Have you noticed that kids these days have lots of STUFF?
I don’t recall having so much stuff when I was a kid.
Personally, I think that we should all learn to live more simply and stop accumulating things. But that’s good in theory. The more pressing question, of how to manage the incredible chaos that is your kids’ room, can be answered with one simple word: BINS.
Bins, boxes and baskets have been an integral part of my life ever since I gave birth to my oldest child, 9 years ago. They hold everything, from stuffed animals and large toys to small items such as my youngest childs’ rock collections.
Twice a year, when the seasons change, we go over their toys and make a pile for donation. There’s also a pile of broken toys that need to go to the trash. Our rule is, that they can never have more toys than what fits in the baskets. This rule teaches them organization skills as well as the importance of donating to people in need.
My favorite store for all organizing needs is The Container Store.
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We’re having success using a variety of bins, drawers, and a toy chest. We also label the bins and drawers for easier clean-up. (My plan was to do so with photos but I only got as far as masking tape). And to reduce the speed at which the bins and drawers evolve into a useless jumble of mismatched clutter, we keep the smaller toys sorted within using zippered see-through mesh bags (KidsKlutterKatchers.com) Happy organizing!
@ vanessa: labeling the bins is an excellent idea. Placing photos on the outside of the bin to indicate what’s inside is great… but no doubt masking tape works too!