Clear the Clutter Week 6: Kid Rooms and Playrooms

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Clear the Clutter Challenge Week 6: Kid Rooms & Playrooms

If you have not already joined the Clear the Clutter Challenge, be sure to sign up HERE so that you can receive all the latest decluttering tips! Do not worry if you have not been able to keep up with every week of the Clear the Clutter Challenge. You can join at any time.

Also, consider purchasing the Ultimate Decluttering Guide for an entire detailed program to declutter your home. There are declutter checklists for every room of the house.

CLEAR THE CLUTTER CHALLENGE WEEK-BY-WEEK

So far we have decluttered and organized three spaces in our homes! See the different spaces below.

• The Kitchen
• Organizing the Family Room
• The Master Bedroom
• The Bathrooms
• Office and Paperwork

How to Organize Kid Spaces

Now, let’s get started on this week’s Clear the Clutter Challenge. Kids stuff can take up a lot of space in the home. You have clothing, toys, paperwork and sentimental items. Plus, all those little trinkets that they seem to collect!

Today, I am going to talk about the step-by-step process to organize kid spaces. You can apply this method to kids’ rooms, playrooms and toy storage.

1.Tackle one area at a time.

There are a lot of areas in kids’ rooms to organize including closets, dressers, desks, nightstand, toys, etc. So, I recommend working on one space at a time. You might find that you need to move things around once you declutter another area. But it really is a lot more manageable of a project to work on one spot at time.

2. Take Everything out. 

Once you decide on which spot to tackle first, take everything out of it. This means you will need to empty the drawers, closets, under the bed, etc.

Do not skip this step.

If you do not take everything out, you are not really decluttering the space. You are simply moving stuff around.

3. Decide What to Keep, Donate or Throw Away

Bring three garbage bags or boxes and label each one keep, donate, trash. You might want a fourth bin for “keep” items that will be stored somewhere else. 

4. Get Rid of Trash and Donations Immediately

Before you start to organize what is left in the room, it is good to get rid of what is not staying. As they say, out of site, out of mind. Put the donation bag immediately in your car and make a trip to drop them off as soon as you can.

5. Decide on a Permanent Home for Each Item

Once you are left with the “keep” items, it is time to decide where everything goes. Just because you had something in one place before, does not mean it needs to go back to the same spot.

Really think about how your kids “live” in the space and what makes sense. For example, you might decide to move a bookshelf closer to your child’s bed so that he can reach for bedtime reading books quickly (and is able to quickly put them away).

Ask your child for help on making these decisions. The bonus to getting their buy in is that they know exactly where everything belongs. Which ultimately, makes it a lot easier to keep a room or space clean!

6.  Pick a  Few Good Storage Solutions

I am a big advocate of only buying bins and baskets if you really need them.

Hopefully, once you’ve decluttered, you will have some open basket/bins to use. If you are in need of a few storage containers, look for ones that are functional but also look good as decor. Then, the storage seamlessly blends into the room without looking like a lot of clutter.

KIDS ROOM STORAGE IDEAS

Should My Kids Help to Declutter Their Stuff?

Whether you work with your kids or start the process on your own is a personal choice. You know your kids best and how hard it will be for them to let go of your stuff.

It definitely pays to get your kids involved early and to learn the importance of decluttering. Once your kids get older, they will be able to declutter themselves. Trust me on this one as I have one former packrack child that does all of her decluttering on her own.

But you have to pick and choose your battles. Maybe you have them help with one project but not all of them. Rewards always help too! After a long afternoon of decluttering and making big decisions, you can always reward the family with a fun treat like a trip to get ice cream or a family movie night.

For more organization help with Kid Spaces check out these posts:

How to Organize Kids Clothing

Kids Shared Bedroom Ideas

Decluttering Kids’ Toys in Less an Hour