Tidy up the children's room - the new home schooling lesson
The schools are closed and the children as well as their parents face the challenge of managing the lessons at home. As drastic as this situation is, it also offers opportunities. Children learn things that are not necessarily on the school agenda: working and organising independently, doing small household duties or simply making the best of the situation.
Maybe you and your children would like to take the opportunity to tidy up the children's room properly? We asked the professional home organizer Martina Domeniconi for a few tips to keep the room tidy. She advises to give each thing a "home". Toys and other items are always brought "home" after usage. This way, the children's room does not look chaotic and the things are found when you need them next time.
Martina Domeniconi suggests the following procedure:
- Toys that the child never plays with do not belong in the children's room. The fewer things there are, the easier it is to tidy up the room regularly. Broken things are thrown away. Things that are still in good condition are best sold online. You may want to keep some things for little siblings or grandchildren? Then you store them in your own cellar or in a placeB storage room.
- Go through all books. The ones that are no longer age-appropriate or intact can be given away or thrown away
- Go through all the puzzles, games and handicraft stuff. You can give away, sell or put aside things that are no longer played with and bring them to the flee market after Corona. Throw away everything that is no longer complete.
- Go through the children's drawings. Keep only the favorites and put them in a folder. If there's no more space in it, some of the older artwork has to go.
- Once everything has been cleared out, you can start sorting. All things that belong together come to the same place. Think if you need more boxes or shelves. Even though Ikea & Co. is currently closed, I'm sure you'll find a solution. Maybe you have things in your household that are suitable for it. Weren't there still moving boxes or old baskets in the basement? For small items, a large christmas box or shoe boxes will do. Apart from that, there is still the online ordering...
- Think about whether you want to rotate toys: deposit a few things in the basement or in a placeB storage room nearby. If you exchange them after a few months with the toys from the children's room, your child will discover them in a completely new way.
- When arranging the toys in the children's room, make sure that the child can easily get to them himself. Keep the floor as free as possible. Hooks on the door, wall or loft bed may also help.
- Finally, go through the tidy room with your child. Explain where things are. Mark the boxes and shelves together so that everyone knows where the things are supposed to go. For preschool children, symbols help.
We wish you much fun.
Martina Domeniconi is a professional home organizer and mother. Among other things, she advises and supports families in tidying up their children's rooms. More information: www.organize-my-space.ch