Before & Afters: Case 3
Organizing the Organized
Problem: This home was fairly organized, but there were a few problem spots. The biggest issue was the toy storage area for a young child. When asked to clean up her toys, the young girl threw everything into one spot. The reason for this was that there was not an easy-to-use system in place.
Solution: We stored most toys with pieces in clear boxes and labels. This makes the toys easy to identify for a non-reader. As the child gets older, she will “grow into” reading the labels. The child has easy access to the toys because they are eye level. We purged those toys which were no longer age-appropriate and moved out those which belonged elsewhere.
Follow-Up: When asked to clean up her toys, the child is able to do so fairly quickly. Other children playing in the room are also able to follow the system.
Next Steps: Of course one next step is to have the young girl clean up her toys without being asked! Additionally, it will be important to continuously purge toys as new ones come in.
