How to Organize A Child's Closet So They Can Dress Themselves

Children love feeling independent. Learning to tie a shoe, button a button, or pick out an outfit makes them feel all grown up. Help facilitate your child's desire to be a "big girl" or "big boy" by organizing your child's closet so they can dress themselves. Read on to learn how.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hanging sweater or shoe organizational bags
• Plastic bins
• Shoe rack
• Coat rack
• Large basket

Organizing Your Child's Closet

1. Look at things from a child's perspective. Crawl around. Access what your child will be able to see and reach. Instead of organizing a closet to your specifications, design your child's closet with your child in mind.

2. Purchase organizational items. A hanging shoe bag or sweater bag will allow you to set aside your child's clothing for the week so mornings are less stressful. Designate an opening for each day of the week. Let your child feel independent by picking out his or her own outfits. Lay options out for them to mix and match if you are worried about suitable options for the season, or if it will match.

3. Sort clothing by seasons. Rotate items so seasonal items are closest to the bottom. Store winter coats on the top shelf during the spring or summer. The fewer items there are to sift through, the easier it will be for your child to maintain order and cleanliness.

4. Use plastic bins or the bottom drawers of a dresser to store socks and underwear. Since children need these daily, it only makes sense to store them closest to the floor.

5. Arrange shoes on a shoe rack instead of piling them in the closet. This will save you a headache when you are running late. If you want, organize them according to the outfits your child has picked out.

6. Hang a coat rack on the interior door of your child's closet. Instead of hanging coats, let your child hang purses, costume jewelry, hats or scarves that are in their reach. It will encourage them to keep things tidy.

7. Designate a "catch all" wicker basket. A nice wicker basket makes the room look trendy. Any parent understands a clean room 24 hours a day is unattainable. Make it a house rule anything laying around gets put in the basket, with the understanding before playtime the next day it will be put in it's designated place.

Tips & Warnings

• Put play clothes on bottom shelves and bottom racks since your children will use these more frequently.
• Allow your child to design day placards to decorate their daily clothes organizer.
• Have your child assist you in organizing. They will remember where things go, and cleaning will seem less like a chore.

[susu7]

on 11/30/2007 Good job! -well organized and do-able! Sheila