TUESDAY, January 8th, 2013

Getting Organized (2)

                                    An organized family

            Whether they’re babies, teenagers, or somewhere in between, children can fill

up a household with things that need organizing. If you teach your children at

a young age how to take care of their belongings, they will thank you when

they grow up.

·  Place toy bins within reach of young children. Have a set in their play area and in

their rooms. These will make it easier for them to pick up after themselves.

·  Place coat hooks low on the wall or on the back of the door used most often by your

family. Encourage children to hang up coats and backpacks when they come in

from outside.

·  Assign each school-age child a bin or “cubby” for homework, papers that need to go

back to school, and school supplies. Keep these bins out of sight in a hallway or

closet and have each child check his or her bin before leaving for school in the

morning. This will cut down on clutter as well as on time searching for items.

·  Keep a master calendar. Hang this in a central location, such as the kitchen, and

use it to jot down all appointments, chores, activities, and celebrations. To

make it easier to track every family member’s schedule, color code your

calendar with a different color for each family member.

·  Keep a master telephone list by the phone where everyone can find it. Store the file

on your computer, to update once or twice a year. Organize the list by

category -- with emergency numbers, doctors’ numbers, work numbers, school

numbers, and the numbers of relatives, neighbors, friends, and your children’s

friends.

·  Set aside a bin or box for artwork and papers you plan to hold on to. Store your most

special keepsakes in separate, labeled plastic bins and move these to a closet or

attic area. Have one box per child. Also, consider framing your children’s

artwork and prominently displaying these treasures in your home.

·  Hang stuffed animals in a “hammock” in a corner of your child’s room. This will

keep toys off the floor and bed while allowing your child to still enjoy them.

5 l Getting Organized

·  Rotate toys. Store extra toys in a closet, basement, or attic. When your child

tires of her playthings, stash those away and bring out a few items from

storage. Not only will this help control clutter, it will keep your child’s interest

in her toys alive.

·  Keep small toys in a see-through hanging shoe bag. These are ideal for such items

as small plastic dolls and metal cars. Hang the shoe bag on a closet door or

wall.

·  String a clothesline high on a wall to display artwork. Clip pictures to the line with

clothespins for an easily changed art exhibit.

·  Motivate your children to pick up after themselves and do their chores. How you

choose to motivate your children is up to you. Some parents pay their children

a weekly allowance when chores are done. Others reward their children with

small toys or a fun activity.