As I’ve said before, my family isn’t exactly a paragon of organization, but I’m trying here, friends, I’m trying. On Monday, I posted about how I’m planning a month of meals at a time, which is working out so much better than I expected.
Today, I thought I’d focus on kids’ papers, shoes, etc. This post on how we built our lockers remains one of my most popular–I even get emails about the dimensions!
Before we built these lockers, we had a messy closet, full of all sorts of randomness, topped by white wire shelves. We took the bifold doors off, the shelves out, measured, divided and drew up a design. There’s another row at the tip top, which you can’t see in this photo, so I actually have 6 little baskets at the top. The bottom three–the three you see here–are where we keep gloves, other seasonal gear, and art supplies. In the top three, I store everything from aprons to extra hand towels to back-up school supplies (need 100 pencils, anyone?). The kids use the bottom three bins for their shoes & boots, and hang their coats & backpacks on the hooks. We designed the ledge to stick out a bit, so the boys can sit their to tie their shoes or get their boots on.
This has worked out beautifully! The baskets are key–adding them has kept the kids’ lockers organized, which is wonderful–really, I love that they’re able to find their stuff on a regular basis!
But where do I put the stuff they bring home?
I have three places for it:
1) I have a large plastic bin for each boy’s artwork. I keep the ones I find lovely, or that they can’t part with, and store them in the bins. One day, in a land far, far, away, I hope to pare the stash down.
2) File folders. I have a metal bin with three hanging folders (one for each boy). In the hanging folders I have a folder for the year, ie “1st grade folder,” in which I keep tests, some writing assignments, and other important school work. In another folder, I keep papers that are only applicable for this school year: the teacher’s class rules, for example, or athletic schedule dates. That file gets tossed at the end of the year.
3) Trash.
This system has worked well for getting papers out of their backpacks and off of my desk or counters.
How about you? Can you share any tips for how you help your kids stay organized?
I have a "kid binder". Each child gets a tab. It's full of sheet protectors and every time an important paper, schedule, prescription, immunization record, driver's permit or whatever comes home I file it in their section. It gets a clean out every fall when school restarts. This has been a lifesaver for me! I learned this idea from Chris Manion two years ago 🙂
I don't really save artwork or school parpers, only report cards. There's just too many and really, do we need them? I am just fine not seeing any of my schoolwork from childhood. One or two items is all we need for posterity 🙂 The rest is just clutter! The art I have saved, though, is dozens of clay figurines they have all made over the years which now decorate my house in random places. I have saved, though, any writings or journals that are bound in a notebook or published into a book at school.
My kids all have a keepsake bin and I add to it anything I think is special enough to keep. They will all get it when they decide they want it…after marriage, 1st baby, whatever!
No tips. I'm swimming in kid clutter right now. I SO want your locker closet. Genius. Sharing with my husband now – thankyouverymuch!