1. In terms of organization, what is the first thing a parent should do before decorating a kid’s room?

Get rid of the clutter! Because we are such a materialistic, marketing, socializing-driven society, kids are bombarded and often overwhelmed with “stuff” – much of which they don’t even like and will never use.

2. What is the biggest organizational challenge with children’s rooms?

Finding ways to make it easy for kids to maintain organization – this means getting them involved in the process and using tools like baskets without lids, hooks instead of tools racks, etc.

3. Why is organization so important in a kid’s bedroom?

Studies show that children who live in an organized environment (especially those who have learning disabilities, ADD, etc.) function better.

4. Are your organizational tips different for different age groups? If so, could you offer a few?

0-5:

At this age, you can teach children organization without them even knowing it. For example, using color coded containers to sort toys.

6-10:

This is a great age to begin teaching paper management. Purchase a desktop holder for hanging files – create a folder for special interests such as “Soccer”, “Cartoons,” “Haircut Ideas” “Gift Ideas” etc.

11-16:

The older they are, the tougher it gets – because they begin to want to assert their independence! The answer lies in “What will they do?” When my son turned 16, I finally closed the bedroom door, and said, “If it doesn’t crawl out or smell, I won’t complain! I’m tired of teaching, bribing, nagging, etc.”

One of my clients hired me to organize her 15-year-old’s room. It was a gorgeous room, but not at all to the daughter’s liking. We took out the clothes bar, and filled the closet with colorful stacked baskets. When we were done, she invited her basketball team to come and see!

5. What are the must-have items in every kid’s bedroom?

Specific places for specific items of clothing (e.g., this drawer is for sox or this box is for memorabilia), An easy place to put dirty clothes.

6. Can children be taught to be organized, and if so, how does a parent make this happen?

One of the best ways is to be a good role model. Often when parents says to a child, “Clean up your room!” the child doesn’t have to look far to see other people’s messes – some of which have been around for a long time!

However, as the mother of five, who are now grown and living responsible lives, I learned that although I taught them how to be organized, it didn’t mean I would see the results until AFTER they moved out of the house!

We use a 5-Step Process to help our clients organize all aspects of their personal and professional lives – this process applies to organizing a kid’s bedroom as well:

1. Design your vision
2. Eliminate your excuses
3. Commit your time
4. Select your tools
5. Maintain your success.

Notice that the common word in all of the steps is “your” – organizing is an art!

About the Author

© Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger’s Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com

Copyright © by RaiseYourChild.org. All Rights Reserved.

When your baby becomes a child you must change their rooms to suit the age. You can no longer keep the nursery decorations must implement some remodeling ideas. There are many remodeling ideas for your child’s room that you can choose from, but how will you choose ones that your child will like? Here are the top 3 child room remodeling ideas.

#1: Paint a Mural

If you are especially creative and love to paint, design a mural for your child’s room. This is an especially fun remodeling idea as an alternative to painting the room a sold color or using wallpaper, because it can be anything that you like, and can also be personalized. If you are not a painter, you can hire a professional and the two of you can create a design idea.

#2: Make the Room Bigger

Oftentimes parents will choose a smaller room in the house for their child’s nursery. However, as the child grows, so do their interests, and they might want to spend more time in their room playing, and, as they grow older, just have time to themselves. Thus, it is important that parents make the room bigger, and this can be done in a variety of ways.

First of all, consider where the room is located in the house. If it is located at the back of the house, consider knocking down the wall and extending the room that way. If the room is in the middle of the house, consider knocking down the wall of an adjoining room and thus joining the two rooms together.

#3: Get the Child’s Input

The most important thing about remodeling is to be sure that the child has some input as to how the room will look. After all, it is going to be their room, so they should be able to have some of their favorite things featured in it. This will, of course have to be a compromise between the parents and the child!

How to find More Ideas?

If you would like more ideas on, check out various decoration magazines, which might also provide the names of local designers. Or, you can go to a local furniture store. There, through the display rooms, you can get more ideas and have a first-hand visual. Also, be sure to check out the Internet. With the proper research, you are sure to find remodeling ideas for your child’s room that are truly creative!

About the Author

Unique remodeling ideas at http://www.1remodeling.com