Glenview Organizers Quoted in Chicago Trib on Kids’ Clutter
Kids’ Clutter Organized
We recently responded to an article by Heidi Stevens in the Chicago Tribune about her surrender to the clutter that her children accumulate.
This got us thinking about how best to corral kids’ stuff, either in the basement or in their bedrooms.
With that in mind, we wrote:
“We are professional organizers from Glenview, IL. We got a chuckle out of your article on accepting defeat when it comes to kids’ clutter. Your (very common) predicament brings to mind the refrain from the children’s book Going on a Bear Hunt:
You can’t go over it
You can’t go under it
You just have to go through it
The organizer’s corollary goes something like this:
You can’t get rid of it
You can’t control it
You just have to contain it
To that end, we have a suggestion on how to deal with kids’ stuff.
We usually break it down into 2 categories — school stuff and this-is important-to-me stuff. We give our clients’ children (and our own) two bins. We like the plastic kinds with lids, but if woven baskets work better, go for it. And then we tell them that they are the Masters of the Bins, deciding what goes in and what stays in each one. The only rule is that the bins’ contents cannot overflow onto, into, or under other surfaces, and they definitely cannot migrate out of the room (bedroom or basement) in which they are housed. In such cases, the migrating stuff becomes junk and gets trashed.
And on a rainy day at the end of a semester or school year or summer vacation, the objects or papers in the bins are reviewed for archiving or tossing. A trip to the ice cream parlor afterward is optional but much appreciated.
This approach gives a modicum of responsibility and a touch of authority to the aforementioned Master. It also helps teach discretion and very simple organizing principles.
Of course, it also requires parents to keep an eye on the situation and stand tough. A tall order, we know. But it sure beats moving to a larger place.”
On Sunday, Ms. Stevens published some of the advice she received, including ours! Read the whole article at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-sun-1005-balancing-act-20141002-story.html
Take a look at the kid clutter in your basement or bedrooms. Short of getting rid of the kids, you can’t completely eliminate the stuff. But you can contain it in a few simple steps.
Read more about how MOREganized can organize and declutter your basement. Or to get started now, please call 847-767-6673, or contact us.
