i>Be Safe. Store items requiring supervision either out of reach or locked. For example, if you have really young children, you probably want them to ask you to get down crayons, paints etc. If you use tall shelving, anchor them to the wall so they can't
fall over. Store heavy items on the bottom shelves. Teach the Kids How Put Everything Away. Kids don't always know what to do when you tell them to put stuff away. Take the time to teach your kids how to organize. Explain to them that organizing their toys will make it easy to find them later and prevent them from losing toys. Once you have a system in place, practice using the system with them for several days in a row. Help them put away toys and find them by making a game out of it, such as conducting a ",treasure hunt",. Ask them to find things, or to put away several different items in their new locations. For example, ",Where are your favorite talking toys?", ",Where does this stuffed animal go when you are done playing with it?", Give lots of praise for correct answers. Be Creative. Containers don't have to be expensive. You can use plastic containers, or even empty tissue boxes. You can even turn decorating containers for art supplies into an art project. Maintain. Once you have pared toys down to a reasonable number and given each toy a home, you need to keep the amount of toys you have under control. Going forward, maintain the limits you've set by adopting a ",Give to Get", policy. So, whenever your child gets a new toy, have them pick one to donate. This is a great way to teach your child the joy of giving. Set up a monthly donation pick up or drop off with your favorite charity and you'll never have to do a big purge again!
To see photos of playroom makeovers, visit the photo gallery at
neatliving.org.
©, 2006 Ariane Benefit
Ariane Benefit, M.S.Ed., is a professional organizer, consultant, speaker, and author of the Neat Living Blog at
neatliving.net which provides expert organizing tips, home makeover photos and much more. Her mission is to help people simplify, clear clutter, and get organized enough to live a life they love! She provides practical creative solutions for people who want a neater, simpler, less stressful life. Ariane can be found on the web at
http://neatliving.org "
