This post was contributed by Kaitlin Krull of Modernize.com
Every parent knows that keeping a tidy house with children is a nearly impossible feat. This is particularly evident in children’s bedrooms, where floors are hidden under piles of clothing and toys, and beds are sometimes completely obscured. However, by creating spaces throughout the home that encourage accessible, safe independence for your kids, you just might be able to claw back some semblance of the home you once knew. If independence is your ultimate goal, there are a few qualities that every children’s bedroom closet needs.
Accessible closet space
Probably the most important feature of your independent children’s closet is accessibility. Make sure that door handles and drawers are at the right height for your child, and that clothes rails and storage bins are within easy reach. At Modernize we love custom built pieces that cater to children’s needs and foster independence in their style and design. We are particularly fond of Ikea’s STUVA range of bedroom storage, which is customisable, accessible, and affordable.
Plenty of storage
Once you’ve chosen the right kind of closet space for your kids’ bedroom, it’s time to find a place for storage. If you’re going for a custom built storage system, your job is already done, but if you’re working with a built-in closet or wardrobe, a few low-hanging clothes rails and clear or wire storage bins won’t go amiss. Larger closets can also house sweaters, vests, and other folded clothing items, so make sure you have somewhere convenient for these kinds of pieces as well.
Labels and organisation
All the storage in the world will mean nothing to your little ones if they don’t know where to put things. Affix labels to storage bins and clothes hangers in order to help guide your child’s budding organisation skills. While you can make your own handwritten labels, the Internet is also full of printables if you’re not feeling particularly crafty. This kind of organisation can extend to youngest family members as well if you take photographs of each type of clothing and make your own picture labels.
Self care station
If you want to take your children’s independence one step further, take a page from Maria Montessori’s book and create a small and functional self-care station near the closet area. Although a traditional Montessori self care area contains a washbasin, towel, soap, brush, and mirror, you can adapt this idea by simply hanging a full length mirror along the inside of the closet door and keeping a small storage basket of self care supplies inside the closet. The presence of this area, along with your gentle encouragement, will give your children the opportunity to begin taking care of their bodies as well as the clothes that they wear.
Cleaning rota
For those of you who have watched children grow up before, you will know that kids’ bedrooms hardly ever stay tidy for long. A disheveled, untidy closet space is not likely to motivate your kids to do anything other than shove crumpled up pieces of clothing inside it and shut the door. Try to nip this seemingly universal trait by encouraging your kids to keep their closet space as tidy as possible. While labels and storage bins are sure to help, a regular cleaning rota with a reward system (stickers, screen time, pats on the back, you name it) will do wonders for motivation. Just make sure you stick to the schedule, too, or you will have organised your kids’ closet space for nothing.
More Kids Room Ideas
You might also like….
15 Simple and Effective Playroom Organisation Ideas
35 Creative Playrooms and Play Spaces for Kids
Amazing Details to Include in Your Child’s Bedroom
Z’s New Jungle Room with Dulux Bedroom in a Box
Follow our children’s rooms and playrooms board on Pinterest for even more inspiration
Follow Anna – In The Playroom’s board For The Home – Children’s Rooms & Playrooms on Pinterest.
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Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.
Wonderful post, thank you so much for writing and sharing this! So many parent’s would find this useful too I believe x
Very organised, i need something like this for my girls
Some great ideas here, especially about the labelling and baskets for each item.