Borrow the kindergarten model.
When you walk into any 5-year-old’s
classroom, you’ll notice that it’s been
divided into activity zones—art, music,
blocks, dress-up, reading—and all the
related materials are kept (and put away) at
the point of use. The same principle applies
in your kids’ domain, says Morgenstern,
down to how items are sorted. Like goes
with like: toy cars, board games,
Magna-Tiles, stuffed animals, and so on.
Group toys in labeled, nonlidded
baskets, bins, and containers. They
can be kept on shelves or in the closet,
but don’t stack them on top of each other.
“This is a system for retrieval, not for
storage,” Morgenstern stresses. “The
whole point of putting something away is
so that you can get it back out.”
Nothing is “miscellaneous.” If
you’re stumped about where a toy should
go—does a wand belong in the magic
or the Harry Potter section?—consider your
child’s relationship to the item. How does
she use it? When she wants to play with
it, where will she look? (Psst: Ask her and
she’ll tell you!) Bringing your kid into the
process ensures that you create a system
Create a checklist. Post a chart or a
to-do list that prompts them through their
full routine—take shower, put on jammies,
brush teeth. For prereaders, include a
picture of the activity next to each item.
“Visual cues keep you from constantly
having to nag,” says Rapinchuk. (P.S. You
may want a chart for the morning too.)
Conquer grooming. Beware
the time suck of overflowing medicine
cabinets and drawers! To streamline
bathroom routines, give each of your kids
a dedicated caddie for supplies—toothbrush
and paste, dental floss, and a comb—and
store them where your children can reach
them. If space is an issue, get caddies
with handles that can be moved to a shelf
or under the sink between uses.
Try solo quiet time before
lights-out. “I keep a basket full of books
on the floor beside my kids’ beds—Richard
Scarry’s are a hit because they have lots
of images,” Rapinchuk says. “It gives them
a couple of minutes to calm themselves
down at night.”
Prepare kids to stay in bed. Keep
a few overnight necessities within reach of
your child’s bed—like a clip-on reading
lamp that she can turn on by herself and a
no-spill water bottle—to prevent bedtime
stalling or middle-of-the-night requests.“To get kids to put away their dirty
laundry, attach a basketball
hoop over the top of the hamper, or buy
a hamper that comes with one.”
—Joe Williamson and Dale Saylorwith staying power—and she’ll be more
likely to use it herself if it follows her logic.
Contain the chaos. Before your
child dumps out the contents of a toy
bin—especially one that contains a
zillion tiny pieces—lay out a flat or fitted
sheet underneath, says Rapinchuk. That
way, when it’s time for cleanup, you only
have to come in once to help your kiddo
pour everything back in.
Allow for works in progress. For
longer-term play projects—like a (gulp)
6,000-piece Lego set—give your kid
a folding card table that can be moved
out of the way at the end of the day.AT WHAT AGE
CAN THEY ...?
Readiness may vary from one
child to the next, but here
are some general guidelines for
when your kids might be
able to start tackling certain
tasks on their own.
Wiping tush: 3 years, but parents
should continue with spot checks
and ensure proper hand-washing
Getting dressed: 4 years
Clipping nails: 4 years, depending
on nondominant-hand coordination
Pouring liquids: 4 years and
up, depending on container size
and weight
Clearing dishes: 4 years
Showering: 5 years, with an adult
within earshot
Tying shoelaces: 5 years and up,
depending on dexterity
Using grown-up scissors: 5 years,
as long as an adult is in the room
Brushing teeth: 6 to 7 years
(or earlier, as long as an adult is
checking for thoroughness)
Making lunch: 9 years, with an
adult monitoring for nutritional value
Source: Deborah Gilboa, M.D.PLAYTIME
BEDTIME
WIND
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#IRL
GAP INTERIORS/HOUSE AND LEISURE/MICKY HOYLE. STYLING BY JEANNE BOTES.
PARENTS 126 SEPTEMBER 2019
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