Life Transitions Series I
It may not be anybody’s fault that disorganization has occurred. Calm Order looks at the way people are living and adjusts organizing systems or implements new systems to compliment your stage of life and your current lifestyle.
Busy people are always telling me how they have no time. Sometimes we just have to slow down and check-in with ourselves in order to speed up and move forward effectively.
Have you ever thought it would be nice for time to just stop for a bit? Let you catch your breath and get ready for what's coming next. You’re not alone! With the pandemic, kids growing up, or new additions to the family, it’s totally natural to want life to just slow down for a second. As your life speeds up, home organization can be one of the first things that shows signs of weakness as you try to keep up with all the changes. It’s totally natural, and at Calm Order, we have seen it many times. When you book a consultation with Calm Order, we will work to help put order in your life, which can create the extra time you need to move ahead with your busy life.
We often work with clients who are anticipating and preparing for a new addition to their family. A baby can be one of the greatest sources of organization stress as so many new items enter the home at once. Clients call Calm Order frustrated with the new items piling up in their home. “Between the toys and new clothes every few months, and all the furniture, we hear "I’m out of room in my house!” or “I just don’t know what to do!”. After working with hundreds of families, Calm Order knows the key is almost always a simple one— less is more!
Our team understands a parent's need for new items for their growing child, and the inevitable flow of gifts from friends and family. There’s no alternative when your child is growing out of items (clothes and toys) almost every month! We work to implement organization solutions to fit and simplify the busy lifestyle a new baby brings. In addition, we design a solution flexible enough to grow with a new child. We advise clients to declutter their home first with an eye to any items that will no longer suit their family lifestyle.
As their baby grows and rapidly accumulates more of everything, be constantly looking to "declutter" with an eye for what their child has outgrown (clothes and toys) and then be very selective about what toys and baby "gadgets" you let in to the primary storage zones. Keep it simple.
TIP: Many of our families have chosen to rotate toys/games/crafts between the primary storage zones that are accessible and visible daily and a secondary storage area like a spare bedroom closet or the basement storage area. They have told me that they've seen their kids enjoy their belongings significantly more, they clearly see the joy it brings when they rotate a different grouping of toys/games/crafts in to the primary zone. The rotation is now looked upon as a new bunch of toys! The BIG bonus for parents is the clean-up becomes a breeze!
Systems and Zones
Our team implemented a decorative and easily child-accessible bin system in an area in the house for the child’s toys/games/crafts to live. We created zones and spaces based on the activity. This helped keep items organized, off the floor and allowed an easy visual for the parent to keep the volume of toys in check.
Setting up a child's closet:
• Add an organizing system to keep the flow by designating a place to gather and collect outgrown clothing for donation or resale
• Install a second closet hanging bar if there is only one high hanging bar
• Before bed, plan clothing choices for the next day
• Hang shirts, coats and dresses
• Put in drawers: PJs, underwear, swim suits, socks, baby and toddler age shirts, tights and pants.
Tip: We believe teaching kids to be organized starts at a young age. Starting at 4 - 5 years of age, set up systems that allow them to reach their own clothes. Planning and choosing their clothes for the next day, and setting them out, can help with the morning chaos. As they grow, the importance of planning for the next day and the impact on their day increases dramatically. They need to think about more than what to wear. Whether they have an after-school activity, a presentation to make, a form that needs to be signed, a before-school club, etc. So many parents thank us for this very important organizing tip. Not only are their kids organized and more independent, it saves them from the "Mom I forgot..." panic phone calls.
Stay tuned… next post - University Life- Getting Organized
