Looking for some simple and effective tips to help your kids stay organized at home? One of the best ways to keep your house organized is to teach your kids how to be responsible for their things and get them involved with the organizing process.
Even very small children can be included in tidying up and putting things away. You can begin training them when they’re very little to be mindful of their toys and to put away something before getting something new out. You can begin teaching chores like this as early as two years old.
In this post, I’ll share some easy hacks to help keep kids organized at home and keep your house from total chaos. I’ll also provide an example of a kids chore checklist (that you can download for free!).
1. A place for everything.
Help your kids to keep their belongings organized with places to return their things easily — containers, shelves, drawers, etc.
- Baskets – Best for toy collections, because they are deep.
- Bins – Best for larger toys/stuffed animals, because they are large.
- Totes – Best for toys on the go, because they have handles.
- Boxes – Best for random or miscellaneous toys, because they have a lid.
- Bowls – Best for smaller toys or pieces, because they are wide and round.
- Trays – Best for toys on display, because they are shallow.
Tip: You can include pictures or words on the front of containers so they know exactly what belongs there.
2. Organize their school belongings.
When kids get home from school, they have a tendency to throw their things everywhere.
Tip: Have a plan for when they get home from school. Have a designated place for their coats, shoes, and backpacks.
Tip: If they’re younger, help them go through their backpacks each day to sort their paperwork. Some papers will have to be completed, some papers may be saved, and some will be thrown away.
Tip: If they take a lunch to school, ask them to unpack it so it can be ready for the next day. Depending on age, you may feel comfortable letting them pack their own lunches. Have them do this as soon as they get home, so it’s ready for the next day.
3. Help them declutter their own belongings.
Another thing you can do to help your kids get organized at home is to teach them to declutter their own belongings. Spring Cleaning is a good time to do this. Help them understand that as new things arrive, they don’t have to keep older things, and that keeping too many “things” can have negative effects.
Tip: For every new item that they receive, help them to eliminate an old item, to be donated, sold or thrown away.
Tip: Help them go through toys that are broken or that they no longer use or want.
Tip: Help them go through clothes that are too small or are in poor shape.
Teaching your child how to stay organized at home takes consistency. Repetition and setting expectations is key. Organization does not come easy to most people, especially children. But over time, you will be amazed as your child starts to take more responsibility with putting things away and becoming more organized at home.
Tip: If you’d like to add your child’s chores and responsibilities to your daily routine, consider using a daily planner to add the chores as daily tasks.
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Crystal Tharp
Crystal is the owner of The Organized Home, LLC and producer of The Home Approach® program; empowering moms to create an organized home that they love, so they can thrive at home. With over ten years of combined experience working in the Professional Organizing industry and coaching industry, she combines her expertise in decluttering, organizing, and home management with her passion for helping moms to bring out the best in themselves.
While coaching moms is her God-given calling, she also loves being a mom to her young children (ages 4, 6 and 8), date nights with her husband, and family outings on the weekends. Above all, she is most passionate about following Jesus and inspiring others to do the same.
