Blog Talk Radio with Julie Verleger & Me!

Organizing kids and their stuff was the topic today on Blog Talk Radio with Julie Verleger of The Organized Home.  I was a bit nervous as this was my first time on Blog Talk Radio but I had a good time and hopefully didn’t sound like too much of a dork.

If you missed it, you can hear the show in its entirety.  Be sure to listen to Julie’s other shows as well.  She sure made it easy for me to be a part of this!  Lots of tips on organizing with kids plus answered some questions from listeners.

Blog Talk Radio:  Organizing Kids and Their Stuff!

Barbies, Legos & Crayons, Oh My!

Attack of the Runaway Playroom!

Playrooms can be a fabulous part of your home, but for so many people, they can quickly become a nightmare. Kids aren’t naturally inclined to put things away, and most of the time when a playroom is set up – things either are just sort of set around for kids to play with or the furniture is bought for cuteness factor rather than practicality (not that the two can’t go hand in hand).

When setting up a playroom, here’s some tips:

• Really evaluate your children and their playing preferences. Just because you think the dollhouse is adorable doesn’t mean that it actually gets played with. And if your child never touches the art easel – it’s probably not something that needs to be there.
• Really evaluate your space – it really doesn’t matter how large or small it is – it depends on how it is set up and used.
• Create zones for play and bring all items that belong in that zone to that space. For example if you have a play kitchen, all kitchen items should be in that zone.
• Make items easy to access and easy to put away. In the kitchen zone, open stacking bins are great, as is a small table, and baskets for transporting “food” and dishes. In an art zone, set up the easel, bins for paper & supplies (tall plastic drawers are great for this), drawing table, etc. in one area that has some good light.
• Label each bin, basket and zone. Use pictures if necessary. Kids “forget” really easily where things are supposed to – don’t give them any more excuses than they need!
• Make sure the space is well lit (consider recessed lights), has an open space in the middle to play, and that each zone is not overloaded with stuff.
• Do NOT be afraid to get rid of things. In my experience, most of the time, children only really play with 25-40% of their stuff. The rest? Unwanted gifts, broken things, inappropriate for their age level or interest, and those junky toys you get from birthday party goodie bags.
• Say “NO” to the mother in law who continually brings over gobs of plastic stuff or age inappropriate toys, and restrain yourself from shopping the Dollar Rack at Target. Stop going to all of the consignment sales and getting games & puzzles because they are such a great deal. Are they really a great deal if they are ruined or not used because the kids can’t find them?
• Look at the room from a kid’s perspective. Get down on the floor and see it from their eye level. Can you reach everything? Can you see clearly where it belongs? Remember, everything needs to have a home – and children really understand that when it is your playroom (and household) policy.
• Be creative with storage – think outside the box. Use pop up laundry hampers to corral stuffed animals or balls, use chalkboard & magnet paint for creativity on the walls or furniture, use cubbies & shelving in closets for storage instead of the hanging bar. Don’t get locked into what it “should” look like – as Tim Gunn says on Project Runway “Make it work”.

The main goal when organizing a playroom is to make it a space where kids can find what they want, have an appropriate place to play with it, and be able to put it back where it belongs by themselves. Give thought to what is in the space, and more thought into how to store & access the ever evolving and expanding STUFF that can take over any room.

One final note: this is not a finished product. Children are ever changing, and so are their needs and wants. Evaluate regularly – and be ruthless! Save only the special items and ditch the rest. There are plenty of people out there that will get better use of these unwanted and unused items than you are now.

Visit my Organizing Photos page on A Fresh Space to see slideshows of two recent playrooms I organized.

Back To School: Tips for Organizing Your Day!

Back to school time can be easier if you put routines in place. Having set schedules is very helpful, and so is taking the time to set up stations for school day necessities.

1. Have a designated lunch station. Place all kids lunch foods in one spot in the refrigerator and in one spot in the pantry. I like to use bins for this. Lunch boxes, or lunch bags, go here as well, along with any other necessities such as plastic spoons, napkins, water bottles, etc.

   This has two benefits: When you are ready to make lunch, everything is right at your fingertips AND you can easily see if you are low on anything for grocery shopping. Nothing is worse that trying to make lunch at 7AM and you are out of your son’s favorite string cheese.



2. Have a designated homework station where you can supervise and make sure homework is completed. This station should have paper, pencils, calculator or whatever your child needs to get the work done. Placing all of these items in a labeled bin or lap desk is a great way to have all of your materials in one place. Plus it’s portable. For younger children, kitchen’s tend to be the place of choice for homework. Using a cabinet or drawer for supplies is great, or having a small desk or table works as well. For older kids, a desk in their room can be properly supplied.
3. Set up an “out the door” station. This is where backpacks, coats, shoes, etc. go, preferable right by the door. If you drive kids to school, make sure that any science projects, school supplies, extra materials, etc. are already in the car the night before. I don’t recommend this for live animals or perishable materials but you get the idea.

Having everything you need all in one spot is nothing new – simply good basic organizing techniques. You can use this for any area of the home, and for any routine you have. But for kids it works really well, primarily because when stuff is scattered around, it can cause their brains to scatter around as well – and who needs more of that?

Organizing is all about making life easier to manage – and setting up stations in your home to manage school routines can make the difference between having a crazy day or a calm one. The great thing about routines and stations is that when the inevitable crisis occurs – enough is in place that you can deal with it and move on. Think about what your days look like – and find the gaps in your routines. All it may take is some thought, some planning, and some bins!

Back To School: Routines Make Your Day Easier

Planning is Key!

We’re heading back to school soon, and days can get chaotic. I was teaching a class about back to school organizing recently, and one of the participants said, “but it takes so much time to get organized”. Yeah, it can. But it sure pays off in the end, saving you not only time but money and frustration. So here’s some of my suggestions for back to school that, with a bit of planning, can make your school days a bit easier:

1. First, write down all of the tasks that need to be done daily or weekly that relate to school and/or kids so you can get a full visual of what you are facing. This includes brushing teeth, packing lunches, gymnastics class, etc.
2. Determine the best time of each day to accomplish each task, and create a schedule/routine. For example, if evenings are a scramble, then put homework and making lunches in the after school routine.
3. Have a family calender to track all of the activities you and your kids are involved in – and post it in a place where all can see.
4. Post tasks, and the responsible party, along with when they need to be accomplished. For example, a laminated check sheet that says “MORNING ROUTINE” with all of the tasks for each child. These are easy to make, or you can check out www.listplanit.com for some great lists of all sorts!
5. Schedule your tasks so you are not scrambling at your less than ideal time of the day. For example, I’m not a morning person, so I make sure my daughter’s homework is checked, her backpack is packed and waiting by the door, and her lunch is made and in the fridge the night before so I can get some coffee and read the paper in the morning.
6. Set tasks for the kids and give them responsibilities appropriate for their age level.
7. Follow through with your jobs and with the jobs that are the responsibilities of the kids. AND, follow through with consequences if kids do not do their jobs.

Consistency is key – if you let the kids slide on their jobs – those jobs will become yours!

rules for kids – how specific does one need to be!?!

I’m all about setting limits and routines for things to help kids get through the day (and me too!) but I try not to go overboard. And I kind of figured that my rule of “hairbrush goes in the bin in the bathroom” was pretty clear. My daughter has decided that the only hairbrush worth using is mine no matter how many we get for her. It has to be the one I am currently using. Hence the hairbrush rule.

I didn’t plan on this:
Note the hairbrush on the floor. Now this would have normally put me in a conniption but, as she so eloquently explained to me, it was the ONLY thing in the house that worked as the spiky pit for the racetrack for the new race car her daddy gave her. This is only a portion of the “race track” which went around the whole room with various obstacles and observers. I do applaud the creativity, however, I do need to brush my hair with that brush.

I guess I didn’t clarify that hairbrushes are only for hair. I did tell her that it was not to be used for brushing the pets but I definitely did NOT clarify that it was NOT to be used as a spiky pit for the racetrack. My bad.