Need More Storage? Organization for Your Child’s Room

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When I go to Target, or any other superstore for that matter, there are two things I just can’t resist:

Toddler clothes – I can’t say no to tiny pairs of jeans and cutesy t-shirts. Thank goodness I have a boy, because if I had a girl, I’d definitely be broke.

Storage containers – I love buying more stuff to put all my stuff in.

To be completely honest, I’m not exactly the neatest person in the world. In fact, my family tells me I’m a total disaster. The quest for one cute outfit can destroy a whole hour’s worth of closet organizing. (If you’re reading this, and you’re female, I think you’ll catch my drift!) Anyway, I think that’s why I have such an affinity for storage containers. I have great hopes that one day I will be capable of sustaining some level of organization.

My son’s room is no different. In fact, I’d say that keeping his room neat is an even bigger struggle because he has less space, and even more stuff. We’ve got mounds of baby clothes, toys, books, diapers, wipes, outgrown clothes, blankets, pacifiers, towels, oh…and more toys. We have so much stuff just for Keenan that I sometimes wonder where he’s hiding the other child.

If Keenan follows in his mother’s untidy footsteps, the mountain of stuff will just keep growing as he gets older. In that case, our only hope for the future is to organize, and organize we will. If you’re like me and you need some help in the “staying organized” department, here are some cute and helpful storage ideas for your child’s room.

Design a kid-friendly closet with super organizational powers. Closets are awesome because you can close the door, and the mess instantly disappears. At least, that’s how I stayed “organized” in childhood. But in reality, you’d probably like to keep the inside of your child’s closet neat, too. Here are some tips for making your child’s closet kid-friendly.

• Install a second closet rod. Use up all that extra vertical space. A second closet rod is also a great way to free up even more space in the dresser drawers.
• Make sure everything is “kid-sized.” Kids tend to make a bigger mess when they’re having trouble finding something. My son, for instance, can empty an entire laundry basket of toys in about five seconds flat if he’s looking for something particular. Organize things in shallow baskets and short stacks. This will prevent kids from rifling through large piles just to reach the one item that they might be looking for.
• Buy storage solutions that grow. Your child won’t have the same storage needs from year to year. An easy fix for growing children is to stop feeding them. Just kidding – actually, you can construct closet storage so that it can easily be adjusted. Buy adjustable wire racks so that you can move shelves around to vary the size. Check out these racks, as an example.
•  Label everything. You’ll make putting things back in the right place just that much more enticing. Label bins for specific toys, hats, belts and whatever else your child has. Make sure everything has a place, and every place has a label.
• Use space that’s unreachable for out-of-season storage. Your child probably can’t reach the top of his or her closet, so you can use up that extra space above the closet rod by installing a shelf. Use the shelf to store boxes with out-of-season clothes, keepsakes, and anything else you won’t need to access very often.

Make the most of an over-the-door shoe rack. Over-the-door shoe racks are great because they don’t take up a lot of space, and they have lots of pockets to help kids to stay organized. Shoe racks don’t just have to be for shoes. Your kids can use them for accessories, small toys, art supplies, excess school supplies, video games and controllers, baby ointments and lotions, or any other small items that can be hard to keep track of.

Hang hooks. Everywhere. Command hooks are one of my favorite things in the world. I have several in my own room that I use exclusively for hanging my bathrobes, of which I have quite a few. Kids will use hooks for coats, bathrobes, sweatshirts, book bags, and really just about anything that they need to be able to grab in a hurry.

Store stuffed animals in a net. Kids love stuffed animals.And those stuffed animals usually get forgotten and turned into sentimental clutter.Try a hanging storage net for stuffed animals like this one from ToysRUs. You can hang it in a corner so stuffed animals will no longer clutter the bed or take up valuable storage space on the floor.

Set up bookshelves or a cube storage system. You can give your child all the fancy-schmancy storage bins you want, but if there’s nowhere to put them, they won’t do you any good. Bookshelves and cube storage systems are great ways to store books, knickknacks, and other items. So what’s a cube storage system? This is my #1 favorite thing in the world. They’re kind of like bookshelves, but divided equally into cubes that you can either use like a shelf, or like a drawer, if you purchase fabric drawers for it. Keenan has this one in his bedroom, and we use it for books, toys, towels, and any extra things we need shelf space for, like his humidifier and photo albums. My favorite brand of cube storage is ClosetMaid Cubicals, and you can get it, and all the accessories, at Target.

Buy a wooden toy box. Toy boxes aren’t just for babies, you know. Especially if you pick a classic one. Toy boxes can be used for – you guessed it – toys, for younger children. But for older children, that same toy box can be used for storing out-of-season clothes, or memories, or whatever. They can also make a great seating area if the top is stable enough. Just throw some pretty pillows or a cushion on top, and your child’s toy box will go from toy storage to classy seating area.

Having good organization can make any room so much easier to clean. What are your favorite storage items?