Our children’s closets need to be organized so they can get dressed easily (or so we parents can help little ones get dressed easily) without being frustrated. The clothing items in the closet need to be the correct size and for the current season. It is also helpful if they are arranged in a manner that helps children find coordinating outfits so they can get dressed quickly (and so the outfits they choose meet our approval)!

Children grow so fast and go through clothes quickly. We parents can sometimes get behind on organizing the clothing so that just current items are in the closets and drawers. Items that no longer fit, or which are not appropriate for the current season do not need to be in there get me organized logo causing clutter!

When you have a block of time free from young children (unless they are able to help), get the closets organized!

Step 1: Take everything out. Yes, I know that’s a lot to ask. But trust me – it is easier to start with a “blank slate” of an empty closet. It will be worth it!

Step 2: Gather all the items that are too small. If you are donating them to charity, simply put them in a large bag, label it, and put it in the garage or somewhere where you will remember to donate it soon. If you are saving items for another child, sort them into size categories as well as season categories. Put the items you are keeping into boxes or containers. I like the containers which are see-through and that have attached lids which open down the middle. Those are safer for young children (if you have babies/toddlers – don’t have plastic storage containers with lids around UNLESS there are holes in the lids, just in case a child gets put into one while playing with siblings/friends - possible suffocation hazard).

Put the items into the containers by size and season. For example, I would put Boys’s Size 4 clothes into a container with Fall/Winter clothes on the bottom and then Spring/Summer clothes on the top (or vice-versa, depending on which you’ll need first). Or if you have a lot of clothes you are saving, separate them into storage containers for the seasons as well (example – instead of having two Size 4 containers with various types of clothing in each, put the similar seasons together into separate ones)

Step 3: Label the clothes container(s). Use a marker or computer printer to write in large letters: Gender, Size of clothing, and Seasons (if applicable)

Example: Boys Size 4 Clothes (Spring & Summer)

If your container(s) have see-through sides, simply put the paper inside the container so it shows through the side that you’ll see when storing it. If the box is not see-through, tape the paper label to the outside.

Step 4: Put the storage containers/boxes away. Perhaps there is room on a shelf of the child’s closet, or room on the floor of the closet, or maybe you have another storage area elsewhere in the house. Place them so the label is facing out.

Step 5: Hang up clothes in sections of like items or things that go well together. When hanging items, have all the clothes face the same direction so they look tidy. You could hang outfits together for easy coordinating. Or you could hang similar items together such as short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, dresses, etc.

Step 6: Fold other clothing items that go into drawers or on a shelf. Make them easily accessible for the child and easy for them to get dressed quickly. Match all the socks and fold them together (if you have many “missing socks” – consider tossing the ones that have not had a match in a long time and/or put the single ones into a separate basket somewhere in the house just in case you find the match soon).

Step 7: Organize the remaining closet items. If the closet holds items such as toys, tidy them up into neat sections. If there are too many items to be stored neatly, consider down-sizing or putting some things elsewhere in the house. It is nice when there aren’t too many toys or other clutter items in a bedroom so that it can be a restful place. If the closet holds shoes, organize them. There are shoe organizing bags that can be helpful, or a basket can hold them as well. Instead of keeping my children’s shoes in the bedroom closets, I tend to keep them in the entryway coat closet baskets so they are right by the door when it is time to leave the house. The closet shelves can be useful for holding items such as the child’s sleeping bag, extra blanket(s), suitcase, special items they want out of reach of younger children, etc. Just don’t keep so many items in there that it seems too full or hard to keep tidy.

Enjoy knowing that the next time you need to put laundered linens away, it will be an easy task! And next time you need to open the door to find something, it will not be frustrating!

Step 8: Make sure the closet has a dirty laundry container. This could be a basket, hamper, laundry bag, or anything that will hold the laundry which is easy to carry to the Laundry Room.

Step 9: Show your family the newly organized closet. Tell them where things are in the closet and explain how they can use it to get dressed easily (give examples of outfits that go together). Show where items are to be put away after use and give instructions about laundry (where the dirty laundry goes, when it is to be carried to the laundry room, where clean laundry is to be placed or hung, etc.)

Enjoy having a tidy closet! Recognize ways it makes life easier!