Hello! Undoubtedly, in every family, the child has the most things, so putting things in order in the children's closet becomes an urgent problem for mom. Babies grow up so quickly that sometimes you simply do not have time to buy new clothes and remove pants and T-shirts that have become small from the shelves. I put things in order in the children's closet a long time ago, more precisely, right after the birth of my eldest daughter. By that time, I had already mastered the basic principles of maintaining cleanliness and order in the house and applied them in practice. So I can assure you: if you have no idea where to start and how to rationally organize the storage of children's things, you are not reading this article in vain. I will give you a detailed plan of action based on my personal experience.
In general, the principles of storing children's and adult things are similar, but there are several nuances. It is important to take into account the small growth of the child, his inability to neatly fold clothes (although it depends on age) and other features. By the way, my oldest daughter is 4 years old, and watching me roll up my socks and fold T-shirts, she always actively helps. And she already began to get good at it.
So where do you start?
Step 1. Preparation
Place all your belongings on the floor. Wipe down all the shelves and evaluate where you will store your baby's clothes - ideally a closet. Why do I recommend this option? The wardrobe is more spacious than a chest of drawers, and inside there are bars for hangers and storage space, except for the shelves - for example, the lower part and doors, which can also be used if everything is organized correctly. Personally, I see clear advantages in the wardrobe. A chest of drawers is also good furniture, it is convenient to put various things into it for storage, you can lay out socks, underwear. Only in terms of functionality, this is still not the best option.
There should be plenty of space in the closet. A big plus if there are drawers. You also need to purchase boxes or baskets that match the shelves in width and depth. Instead of one big one, you can put several small ones - it all depends on how you like best. It is convenient to fold clothes in them, and in this case you will not have to rummage through the entire closet. It will be enough to pull out one box or basket to take or put the item you need in place.
If you see that there are objectively not enough shelves or space for vertical storage, organizers will come to the rescue - hinged shelves. They solve this problem perfectly. I bought myself one organizer, which is very happy. It's incredibly comfortable. By the way, wall shelves come in a variety of sizes and colors, so it will not be difficult for you to find the best option for yourself.
If you have only one child, boxes, baskets, additional shelves, you may not need. Of course, a lot depends on the size of the cabinet. I have two children, so I still had to come up with different tricks.
Even if you cannot afford global rework, do not be discouraged. It will turn out to change at least something for the better - already good. Yes, not everyone has the money to buy organizers and other similar devices, but there is always a way out - you just need to want. Try making something with your own hands from cardboard - for example, shelves. At home, you probably have a piece of unnecessary tissue or a box lying around - all this will find a use if you connect your imagination. Just act on the basis of the materials at hand and your capabilities.
Pay attention to the crossbar: it is better to set it at such a height so that the little ones can get the things they need from it and hang them back. I placed mine a little lower, and put another one on top. So I got two whole rows of crossbars.
This ends the most difficult part. Moving on.
Step 2. Sorting things
Now is the time to sort the baby clothes. I divide it only into heavy winter, autumn-spring (overalls, jackets, hats, scarves, mittens) and everything else. I like the method of Japanese woman Marie Kondo: she suggests not to divide things according to seasonality, but to keep everything together, without putting anything away on the mezzanine. It seems strange at first, but in practice it is really convenient - for example, you start wearing some light things that used to be stale, not only in the warm season, but also in winter. True, this idea is applicable only for a large dressing room.
Then you need to sort the remaining things into subcategories: for example, T-shirts, home clothes, pants, sweaters and more. Do this at your own discretion.
Step 3. Choosing places and methods of storing clothes
After sorting, it's time to move on directly to organizing storage. They can be hung on a hanger, but if you only have a small and compact cabinet, it is better to arrange them in piles. Hanging clothes take up much more space than folded ones, and you need to save space.
I will tell you how I organized the storage of children's things. On the upper shelves, I put away clothes that are practically not used at this time - for example, summer shorts in winter or pants for growth. It is convenient to store them in vacuum bags or cases.
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On the middle shelves, I put sweaters, warm blouses, blouses and T-shirts for going out, skirts and jeans. Downstairs are pajamas, home clothes, T-shirts, panties, socks. Therefore, my children can change themselves for the night after an evening shower or get home clothes, including underwear in the morning. It helps me to instill in them the skills of independence.
Many mothers are interested in how best to fold baby clothes. Storage can be horizontal and vertical - the second method is advised by Marie Kondo, and it seemed to me more convenient.
The basic principle is to form rectangles from things, the height of which does not exceed the height of the drawer or shelf. With this folding technique, you can find the thing you need much faster.
On the crossbars, I hang the clothes that we most often wear on the way out - for example, to kindergarten. These are suits and dresses. I never put them on the shelves and always hang them on a hanger. If there is not enough space, you can use a special hanger with additional hooks on which you can hang up to 5 hangers.
Such a device will withstand light everyday clothes and is a great space saver. By the way, Marie Kondo recommends sorting clothes on hangers by color, purpose, lightness. For example, jackets and sweaters can be located on the left, and blouses and blouses on the right. Here you need to be guided by how convenient it is for you.
I put some hooks on the closet door for kids to hang their home clothes on before going to bed or pajamas in the morning.
On the other door I have a pocket organizer with elastic bands and hairpins for my daughters. It is also convenient to fold tights in them.
Socks and panties are stored in compartments in a box, which I myself have covered with beautiful fabric. If possible, you can buy an organizer for this.
What else can you think of to keep things organized? I advise using the bottom of the closet - for example, for children's shoes or a box of bedding.
In general, every centimeter can be used effectively and efficiently - this is especially true for small cabinets. Also a great option is to stick some pictures or tags on the shelves indicating what is located and where. The same can be done with the chest of drawers.
Step 4. Maintaining cleanliness and order in the children's closet
Once you tidy up your baby closet, think carefully about how often you need to tidy it up and maintain the frequency. I do this once a month, it doesn't take more than 15 minutes. Mark all the dates on your household calendar so you don't miss anything.
Finally, I will give you one more tip: make a list of things that you would like to buy or do it yourself, and then plan a budget or time for making homemade products.
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