Tag: cleaning kids’ bedrooms

Walk into your child’s bedroom, and start counting the stuffed animals. You might count 30, maybe even 60 or more of these cuddly toys.

While they are certainly cute and comforting for your child, they can make room organization seem overwhelming. Parents who say, “Go clean your room, ” are typically asking for trouble and confrontation. Room organization and design experts say that the task of organizing a bedroom from top to bottom is just too much for a child.

Do it together; make three piles to store, keep and donate. Even children can understand the concept of helping less-fortunate youngsters and will be encouraged to part with some of their toys and clothes.

Let your child know that not all of his or her keepsakes need to be on display. You can decorate a memory box together for keepsakes that can be stored in the closet or elsewhere in the house. Just label the top or side of the box with your child’s name. Remember to let the child make decisions on which keepsakes stay on display and which go into the memory box.

Sometimes it’s the parents who don’t want to part with a child’s favorite outfit or tiny shoes. Parents can have memory boxes, too.

Items that a child isn’t using each day or seasonally should be removed to cut down on clutter.

How often should you organize your child’s room? We suggest about three or four times a year, which especially makes sense if you live in an area where different clothing is worn seasonally.

Once you’ve tackled the stuffed animals and keepsakes, how should you approach the clothing?

• Start by doing the laundry to ensure you have all of the child’s clothing available.
• Sort items that the child may need to try on.
• Pull out items that are missing buttons or that need small repairs. Remove these from the room, or start a repair pile.
• If the child has smaller cousins or siblings, start a hand-me-down pile for clothing your child has outgrown.
• Start a donation pile.
• Sort clothing for seasonal needs, and pack away the items your child won’t be needing. Purchase bins or use labeled boxes for these seasonal goods.

If you’re tackling this job for the first time, it may take up to five hours. But, by honing your organizational skills, you can get the job down to an hour or two. Above all, make sure you help your child with the process. It’s a good time to create new memories about working together while talking about cherished keepsakes with your child. And, your child will learn valuable lessons about donations and helping others who are less fortunate.

Oh, and don’t forget—once you’ve gathered up those items you no longer need, give us a call. We’ll drop by to pick them up for you! Your donations will help our veterans.