Controlling Kids Clutter For Viewings
April 27, 2016
Keeping kids clutter under control can seem like a never ending task. Over time well meaning gifts, hand-me-downs and little keepsakes start to pile up and take over. I recommend regular ‘culling’ sessions to stay on top of things. You could even make this into a game , explaining that donating to charity is a good deed and that passing on unwanted toys and games is a kind thing to do and it means there’s going to be room for new stuff in the future! Enthuse the purging process with positivity and it may be easier to undertake than you think. Below is a list of my top ten tips for creative storage and tidying up for kids:
- Throw away toys/games which having missing parts and don’t work fully.
- Try to resist buying bulky items which are going to be hard to house and eventually get rid of.
- Get rid of any duplicates.
- Try and go for quality over quantity when it comes to buying toys. The Pound Shop is tempting but it’s all going to end up in landfill so try to stay away.
- Keep an on-going charity box in the bedroom or hallway, and regularly donate. Keep to the ‘one in one out’ rule with new toys or clothes. This starts a good habit for the future.
- Colour code storage boxes, a different colour for each child. This stops items going missing and children can learn to tidy up their own belongings. Zara Home always has a great selection of charming boxes in their kids home department.
- Be vigilant and get rid of unsentimental items or be creative with how you store them. Try scanning kids paintings and drawings into your computer. These can then be made into photo books, try Photobox for inexpensive ideas on how to make photo books and wall canvases.
- Make your own bespoke artwork with a child’s picture, get it framed in a gilt or elaborate frame to make a statement piece. You have more than likely once said of modern art ‘my kids can do better than that’! Well they can!
- Try putting small sentimental items, such as first shoes or favourite little toys into a shadow box and display them on the wall. Ikea do a lot of good quality deep frames which are idea for this.
- Don’t allow kids to eat anywhere other than the table, this will cut down your cleaning time considerably, otherwise chasing crumbs and greasy finger marks is going to be an endless task.
- Finally undertake a ten minute tidy at the end of each day. If you have storage sorted then popping things back into their homes should not be too much of a strain.
For more design and storage ideas see my website
http://www.clairebloom.com or email me at claire@clairebloom.com
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