. :)

Packing for a Trip?

My second daughter Aftyn at 10 months, preparing for an airplane trip.

Make a list!

I know first hand how stressful it can be when trying to pack a family for a trip--especially when you have little ones or a baby. Believe me, I've had many a trip with my little ones to be really good at packing efficiently and I never forget anything! This morning I was talking to my mom on the phone and she was mentioning all the things she had to remember to pack in her suitcase for her upcoming trip (to see me!). She was worrying that she wouldn't remember everything she needed as she had to pack things she doesn't usually bring.

I suggested she try what I do-- make a list! Here's how I go about it:
One Week Before...

1. Get a piece of paper for each person you'll be packing for and write their names at the top of the paper.
2. Write down as many things as come to mind that each person will need.
3. Keep the lists in a handy place where you'll be able to find them.
4. Over the course of the week, refer back to lists and add to them as you think of more things that need to be packed (doing this ensures that nothing will be forgotten)

One Day Before...

1. Keeping your lists with you, start packing.
2. Check off items as you pack them.

Tips for Packing Babies and Toddlers

1. Place everything you need for a day's outfit into one gallon-size Ziploc bag ie shirt, pants, socks, underwear, hair ties. Do this for each day of your trip. It makes it so much easier to find what you're looking for!
2. Always pack extra outfits-- chances are you'll need them!
3. Designate one suitcase just for your baby. With diapers, wipes, extra clothes, etc. my babies always need a whole suitcase to themselves.
4. Put canisters of formula or rice cereal in a closed Ziploc bag too. You never know what a change in air pressure or elevation is going to do to those things and you don't want them to explode all over the inside of your suitcase! Yeah, it's happened to me before... not a pretty sight.

Trying to get ready for a trip is always stressful but if you follow a list I promise it'll go smoother and hopefully make your trip that much better because you know you have everything you need to make it so!

Better Book Organizing for Kids

We love books here at our house! And because we love them so much we have accumulated quite the library. I'm glad that I have passed down my love of reading to my children and I'm glad they love their books so much. However, I wasn't glad with the way the little kid books were always a mess on the shelves. I wasn't glad that my children couldn't find the book they were looking for, and I sure wasn't glad that I was the only one who could put them away.

So, I did something about it!

Instead of lining up all the books vertically, I stacked them horizontally by category, placing the largest books on the bottom and the smallest on top. This way makes my kids be able to see what they're looking for and be able to put them away. I wrote the categories on Post-It notes and laminated them to keep them looking nice. I then attached the labels to the bookshelf with painters tape so the finish would be protected. I put the really large books on top of the shelf in neat piles.

Here's the way I categorized them:

• Animals
• Potty books (for little kids)
• Babies
• Dogs
• Feelings and Opposites
• Getting Dressed and The Body
• Colors and Shapes
• ABC's and 123's
• Touch and Feel
• Bedtime
• Nature and Food
• Church and Jesus

These categories are, of course, just suggestions. Categorize them in the best way for you. And don't worry if your child can't read the labels. With your help, they'll soon be able to memorize where their books go. Before you know it, they'll be reading the labels too.

That is, after all, the whole idea of books. :)

Get a Handle on Hair ties

I have three little girls and if you are a mother to girls you know how much they love to look pretty! Since my oldest is eight years old, I've had a long time to accumulate many, many hair accessories. Lately, I've found they have taken over the bathroom!

This is not the first time hair ties have taken over. A few years ago I attempted to organize them into little baskets that fit perfectly into the drawers. It worked too except my girls/husband didn't understand my methods of categorizing them and so after awhile they all ended up mixed together until I couldn't find anything anymore. Nothing bugs me more than to not be able to find what I'm looking for!

I knew it was time to tackle the hair ties again so I got to work. First, I dumped out each basket and began sorting them, really sorting them. All the Velcro baby bows in one pile, all the rubber bands in another and so on. The goal was to make the piles as specific as possible so everyone would know where to return them, not just me. I also took this opportunity to toss any worn out ones/broken ones. You know, the ones you say, "Oh, I can glue this flower back onto the barrette sometime." Yet years later there it still is, broken, and taking up space. Yeah, those all went in the trash.

After all the hair ties were sorted, I knew there had to be a better way of containing them. These piles sat in the hallway for a day while I pondered that very topic. Finally, when I had time, I went to my trusty Wal-Mart... okay, okay so it's very trust-worthy. Most of the time they don't have what I'm looking for, but I was hopeful this time they would. :)

And lucky me, they did! In the sporting goods department I picked up three tackle boxes for two bucks each. Score! They are absolutely perfect for storing all the little barrettes and clips I've accumulated throughout the years. They also fit very nicely in the top drawer in the bathroom with room to spare. I recycled some of the little baskets I used before to hold the more abundant categories also.

I used two of the washtubs I mentioned last week for flowers and fluffy hair ties and they're working great also. Now, everyone knows where to put the hair ties and I'm spending a lot less time wandering around the bedrooms and bathroom feverishly trying to keep a handle on them. They're handling themselves these days. :)

Winterize Bedrooms

I don't know about where you live but here at my house fall seems to have finally arrived. The air is crisp and chilly now and the nights have gotten cool enough that our furnace has kicked on a couple of times. This weekend I took the time to winterize my kids' bedrooms. It's a tedious task I must say but alas it has to be done and there's no time like the present, right? Here's how I went about it:

1. Prepare beds for winter. Take off all bedding and wash it with hot water and bleach if possible. This kills any bacteria and dust mites. Replace summer sheets with flannel sheets, add an extra quilt, and remake beds.
2. Open up windows to air out one last time before it's too cold to do so.
3. Replace summer pajamas with winter ones in drawers. Determine which are too small and which still fit from last year. Put summer p.j.'s in flat plastic boxes and slide under beds.
4. Replace summer clothes with winter clothes and again determine which still fit and which don't. Store summer clothing in flat boxes and slide under beds.
5. Finally have your kids try on their jackets and winter shoes to see if they still fit from last year.

Winterizing is not so much fun I must say but it's a relief to have it done and I've been able to make a big check mark on my never-ending to-do-list. Try and get yours done this week too!

Cubbies!

I've been trying to come up with a solution for our laundry room for some time. I wanted it to be multi-functional yet still look nice (since guests have to walk through it to use the bathroom). I not only wanted it to be a laundry room but also a mudroom for my kids to put their jackets and shoes when they walked in the door.

We decided to make a trip to IKEA to see if we could get some ideas. Here's what Nathan and I came up with... cubbies! Each child has two cubbies, one for shoes and one for jackets, hats and gloves, whatever the current weather calls for. We also bought some cool hampers to be used as my laundry system. I am totally stoked about how it looks and how functional it is! Is it sad for me to be so excited about storage?

Chores for Kids

One of Princess Aftyn's jobs is to wipe off the little table.

Ainsley and Aftyn are only almost 7 and almost 4 and do they do chores? Absolutely! In my opinion, as soon as a child gets to be around 2 they are capable of picking up after themselves and my kids do! Everyday at 4:00 it is chore time at my house and the girls are responsible for 7 chores:

1. Pick up all toys/belongings on Main Floor
2. Pick up all toys/belongings in Basement
3. Pick up all toys/belongings in Bedroom
4. Put away all shoes
5. Wipe off tables
6. Make bed
7. Put clothes away/in hamper

And guess what? They do these chores all by themselves! The only thing I do is break up the occasional fight.:) I also provide encouragement when needed especially for Aftyn who has a shorter attention span.

So how do I do it, you ask? Simple. I have easy organizational systems for toys so it's very quick and easy for the girls to put away their things. And after all the chores are completed, they get a small piece of candy (like a Starburst), and get to add seven coins to their Reward jars. See: http://littlelockards.blogspot.com/2009/03/tip-of-week-rewards-system.html.

I have explained to my kids that they are part of a family and it's their job to help make the house a happy place to be by picking up their stuff. Small children love to help and it makes them feel important. They also love getting candy!

Helpful Hints:

• 
  
  Whenever I hear Ainsley or Aftyn say, "But Mommy, I don't want to do chores..." I simply say, "That's fine if you don't want to, I'll do your half, but I also get your money and candy when I'm done..." It works every time!
• 
  
  If you've never had your kids do chores before but are wanting to give it a try, I suggest you do the chores with them the first few times to help them get the hang of it. A chore chart is also a great motivator, especially if they get to use stickers on it!
• 
  
  For really young kids I have found it most successful to give them specific tasks to do. If you say, "Pick up the living room," it can seem too overwhelming and chances are you'll meet resistance. However, if you say instead, "Find all the blocks in the living room and put them away..." It makes it seem much more manageable.

Chores are a great way to boost confidence in kids and give them a sense of accomplishment. It also gives Mom a little break to put her feet up and relax while the kids are cleaning up all the messes...

Well, one can always dream!