I’m on a mission. When my daughter heads off to kindergarten in just a couple of weeks (I refuse to count and give you an accurate number), my mind will be spinning, my heart will be racing, and the tears will be flowing. The last thing I need is for the clutter surrounding me to overwhelm me at one of the most emotional points in my parenting life.
It’s time to attack the clutter by giving everything in the house a space of its own.
I decided that the best place to begin was in those little nooks where it appeared as though I had already organized, when in fact the chosen space was inadequate for the task.
The Entranceway:
Purchasing a bench with storage baskets and matching hook and basket system was a great step in the right direction for my family. Not only did the children gain a place to sit when putting on their shoes, but they now had a place to keep those shoes as well. Only, the children cannot reach the hooks, so the idea of self-sufficiency was out of the question. Also, I have a little tote problem. I admit it. I like a good tote. Between my children and their backpack habits, my tote fetish, and the occasional windbreaker, the hooks had met their match. And quite frankly I was sick and tired of having to hang up the items in my home that my kids could take care of by themselves at pre-school.
Enter the hooks that we found for $9.99 at Target!
When the kids leave for kindergarten and pre-k in the morning, they can get their own coats and backpacks, and my totes have room to breathe.
Dresser Drawers:
Convincing my daughter to both put away her clean laundry and get out what she needs each morning was a major triumph in my life. But when you ask a child to put socks, camisoles, panties, and tights in the same big drawer, you’re asking for trouble.
No dresser is perfect for every stage of a child’s life, so my advice is to pick up a reasonably priced item that you can work with and make it what it needs to be for your needs at each stage. Emma’s dresser is a yard sale find that we painted to match her room, but it is made up of three large drawers. A 5 year old’s socks quickly get lost in such a huge space, but spending as much on a drawer organizer system as we spent on the entire dresser was out of the question. Instead, we use empty shoe boxes to create neat little compartments that separate the drawer’s inhabitants, making it easier for Emma to both put her clothes away and also find them in the morning.
What is the one space in your home that on the surface seems organized, but deep down drives you crazy?
