It is amazing how many people are inspired to organize their homes after watching the Netflix show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Maybe you are looking for something a little different, and I would like to share what I do in my household with my kids. Personally, I have not watched any of Marie Kondo’s episodes. However, I have skimmed through her book. I have also picked up a few tips from my husband’s days in the military. My folding technique has some similarities to both methods. I aim for efficiency, while encouraging the kids to be independent.

Here are some of my tips for organizing with kids:

Clothes

I’m in the process of teaching our seven and five-year-old to do their own laundry. Sometimes, I have them put their clothes in the washer and then switch them to the dryer. I even encourage the baby, who is now one-and-a half, to move his clothes. We mainly focus on the folding, so I have listed the steps that we try to follow. I encourage them to go through all the steps, but even if they just help with the first and last steps, it helps a lot. Making an assembly line on the couch motivates us as a family.

1. First, I have them pick out and sort their own clothes into groups. They initially make two big piles. I ask them to at least stack their clothes that need to be hung up in the closet.  You can sort groups such as PJs, T-shirts, pants, undies, socks, etc.  Have the kids then help fold one of the groups, or at least pair up socks. We try to fold as we sort, but my kids often opt out of folding.
2. I put hangers in quickly by first putting a hanger inside the top shirt of the stack, then I fold it down to put the next hanger in until I get to the bottom. I also like to pair up uniform shirt and pants. I save store bought plastic pants hangers and attach them to our own hangers. This helps us set up for the week. The kids also enjoy putting hangers in themselves.
3. PJs are our favorite to fold. This is where I use the “ranger roll” method from the military, pictured. We make a little “pillow” by placing the pants inside the shirt. And we can add undies to make an outfit that they can quickly grab after bath-time. I usually have them fold the pants like Marie Kondo, but without tucking in the lap seam. I place the pants near the hole of the head. Then, I fold the sides to align to the pants. Finally, I take the bottom seam and tuck it inside the hole of the head.
4. Last, I have the children help put their clothes away. I remind them in which drawer and section each group goes in. I also help my son color-coordinate his shirts so it is easy for him to pick what he wants to wear. Our rule of thumb is to not pick the same color shirt and pants.

Dishes

We have a plastic drawer full of kids dishes in our pantry so the kids can reach them. They have their own utensils, plates, bowls and cups in there. They can pick out their utensils and can even serve themselves something simple like cereal, if they want to make their own snack. We also keep a few of their plates and cups handy incase we want to serve them quickly. They clean their area after they are done eating, and they place their dishes in the sink and sometimes they even take it a step further and wash them!

I hope that my tips can inspire you to create your own method that best fits your own family’s dynamic. I try to simplify things for the kids, in order for them to learn how to be independent. Planning ahead is a must, so putting a little more effort into folding and organizing clothes helps us save time and energy throughout the week. The bonus is that we end up bonding over this chore!

Special thanks to Norma M. for her post.  Norma is part of the Dallas Moms Blog Writers Network!