Specific Toy Storage
Specific toy storage. If that’s a new phrase to you, keep reading! I’m want to challenge you to do something daring. Open your kid’s closet! Do you see evidence of their version of cleaning up? Did it go something like this?
Mom: Ok, clean up your rooms.
Kids: groaning, moaning, hate words and troll like sounds then lots of random thuds as they throw everything in the closet and slam the door shut. Why, because they didn’t have any specific toy storage.
The reason kids go from one room to another “cleaning” but actually making more messes, is that the toys don’t have a “place”. Kids (and sometimes husbands) need very specific instruction when it comes to cleaning up. In order to save you time and to protect your vocal chords, take a Saturday and create a specific toy storage solution for your kid’s toys.
To Start
Pull all their toys out in the middle of the floor and start sorting like items together. For small to medium sized items (Legos-action hero sizes), get containers to store them in.
This was my Winter project; organizing my son’s Legos. This is what his room felt like:
I spent about 900 hours one week sorting my son’s version of an organized Lego tray. By the end, we had placed all Lego sets in a bag with build instructions, then those bags in bins based on what Lego line we were dealing with. All extra pieces were sorted by color in separate containers. Sounds tedious because it was painfully tedious but my blood pressure erupted whenever I heard him say he needed more Lego’s because it took too long to find pieces for a set he already had. Now, I can open his closet and smile, rather than feel myself morph into a bear.
If you don’t have shelves in your child’s closet, the bins are great because they are stackable. If your child wants to play with Transformers or My Little Pony, they just pull out that designated bin. Clean up is now possible and much faster. If you have too many toys to fit in their closet and you don’t have access to a playroom in your house, it might be time to de-junk and let another kid enjoy those toys.
Look at What You Have
The rule though in our house is I’m not buying any more bins! If you want something new, it’s must fit in the space given. That can mean either there is extra room already, or they will need to donate something to our local thrift store. It gives them a chance to really think about how much they want the new item. Is it worth letting something else go?
By creating a specific space for toys, your kids will feel less overwhelmed when it’s time to clean up. It’s also a great way to keep tabs on where their toys are and they will be less likely to lose them! I can’t promise that organized toys will stop the complaining or troll sounds, but at least you know the toys are being put away properly.
Audrey Whiteley, CSE®
works for Balance & Harmony 360², as a Certified Staging Expert in the HOME division. The home environment affects your health, productivity, and happiness. She works with individuals who need to freshen-up outdated décor, “show” a room’s potential or help homeowners create a lifestyle. Audrey makes the most of your surroundings whether you are staging for a quick sale, building a home, or want to elicit a more productive and peaceful setting in which to live.
Audrey Can Help Create:
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Organization Solutions
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