Clothes Organization (Day 7): 30 Day Organization Challenge
For today’s organization challenge, I decided to tackle my son’s clothes. His dresser drives both of us crazy. He has it packed full of clothes, but most of it he never wears. I had him pull everything out, it wasn’t folded anyway, and throw it on his couch. It was definitely time to pare down. He had been given a lot of hand me downs from my besties son but was overwhelmed with the amount of clothing he has. We pulled out shirts he didn’t even know he had!
He has been around me long enough to know what needed to be done and he got started right away! I went downstairs to grab the rest of his clothes from the laundry room, and by the time I got back upstairs, he was halfway through the pile. This was a quick and painless job, as we worked together and were on the same page.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you go through your kid’s clothes.
Get them involved in their clothes organization
When organizing your kid’s clothes, get them involved. I haven’t always done this with both of them. My daughter has been opinionated about her clothing since she was four. My son, on the other hand, only started caring this year, and he is fourteen. Prior to this year, I would just make him try things on so I could see what still fit him.
I know my kids, but sometimes I think they will like clothing items, but they just sit in their closet or dresser. I’m not going to make them wear things they don’t like. My mom always says, “choose your battles.” This is just one of those battles I don’t care to fight. I learned that 12 years ago, with a stubborn four-year-old daughter. By getting them involved, the process goes a lot smoother. I don’t want clothes they don’t like, taking up space in their room.
Have them try things on
My son has been growing like a weed for the last year. Usually, I just catch him wearing something that is way too small and make him take it off right away. But as we were going through his stuff today, I had him either hold clothes up to see if it fits or try it on when we couldn’t agree.
Store the clothes that are too big
I LOVE hand-me-downs. When someone give me clothes that are still a little too big for my son, I go through them right away. I store what we want to keep, in a bin in his closet, or in the attic, depending on our house. A big part of keeping my kid’s clothes organized, is not overwhelming them with too many options, or items that don’t fit them.
Find a clothes organization system that works
When folding or hanging my kids’ clothes, I have found it is very important to find an organization system that works for them. I love hanging my own clothes according to color. And I LOVE hanging all of my shirts. But my son? If it’s in his closet, he will never wear it. He never opens his closet. We fold everything and keep is in his dresser. It’s what works for him. I wish his dresser was super neat and color coded. But again, I choose my battles. Find a system that they like and that they’ll use.
Now it’s time to get to work! And if you don’t have kids, feel free to use these tips to work on your own clothing. When we get there, it’s probably going to take us more than 30 minutes anyway. As always, don’t forget to take everything out, but maybe one drawer at a time. Wipe down your drawers, and go through every item as you put it back in.
