How To Organize Shoes, Socks, and Those Odds and Ends
I absolutely love to organize! But alas, with six kids, my love for organization cannot be judged by the status of my home. There comes a time when a parent has to choose to either have a super organized home and yell a lot, or choose simple organizing methods and have less pressure. That’s why I’m on a mission to live a more minimalist lifestyle because it makes organizing and storage so much easier!
Some of the biggest challenges of being a parent of many kids is sorting socks, finding shoes, storing hats, belts, and scarves. I cannot count the number of times my family was delayed or one of my kids looked ridiculous because they couldn't find their stuff. So if you're going through the same, I hope my tips will help you avoid some parent stress.
My Solution for Sorting Kids Socks
For a while, I was separating eight piles of different socks into eight different drawers (2 parents + 6 kids) and ending up with the usual loner socks that no one has solved to this day (maybe taken by a cruel sock fairy).
One day, as I was thinking how I could be doing something brainier, I decided to hand over the chore to my kids. Unfortunately, after numerous attempts of telling them to get back to work and threatening to take away every single sock they owned, I knew I needed a better solution. I decided to solve this tedious task by turning it into a fun game for my kids, while being efficient at the same time.
Here's What I Did:
When packing away laundry I placed all our socks into one big pile and left it for last.
I called my little ones to separate the socks into black, white, and colored (they thought it's a new game).
We played "find the matching sock" and once a match was found they made it into a sock ball.
We separated Dad and Mom’s socks and packed it away first.
With the rest of the socks, each child took turns shooting sock balls into a big, clear, plastic storage container (super fun if you're keeping score).
The loner socks were put into a basket marked "single but looking" and set aside on the laundry room shelf for the next laundry sorting time.
The winner got a high-five and was applauded!
This sock tub stays in our hallway near my kid's rooms or it can be placed in the coat closet for ease when going out the door. I stopped storing my kids socks in their rooms, and when they need a pair, they scout the tub, grab it and go! This has saved me a bunch of time by eliminating the need to divide everyone's socks into individual drawers.
I want to add that when shopping for children’s socks, try to purchase socks that are a little different for each child. For example, I bought one of my daughter’s white socks with a pink colored foot and heal, for my other daughter I purchased white socks with a turquoise color. I chose for my one son white socks with gray and a red foot and heal, and my other son white and gray with blue etc.
This will help your kids find their socks quicker from the tub without fuss or fight. On occasion, I've seen my son wear a pair of socks with a pink toe because he didn't check the sock too well, but hey it's the price you pay for your sock-sorting-sanity, now about their shoes...
My Solution to Solving Kids Shoes
At first, I tried placing my children's shoes in their bedroom closets, then in shoe organizers behind their bedroom doors, and finally, I stashed it in our already-bulging coat closet.
None of these methods worked because my kid's shoes where never where it was supposed to be. Instead, it lay all over and everywhere around the house (sigh). Then whenever it was time to go out, we went through the "I can't find my other shoe" whine which drove me crazy as we'd end up being late.
Having six kids, each with multiple shoes, add up to a lot of shoes! We decided a while ago to keep things simplistic and minimal and only purchase two pairs of shoes at a time for our little ones - one sneaker and one sandal. When our children got older, they are upgraded to owning four pairs of shoes, the third pair being a nice pair for going out, and the fourth pair being flip-flops.
This keeps things simple since kid's feet grow pretty fast. Young children find it difficult to remember to put their stuff away, so I try to incorporate realistic methods of storage for kids.
Here's What I Did:
Choose an area for shoe storage that is located at a convenient location if you don't allow outdoor shoes inside the house.
We chose our garage entrance for shoe storage, as it leads from the car into the house and is also accessible to the backyard. This makes it convenient for our kids to grab their shoes either way.
When my children were young, we purchased two clear plastic storage containers and placed girls shoes in one tub and boys shoes in the other tub. You can also divide the shoes according to age.
We set the container near the entry door.
Our kids found it super easy to grab their pair of shoes from the tub and get in the car, or come from the car and dump their shoes in the container before entering the house. Our younger children find this a breeze, and our shoe dilemma was almost non-existent.
Now that some of our kids are older and have more shoes, we have purchased two durable, plastic storage shelf units. We situated the shelf unit in the same spot in the garage where we the tubs were. We labeled the front of each shelf with a child's name. Our older, taller kids get the top shelves, and our younger kids get the bottom shelves for easy reach. Our kids can independently place their shoes on the rack, which keeps it separate and out of the way.
You may still encounter the occasional forgotten shoe lying about, but I stay firm about my children putting their shoes away immediately, or there are repercussions (such as packing the entire shoe rack).
However, once the habit is instilled, your reminding will lessen. Remember with kids, one has to find simple ways to solve day-to-day issues. If you are going to implement rules that you want, instead of rules that your children can manage, you will be nagging and cause more strain for yourself.
Storing Belts, Hats, and Ties
I find it best to store my family's belts by placing a hanging hook organizer on the closet wall and my kids can hang their belts from there. If you are trying to store many belts for multiple kids, then folding it and putting it in their drawer or an over-the-door bag can work as well.
Another idea I like, is to hook belts on shower hooks that don't snap close and hang them from our clothes rod. Your kid's baseball caps can also be stored on shower rings and hang from a hanger, or placed in an over-the-door bag. I've used both methods depending on space and amount of items.
My Favorite Solutions To Store Scarves
As a Muslima, I have tons of scarves (one of my weaknesses) and I find that storing so many scarves is a real challenge. Putting them in dresser drawers is not the best way to see your colors and takes up so much space! These are some simple Ideas I’ve used depending on my closet size (I move a lot so that’s usually a factor).
The simplest, cheapest method has been to put my scarves on shower rings hanging from a pole in my closet. But my favorite is to use wire drawers because I get to fill it with so many scarves and it works out great to see all your colors. Some great ideas below as well!
I hope my hacks help with your storage solutions as a busy parent. Happy organizing!
Salam, I’m Zakeeya!
I believe that making our homes a safe haven for our families, as well as being a wife and mother, brings us great blessings, contentment, and benefits to society as a whole. Since 2011, I've been dedicated to assisting Muslimas in finding tranquility in their roles, taking better care of themselves, and achieving inner peace. Our journey in this world is not an easy one, but I pray the tools and guidance I offer will help you face life's challenges with more gratitude and mindfulness. Join me as I share wifehood, motherhood, homemaking, and lifestyle solutions that make life more fulfilling for you as a woman! Read more about me here.
