 |
| Photo credit: Christaface |
But believe it or not, it is possible to achieve an uncluttered playroom for your kids – at least for those times when they are not playing in it. Here are two easy steps for doing just that:
1. Ditch the shelves. Use boxes instead. All those toys, in plain sight and easy access – it’s just too tempting for your children to pull them all down onto the floor, whether or not they wish to play with them.
It will help minimize your clutter if, instead of open shelves, you have large chest boxes instead. It is far quicker and easier for your kids to dump everything into a box than to pile items one by one back into a shelf.
To keep little ones from getting their fingers caught in a hinged lid, choose a box with a light unhinged lid instead. (You want it to be light so that it won’t slip out of their hands and fall onto their little feet – and even if it does, it won’t cause injury because it’s light.)
Of course, you’ve got to manage your expectations. If you’ve got multiple boxes – one for wood toys, another for plush toys, and another for plastic toys, perhaps – expect that you’ll find wood, plastic, and plush all mixed together in each box every time you check, unless you had taken the time to rigorously train your child to categorize according to your standards.
Well, at least they’re not cluttered up on the floor.
2. Keep the “one in, one out” rule. Toys have a way of accumulating, especially during birthdays and Christmas. At some point, you simply run out of places to put them in.
If your current storage is no longer sufficient for the amount of toys your kids have, don’t add more storage! Send out some of the toys. Do an inventory and simply throw away the broken ones. Ask your kids, too, which toys they no longer want.
Toys that are still nice but are no longer attractive to your children could be stored in some inaccessible shelf, out of the playroom and out of the way. Better yet, give them away to other children who may get more enjoyment from them. This way, those other kids get new playthings, you have less clutter in the house, and your own kids have more space for new toys – so everybody’s happy!
To keep little ones from getting their fingers caught in a hinged lid, choose a box with a light unhinged lid instead. (You want it to be light so that it won’t slip out of their hands and fall onto their little feet – and even if it does, it won’t cause injury because it’s light.)
Of course, you’ve got to manage your expectations. If you’ve got multiple boxes – one for wood toys, another for plush toys, and another for plastic toys, perhaps – expect that you’ll find wood, plastic, and plush all mixed together in each box every time you check, unless you had taken the time to rigorously train your child to categorize according to your standards.
Well, at least they’re not cluttered up on the floor.
2. Keep the “one in, one out” rule. Toys have a way of accumulating, especially during birthdays and Christmas. At some point, you simply run out of places to put them in.
If your current storage is no longer sufficient for the amount of toys your kids have, don’t add more storage! Send out some of the toys. Do an inventory and simply throw away the broken ones. Ask your kids, too, which toys they no longer want.
Toys that are still nice but are no longer attractive to your children could be stored in some inaccessible shelf, out of the playroom and out of the way. Better yet, give them away to other children who may get more enjoyment from them. This way, those other kids get new playthings, you have less clutter in the house, and your own kids have more space for new toys – so everybody’s happy!
No comments:
Post a Comment