Organizing does not need to be complicated.
I like to think about how a Preschool Teacher sets up her classroom. She has a basket for the lunch boxes, hooks for the coats and cubbies for the paperwork. Not complicated. Simple. Systems that are easy for three to five-year olds to follow.
These three principles I am sharing will hopefully help to encourage you as you go about setting up systems in your own home!
A
Always Keep Organizing Simple.
My number one goal is that each system needs to be easy to follow and very simple to maintain. For example if a 4-year-old walks in my house she should know right where to put her shoes (if she wants to take them off).
This is our entryway. I shared more about the details here. See the shoe basket for the shoes? Simple.
B
Buy In From Your Family.
Organizing will only work in a household if you get “buy in” from your team (family). It is important that you teach and train the rest of your household to follow the steps for the system(s) you have put in place. If your system is easy to follow and simple to maintain then you will have much better results!
For example, I require my kids to empty their lunch boxes and place them in here after school. All they have to do is open the cupboard door and toss them into the bin. It is labeled and at their level. Simple.
C
Create Categories
We’ve all heard the saying, “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” This is organization at its core. If we assign spots, or what I like to call “zones,” we create a system within a system. For example, we typically store the pots and pans in the kitchen, and then within the kitchen we generally have a cupboard or space dedicated to storing the pots and pans. Having dedicated places for things allows us to clean up easier, know where things are and ultimately keeps us from playing the “where is the…?” game. Which is never fun. Especially if you are late and you can’t find your car keys!
I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what “zone” this drawer is dedicated to???
Here is another example of a simple “zone.” My hubby washes his dress shirts separately from the rest of our laundry. So I gave him a basket in his closet that is solely dedicated to his dress shirts.
(Whenever you can toss things were they belong, it just naturally makes it easier to keep things organized.)
Case in point. I recently asked my son why he wasn’t putting his dirty clothes in his laundry basket that was in his closet. (He was instead opting to toss all dirty clothes on to his bathroom floor.) He told me that he didn’t like to have to walk his clothes to his room and open the closet door. What did I do? I moved the laundry basket to his bathroom. Again, simple.
Where have you set up a simple system in your home? Is your team on board?
Happy Organizing!!!
Linked with A Bowl Full of Lemons & Time for Mom Hop!
