Monthly Tips

Fun Tips for a More Organized Family

Entranceway

* Keep a "TO-GO" basket near the entrance to your home to collect video rentals, library books, borrowed items and anything else you need to take with you when you leave the house. Get in the habit of taking this basket to the car each time you leave. When you return, use the basket to collect loose items in the car to bring back into the house and return to their appropriate homes.

Kitchen

* Catch and keep all messages between family members in a FAMILY NOTEBOOK. Designate a place where the notebook must remain, and make sure everyone in the family knows that phone messages and other notes should be written here. Pages are not to be torn out, so keep sticky notes nearby in case a note needs to be transferred to another location. A white board would serve the same purpose, but with the notebook, there’s less risk that an important note will be erased.

* Win the war against plastic storage containers. Choose your favorite brand, and recycle or toss the rest. Invest in 3-4 sizes of the brand you chose, comfortably stock your drawer or cupboard, and end the frustration with mismatched lids and containers. They aren’t worth the daily hassle!

Play Areas

* Divide play areas into distinct and easily recognizable zones. Consider a zone for the following activities: Art, Games & Puzzles, Imaginary Play, Reading, Blocks & Building, Forts & Tents.

* Picking up the playroom is often one of the biggest battles between parents and kids. Make it that much easier for the kids by storing their toys in easily movable storage. A large toy box is stationary, and if the toys wander too far from it, picking up is no easy chore. Consider using smaller bins and baskets stored on shelves or rolling carts with clear drawers, so that the containers can travel to the mess and back to their homes more easily.

* Once your play area is organized and easy to maintain, enlist your kids to help you keep it that way. Clearly label an extra bin or basket for items to DONATE. When a new toy comes in to the play area, an old one needs to be placed in this container.

Kids’ Bedrooms

* A DONATE box works wonders here, as well. Place the open and labeled bin on the floor of the closet. As your children outgrow their clothing, they can take them off the hanger and drop them right into the bin. (This is a great idea for your own closet, too. If you ever find yourself trying on a shirt, only to wrinkle your nose because you no longer like it, don’t just hang it back up. Drop it in the DONATE bin!)

* Kids love to display special toys and memory items, so designate a place in their room where they can do just that. If you set aside a shelf or two for this purpose, make sure your children know that this is where they can display whatever they like as long as they keep dressers and other flat surfaces free of clutter.

* And speaking of display... don’t forget the artwork. Use a bulletin board or string a ribbon between two decorative hooks attached to the wall where art can be featured using clothespins or paperclips.

* An under-bed box is a great place to store memory papers. During the school year, encourage kids to save their special papers by placing them in the box. At the end of year, sort through them together and store their favorites in a Permanent Memory Box in the basement. Now, the under-bed box is empty and ready for the next school year.