Home Improvements Tips, Projects and Advices

Your patience will really be put to the test dealing with children’s disorderliness. You are one lucky mother if you have a child who leaves his bedroom clean and tidy. However, this is very rare.

To avoid and to teach your child lessons on orderliness, it is not enough to nag him. One of the things you can do is have a list and post it on his headboard or on the door of his closet. Make a slogan on neatness and make it something light or funny. Children will appreciate it more if the slogan is more appropriate to their age. Do not forget to put pictures, too.

Next is to provide him with enough organizers. It may be that he does not have storage space for his things. Sometimes we tend to neglect this. Children would always love to have their toys in their room especially those between the ages of 4 – 12. If a child was given his own bedroom at a young age, he definitely would need his toys around him as they serve as his companion. Even children aged 7 – 12 have their own collections which they prefer to keep in their bedroom. Teenagers, too, have their own collections. They have magazines, CDs, make-up, all sorts of knick-knacks that are children’s passions.

Third, provide him a small feather duster, broom, a dustpan and a trash can. This will remind him that he needs to do a little tidying up following the list that you posted on his closet door. The trash can will also remind him to throw bits of paper and rubbish in the can instead of just throwing it on the floor.

Choosing the suitable bedroom furniture

• If your child’s bed has the traditional structure (bed frame and mattress), buy some storage boxes. These plastic storage boxes come in different designs and height. They are equipped with wheels for easy pulling. Ensure that when you buy them, you measure the space under the bed that is from the bed frame to the floor. If his bedroom still has some space, you can opt to buy him storage boxes that have built-in drawers. It can be placed in one corner. The number of drawers varies depending on what you need.

• If your resources will permit, get him a bed that has fitted drawers. Most modern beds are now built with drawers underneath.

• Having custom-built shelves on the walls for his books, toys, and other items is another option. Use elaborate brackets so it will be like a display area of his toys, etc.

• Check on the latest closets. Most of this modern furniture has divisions so clothes, socks, underwear, hankies, belts, hats, and other accessories can be stored. Ensure that he has ample space to hang his clothes especially the school uniforms.

• If he uses his room to do his homework, provide him a small table and a desk lamp. Get a table that has drawers so he can keep his school items in it. You can get him a bench with drawers instead of a chair.

• Lastly, do not do the tidying alone. Set a schedule with your child to do the cleaning together. This will teach him the proper way of tidying his room and is another way of bonding together. When you are through with your cleaning, make sure that you prepare a simple snack for yourselves.

Once you get this habit into his system, you will no longer have to remind him of his task. In fact, he will learn to appreciate the goodness of having a clean bedroom.

So you have arrived at your dorm room. You are disappointed with the size. Your roommate smells a bit. But there is a hot girl living across the hall. And your dad is starting to move furniture, while your mom says things like “This will be all right as long as you clean regularly!”

Lots of pressure, and lots of thoughts running through your head. So how will you organize your dorm room? I have a few suggestions for you.

First, consider your personality and the style of room you want to create for the year. Room style options include:

a) Party Room – space to dance, stand and mingle; loud speakers;
b) Lounge Room – Lots of seating, a central table, maybe a TV?
c) Study Room – Closed entryway, ample deskspace, space divided between roommates
d) Disaster – No plan, no storage space, junk everywhere

The Method

a) Party Room

If you are an extrovert, or are trying to become one, or just want everyone on the hall to like you, you may be gunning for this type of room. The key here is to minimize your living and storage space in order to maximize your party space. If you are living in the classic university double room, I would strongly suggest bunking your beds. This quickly creates 15 square feet of extra floor space. You can squeeze about 10 girls in 15 square feet. Think about it. Bunking the beds also protects them from getting spilled on during the party.

Second, desks should be placed along the walls and away from the door. In order to invite people into your room, your room needs to look inviting. When people walk by your open door, they need to see you, and they need to see ample open space for them to move into.

Finally, you need to get creative with storage. To have a party in a dorm room, you really need to maximize space. Hanging hooks from doors and closets are key, as a moving dressers into closets and stuffing your closet as much as physically possible.

Now plug in your stereo and go.

b) Lounge Room

This room type will also be inviting to others, but for a different type of gathering. In this type of set-up, you want to invite people to sit and talk, smoke, watch TV, or maybe even do some group studying. Having bunk beds is less crucial in this case, because the beds can be used for extra seating/lounging. The key to this room is a central coffee table with couches and chairs around it. A cool looking coffee table is crucial. Comfortable seating is a close second. The coffee table looks inviting and draws people in. The comfortable seats keeps them there. Follow this advice and you will have a well-organized dorm room.

c) Study Room

If you are really serious about your studies, are extremely introverted, or just like doing your partying elsewhere, then set up you dorm room with a more closed, private organization. Place large furniture near your entryway to create a closed, less inviting feeling to guests. Place roommates’ desks on opposite sides of the room to avoid distractions. You can even build a loft bed and place the desks underneath, to create mini study spaces. But definitely still hang some nice pictures and posters on the wall, and sign up for many intramural sports to help you relax after all the studying.

Keep these tips in mind during those all-important first few hours of organization at the beginning of the semester. Don’t blow it.