Developing good organizational skills is a key ingredient for success in school and in life. Some people are naturally more organized than others, but you can put systems in place to help your child(ren) establish “homes” for things, and have fun putting them away at the end of the day.

Rarely will you find a home with closets designed for children.  If the only options are a pole too high to reach and the floor, where does everything end up?  On the floor.  Simple solutions can transform this closet in three hours.

Your child(ren) will be thrilled with the transformation and eager to keep the new child-friendly closet neat and tidy.

Materials:

• One ClosetMaid CUBEicals White W54 9-Cube Organizer.  This item is available at Lowes for $49.98 and also comes in a light wood tone.  It comes disassembled, requires basic tools, and goes together in about 45 minutes.  It can be bracketed to the wall for more stability.

• Five – or more – ClosetMaid Add-on Fabric Drawers.  These drawers come in six different colors, including white, and are available at Lowes for $6.88 apiece.  These will be the “homes” for your child’s toys and other items

• One closet pole cut half the length of the closet

• Two back-mounting pole brackets

Note:  We were able to make use of the existing vertical organizer in this child’s closet and it was a nice addition.  A similar unit, the Completions Vertical Organizer, can be purchased at Lowes for $19.96

Okay, you’re ready to begin…

STEP ONE:

Select a staging area.  You may use the floor, the bed, the hallway, or all three as long as they are clear of clutter. A nearby room will work as well.

Set out three paper grocery bags – one each for trash, recycle, and donate.  Remove everything from the closet and start creating piles of like items.  This is a broad sort and will be refined later.  Right now, just think “like with like.”

STEP TWO:

Assemble the CUBEical (and the Vertical Organizer, if purchased).  Place the CUBEical at one end of the closet.  Place the Vertical Organizer next to the CUBEical.  Bracket units to the wall for added stability (children may be tempted to climb on them).

STEP THREE:

Hang the new closet pole at a comfortable height for your child’s reach.

You now have the infrastructure for a fun, efficient, kid-friendly closet.

STEP FOUR:

Revisit your broad-sort piles.   Collections of small items, blocks, small stuffed animals, and other groups will have fabric drawers to call “home.”  Books and larger items will occupy the open cubicles.  Begin to refine your sort with “homes” in mind.

STEP FIVE:

Fill fabric drawers.  Place books and larger items on shelves.  Hang up clothes.  And close the closet doors.  You’ve done a great job, I’m sure.  Now comes the fun part…the unveiling.

Our Experience with Megan

When 9-year old Megan returned home from school on the day we tranformed her closet, she ran up to her bedroom.  I had closed the closet doors before leaving.  Her mother and I waited to hear her reaction.  Silence.

We crept upstairs and peeked into her room.  She was standing in front of her closet – the door now fully open – eyes wide and face filled with wonder.  She loved it!