5 Tips to Organize Your Toddler’s Closet

Recently I was looking for a pair of shoes for Arielle and I was just a bit shocked when I discovered that out of the dozen pairs of shoes in her closet, only four pairs fit and one pair she had yet to grow into. This made me rethink everything in her closet and I ended up throwing a bunch of items into a box for storage. 

But then when I went into the attic, I realized we already had seven boxes of her clothing up there. Usually, I would just add this one to the pile, but I’ve been on a cleaning kick. So I brought all the boxes down and went through them, sorting them into three piles: one to keep, one to donate, and one to throw out. It took me almost a whole day to get through this process and if I had just done it along the way, I would have saved myself a lot of time and energy. Here are my five tips to organize your toddler’s closet.

1. Do it Now.

Don’t be like me and wait until you have boxes upon boxes of clothing to go through. Do a closet cleanout every quarter and when you do, adopt that three-pile method: one to keep, one to donate, and one for the trash. This goes for your own closet as well!

2. When in Doubt, Don’t Throw it Out

Sometimes you can throw the baby out with the bathwater. My mom kept some of my clothes and Arielle’s been able to wear a few items, which is not only adorable but really meaningful. If there is something that is special to you, keep it. If not, it’s time to go.

3. But Don’t be Afraid of Giving Things Away

There are so many families in need, especially after the pandemic. I would say that two-thirds of Arielle’s clothes ended up in the donation pile and I am really hoping that some little girl will love them. You can do a quick Google search to find donation boxes or organizations that take children’s clothes in your area. 

4. If it’s Stained, Get Rid of it 

There are exceptions to this rule like if you’re talking about the family christening gown or something like that. But if it’s just a onesie or a little dress that got some spaghetti sauce on it that never came out, it belongs in the trash.

5. Keep the shoes! 

… Or at least most of them. It can be especially hard to find newborn shoes that actually fit. We lost a ton of shoes because Arielle’s feet were so tiny for the first few months. And now that we’re having problems finding shoes that fit her wide feet, we know that anything that works for her we are keeping even after she grows out of them. If you’re considering having another child, hold onto them for now. 

I hope you find these tips helpful. Do you have any tips for cleaning out your kid’s closet?