We are so very excited to have a guest post today about a great kids closet organization idea from a good friend of ours, Christa Hladky. Christa is an awesome and inspiring mama of a child with high-functioning Autism who is so talented at creating solutions and strategies that promote independence, engagement, participation, and connection with her son. Let’s hear it for Christa!
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With school just around the corner, our family is slowly adjusting to a morning routine that gives us extra time with as little frustration and as much confidence as possible. One way of accomplishing this is by eliminating the stress of morning dressing.
For my son with high-functioning Autism, being able to choose his clothes in the morning and get dressed by himself gives him a great sense of responsibility and independence. Isaac and I organized his closet together, and with a few easy changes, things are going smoothly!
If you’re working on closet organization during the back to school season, you’ll want to check out this back to school clothes inventory and shopping list!
Here’s how to set things up and get your kids’ closets organized and ready for the school year:
1 || Make it easy! We made clothing options easy with outfit bundles. We picked out several pairs of shorts or pants and matching t-shirts and rolled the combinations together to create preset outfits. We then stacked these up in his closet so they’re ready for him to grab and go in the morning.
2 || Make it accessible! We knew we wanted Isaac to be able to grab his outfits without help, so we made the bundles accessible by placing them at arm’s reach and eye level in Isaac’s closet on a hanging shelf.
3 || Make it responsible! We included Isaac in the process of organizing his closet so he would be familiar with where everything was and so he would have a sense of ownership and responsibility for the space. And now that the closet is ready for him to use, he can also be independent with choosing his outfit for the day and getting dressed himself – gaining confidence all the while!
4 || Make it fun! Again, including Isaac in the process was key. He enjoys choosing outfits himself, and rolling the outfit bundles when it’s laundry folding time. Fun for him, less work for mom…everyone wins!
This closet organization system can be beneficial for any child to teach independence and confidence. (It’s even great for parents who are on the run in the morning!) Here’s to a great start to the school year!
What are your best organization tips for creating smooth, stress-free school mornings? We’d love to hear them! Leave a comment below or post a comment on our Facebook page!
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Christa Hladky is always finding ways to appreciate life’s little challenges by figuring out ways to use them for good. Mom to Ethan (11) and Isaac (8), and wife to Daniel. You can read more about her ideas and insights concerning life with Autism at her blog “In Isaac’s Eyes” at inisaacseyes.blogspot.com
