Go Organize: Conquer Clutter in 3 Simple Steps (13 page)

If you use an armoire for an entertainment center, take out everything that doesn't belong there and then dust the shelves and electronic equipment. Put things that don't belong there in the BE basket.

Benches or chests are great containers for quilts, sheets, and off-season clothes. Take everything out, even if you think you know what is in there. It will remind you of what you have, and you can refold the items. Donate any items you no longer like or want to keep. Giving things to others is a good thing. Please don't feel guilty for letting go, especially if someone else has given it to you. There is no rule that says you have to keep it. A chest is either storage space for you or it is a secondary storage area. If you get into the chest at least once a month, make it convenient to do so.

If a good friend or relative has given you something and you are keeping it just because they gave it to you, go ahead and bless someone else's life by donating it to charity. If you have too many of anything, or you don't like something, let go of it. The peace you will feel and the mind-clearing experience will be worth it.

WRAP UP

You have done it! Your bedroom is now a 10. The closet is organized from the floor to the top shelf. Dressers, nightstands, and under the bed are clutter-free.

Let your family know this is your own private sanctuary, and it is not a play room for the kids or a dumping ground for stuff from other parts of the home. It is not a laundry room, so the laundry does not live in this room. The ironing board is also not allowed here. We will talk about laundry in Chapter 13. Going to bed will be something you'll look forward to; with the room free of clutter, you will probably sleep better. It will be more fun when your little kiddies come in to snuggle in bed and your teenage children come to talk.

You have accomplished a lot, and your bedroom can stay organized because:

 


• The closet only holds clothes you can wear. Off-season clothes are in a secondary space. It will take less time to dress when going out because clothes are not crowded. Shoes have a designated place to be stored, and the closet shelf is being used to its capacity.
  

 


• The dresser is organized so you can readily find your clothes, and lingerie and socks are contained.
  

 


• The nightstand is functional with only a minimal amount of things on the surface. Other items are in the drawer with containers for smaller items.
  

 


• You know what is under the bed, and items are stored in containers to keep them dust free and organized.
  

 


• Armoires or benches/chests have been inspected, and you are keeping only what you want.
  

Congratulations on a great job! Give yourself a pat on the back, or you can even lie down and take a nap in your peaceful bedroom.

You've heard the saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” Expecting children to have their rooms organized while the rest of the home is unorganized will never work. Children learn by example.

Often children's bedrooms are messy, and the children get the blame when it might not be entirely their fault. Kids can't keep their rooms straight if they don't have homes for their toys, clothes, art supplies, and other treasures. It is up to the parent or caregiver to come up with storage solutions and guidance for the children. It is interesting how children can be reared in the same home and yet they have very different organizing skills. Sometimes, we just have to embrace the differences and come up with individual systems for each child that will help him or her organize.

My friend's teenage daughter “liked” her room messy — meaning things were all over the floor, dresser, and nightstand. There was a lot of conflict between my friend and her daughter about her room always being a mess. They finally came to an agreement that the daughter would keep her door closed so her mother couldn't see all the clutter. Her daughter agreed to clean her room and put her clothes and other things away once a week. The daughter has now graduated from college and is living in an apartment of her own. She is neat, tidy, and organized. (In fact, she complains that her housemates aren't organized.) Sometimes children just have to grow up to become organized.

Teaching and encouraging them when they are young will help them both while they are at home and after they have moved to their own place. (With some children, it just takes longer to see the results of your teaching.)

SEARCHLIGHT

How you look at this room will depend on the age of the child. If you are

transitioning the child's room from a baby's nursery, where you are responsible for how it looks, to a child's room, it will be different than organizing for a child who is older. Before you start organizing the room, always get the child's input, permission, and participation if the child is old enough. Do not surprise an older child by organizing his or her room without permission as privacy and personal belongings need to be respected.

If they tell you to “Just do it yourself!” do not accept this invitation for the following reasons: When they have an interest in a project and have a sense of ownership and responsibility your children will be more likely to have pride in what is done; and when organizing their room, they will want to keep it organized by keeping things in their places. Organization is a necessary life skill that many adults have not been taught, and this is a great teaching moment in your child's life. It is part of your child's early education. The advantages of teaching them to organize their rooms when they are young starts with small things, and as they mature, they move on to accepting more responsibility, from putting toys away, picking up books, and hanging up their clothes to being responsible to do their own laundry.

Use the Searchlight to look for things that are working for your child and for you. Write these things in your notebook to show your children you are interested in them and are willing to use your time to help them organize their bedrooms. It will be their sanctuaries for their personal time alone or time with friends. Take a picture so you can have a before and after view.

 


1. What do you and your child like about this room?
   

 


2. What don't you both like about this room? To help you identify needs ask yourself the following questions:
   

    
   

   1. What things besides clothes have to be in this room (books, toys, games, etc.)?
      

    
   

   2. Is this room for sleeping and reading only or is it also a play room?
      

    
   

   3. Are there places to store the things the child needs in the room? Do you have shelves for books, toys, and collections? Do you have containers for toys?
      

    
   

   4. Is there too much stuff for the amount of space?
      

    
   

   5. Is your child always saying “Mom where is….,” or “I can't find my homework,” etc.?
      

    
   

   6. Is this room kid-friendly? Are closet rods, drawers, and containers within easy reach for them? Can they easily put their clothes and toys away?
      

    
   

   7. Are there different areas in the room, such as a play area, a sleeping area or a creative area?
      

    
   
 


3. Ask your child what his or her wattage is in this room (see page 15). Ask him or her what you can do to improve that wattage.
   

Tip:
If there is one room in your home that is a war zone, I bet it is your child's bedroom. Is it a jumbled mess of clothes, toys, papers, and books? When parents yell, “Clean your room!” it means one thing to the child and another to the parent. Clear expectations and good communication are two important factors to bringing peace and ending misery for both the child and the parents.

SPOTLIGHT

You have decided what you need and want to change in this room. Now with your Spotlight, you can set goals and create the kind of room you and your child would like to have. Here are some examples of goals you could set for this room:

 


1. The bed will be made every morning.
   

 


2. Shelves and rods will be within easy reach for the child to put away clothes that belong in the closet.
   

 


3. There will be a designated area for every item kept in the closet. Shelves, hooks, and rods will be labeled to make putting things away easy for the child.
   

 


4. Dresser drawers will be labeled (if necessary, depending on the child's age), and dividers or containers will make it easy for him or her to put clothing where it belongs.
   

 


5. There will be places and containers for toys to be contained.
   

 


6. Books will be organized in a specific place.
   

 


7. Craft supplies will be organized and contained in a designated area.
   

 


8. There will be a place for the child's artwork.
   

Paula was ready to use the Spotlight in her eight-year-old son's room. She and her son set the following goals: Lower the closet rod so he can reach it. Sort through all the clothes to see if he could still use them and check to see if they needed mending. Put a basket on the floor for him to toss his shoes in (she knew he would never line them up on a shoe rack). Remove all sports equipment and place it in a more convenient location in the family entryway.

In the drawers, she would add containers for socks, underwear, T-shirts, and sport clothes. She would show him where the clothes were to go in each drawer. She would check his room every day and watch him put away his clean clothes in the drawers until the habit was formed. She would give him a small box to use to store his “treasures.” Toys were taking over the room. She would pare down the toys and place them in one basket with a lid. This was the amount of toys allowed in his bedroom.

She would purchase a bulletin board made of cork, and he could pin his artwork on the board. She established the rule that when a new piece of art goes up an old one comes down to be recycled or put in his school-year envelope. She wrote down her goals and felt confident they would be accomplished as she discussed each one with her son and got his input and approval.

These principles will help you organize your child's room and help the child keep the room organized:

 


• Have a home for everything. (Remember the saying, a place for everything and everything in its place.)
  

 


• Have containers to keep things in.
  

 


• Don't cram the closet and dresser full of clothes. If there are too many clothes, remove some. Keep only a reasonable amount of clothing and make sure it's clothing currently being worn. (Put out-of-season clothes in storage.)
  

 


• Don't cram the room full of toys. Fewer toys opens up space in containers and makes it easier to put things away.
  

It will be easier to organize if you provide the child with everything needed to be organized. If you need to purchase any shelves or containers for the room, do so now. Measure areas where you plan to use containers so you purchase the correct sizes. Also measure all areas where you plan to place shelving units (whether it's a bookcase or simple cubbies or shelves). Make sure everything will fit in the room before you bring it into your home. Record a target date to accomplish these goals.

GREEN LIGHT