Organizing for Baby & Beyond

Have you ever gone into someone’s home and heard “Ignore the mess ... I have kids”. It’s no surprise that having a baby is a significant life change, but do you have to sacrifice organization and order in your home when you have kids? Clare Kumar of Streamlife (http://www.streamlife.ca/) joined us recently and taught us these elements can co-exist. Streamlife helps people at home or office better manage time, space, information and all of the “stuff” associated with it. The result? - You have the freedom and time to focus on the things that are important.

Listen to the complete interview here:


With respect to parenthood and getting your home ready, there’s no doubt you’ll have to make room for a new baby. Perhaps you need to create baby’s room in what is now the home office. That means transitioning the office to another area of the home and creating a welcoming room for baby.

Clare can plan and maximize the space so that it’s functional and comfortable to be in. After understanding your preferences, Clare will guide you as to what should be in the room and where should it go.

Next, Clare suggests having your hospital bag ready a few weeks in advance even if you’re planning a home birth. This will give you peace of mind that everything you need is clean, organized and ready to go!

How does organization benefit Moms?
Have you ever noticed how much “stuff” a little baby comes with? Clare spoke with us about how to plan your space so that you’re maximizing your time and maintaining an efficient process. Each new activity or process such as feeding the baby, changing the baby, bathing the baby, etc. has multiple steps associated with it. These include planning, performing and cleaning up afterwards.

Clare identifies the process and recognizes the key elements that need to be grouped together. For example, changing the baby requires a change table, wipes, diapers, vaseline/diaper cream, and diaper pail for starters. These items should be within arms reach so that you’re attentive to your baby at all times. How else will you use the change table? Perhaps you will use it to dress the baby, apply lotions after bath time, etc. so you need to think beyond the initial activity and ensure that you have everything you need within close proximity.

How do you manage guests?
In the early days, don’t be afraid to speak up and set boundaries on your time. Outline the expectations of your guests and let them know that you may need to step out of the room or cut your visit short for any given reason. If guests offer to bring something – let them! Also, having some ready-made goodies and snacks on hand is helpful so that you have something to offer guests without much fuss. TIP: Add some hand sanitizer on the counter/entry way so that it’s readily available to guests without creating a parade to the bathroom sink.

How do you organize the baby’s closet for a range of sizes? Should you organize clothing by sizes, colours or seasons?
In many homes, closet real estate is scarce. In baby’s room Clare suggests that the prime real estate should be reserved for clothes that are actually being worn at any given time and grouped by size. If you receive clothing in bigger sizes, pack those away or put them in the bottom drawers. TIP: When a baby is between sizes, take a onesie that fits your child now and use this as a measuring guide when shopping for baby clothes. This will help you avoid buying clothes that are either too small or too big.

Is it better to hang clothes or to use drawers?
Hanging vs. folding really depends on your space and gender (girls often hang more items because of dresses whereas boys usually require more drawers). Drawers should be organized by size and type of clothing. In your closet, it’s advisable to add shelves inside the closet if possible, either with built-in or a hanging organizer, as this will give you greater flexibility and maximize your space.

Use containers to group like items: Shoe boxes or organizing bins that can be pulled out easily will save you time from rooting around for items. When thinking about how to store something, ask yourself “how do I want to find it?” and this will guide you to the correct storage solution.

What is the best way to organize our children’s toys?
As toys vary by age, it’s important to find a storage container that suits the size and function of the toys. Avoid lumping all toys together in one large container as you’ll never find the missing puzzle piece under a pile of stuffed animals.

Other Tips and Suggestions from our expert:
Board books – normally you have books on a shelf, but this is not practical for little children. Clare suggests putting them in a shallow basket so that children can easily access them.

Baby Room – the most under utilized space is the back of closet door. This is great space for an organizer! You can choose from a pocket or drawer style which extends from the door but still allows you to easily open/close the door.

Organizing Drawers by using smaller containers is a minor investment with a big return. Save your old shoe boxes and decorate them yourself with paper so that you can put them on display. (This would be a great craft project for children!). Ikea has several containers in varying sizes and materials, with or without lids etc.

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At the end of each segment we are happy to share our "Mommy-Sentials" with you:

Tidy Toy Labels – http://www.happyhelperz.com/
These simple picture and sight word cards enable a child, of any age, to put away their own toys. This organizational tool helps children learn sorting, classifying and early reading skills; while at the same time teaching them how to tidy-up after themselves.

Family/Mommy Calendar – this tool helps your family manage their time more effectively as it clearly illustrates activities and appointments for all parties in your home (parents, children, care-givers, and even your pets!).

Spring Cleaning – Many moms will hang on to baby clothes if they are expecting another child but as you pack your clothing away for storage, separate it by gender and only hang on to what’s important. Give your gently used items to charity where possible, whether it is Value Village, Good Will, or Pillage in the Village etc. The Canadian Diabetes Association will even come and pick it up for you! To learn more, visit http://www.diabetes.ca/get-involved/supporting-us/clothesline/