Blog: It's good to be back!
Organizing kid's closet for back to school

Getting children ready in the morning is a chore all by itself. Throw in a cluttered closet or jammed pack dresser drawer and it can turn into chaos. Resulting in mom's stress level going through the roof!

Here are some tips to start the new school year off on the right foot. First, it is necessary to remove everything from the closet. Give it a good cleaning, vacuum and if the closet is in need of any repairs (holes in walls, touch up paint) now is a good time to do so. Take advantage of the opportunity to weed out clothing that is on its way to consignment or can be donated. Match up all shoes, and pull out anything that doesn't belong in your child's room.

The concept of keeping your child's closet has to be seen from your child's level. Make sure they can reach everything. One example is to install a double hang bar (a bar that is actually mounted from the top bar instead of a fixed bar in the wall, available at Wal-Mart or Target). Use the bottom bar to hang everyday clothing and use the top bar for special occasion, seasonal or clothing that your child has not grown into yet.

Organize clothes by type of garment. For example shirts; start short sleeve to long sleeve and white to dark for ease when selecting outfits. Separate pants, skirts, dresses ( similar with strapless to long sleeve) and light to dark. Remember to use uniform hangers to maintain a clean look. Some clients find it easier to break up the closets by jackets at one end (preferably in the back if they are seldom used) followed by a section of dresses or pants, a group of shirts and pants to follow. This allows children to break down what goes wherer without having to label. You may also use size rings that fit onto the rack to help separate garments if your child is in-between sizes.

If you prefer not to have a double rack in the closet then you may think about installing a shelving system. There are many to choose from, a personal favorite of mine is the Schulte Storage. Their Freedomrail line is very versatile and allows you to grow the system with your child's needs. Take advantage of cubbies to house storage bins and clear plastic storage boxes to house shoes, belts, hats and scarves or even socks.

My personal all time favorite gadget is a Flip-Fold. Ahhhh! It is a life saver. My children enjoy folding laundry and it makes my life easier. They are available at The Container Store or even QVC. It allows you to fold all your child's garments at the same size to be neatly stored away. It also decreases the need for ironing as it keeps them wrinkle free.

Fix pictures of the contents for your clear storage onto the front so children know exactly what is in the box. This alleviates everyone tearing lids off the boxes each time they wish to find something.

The same idea can be transferred to the dresser drawers. A longtime tip of mine is to roll t-shirts (military style) instead of stacking. This allows you to see all of them at a glance.

Remember that just like everything else it is all about maintenance. Try to not surprise older children by re-organizing their closets for them. It can be a little overwhelming and be taken as an invasion on their privacy. Instead, try to suggest reorganizing their closet together and take advantage of the quality time you will spend together doing so.

Realize those little ones under 48" will not keep it perfect but allow them to try and place their clothing in the appropriate place. Let those little organizing seeds take root!

Hoping all of you have a great back to school week!!!