Store kids' shoes and socks in the coat closet

We keep our kids' shoes and socks (rolled into little, self-contained balls) stowed in a hanging canvas shoe organizer the hallway coat closet. Advantages (as compared to keeping shoes in bedroom closets and socks in bedroom drawers):

• No dirt tracked through the house when entering or leaving.
• When we say "put on your shoes and socks" as the last step to getting out the door for an outing, we lose no momentum as we would if we sent kids back to their toy- and distraction-filled bedrooms.
• Socks and shoes live in the same place.
• Bedroom closets and drawers are less cluttered.

Technorati Tags: Organization

Comments

[Heather]

Quick question, are there only as many (or few) pairs of socks as there are shoes?

[Parent Hacks Editor]

More socks than shoes. The pairs of shoes get stored in individual pockets, and the socks get rolled up in balls and shoved into a single pocket.

[Mieke]

We have a similar system, not just for the kids. Behind the front door was just enough space to put a simple prefab bookshelf. We removed the bottom shelves, and put a stackable shoerack in. One shoe-shelf per person, and until the latest family addition the top shelf for guests. No more hunting for shoes. Added benefit: the top shelves funtion as out-shelves. Also, one for each person. Wallets, keys, access cards, etc. can all live right by the door.

[appleturnover]

brilliant! we'll be moving socks in the morning.

i adore the hook i put in our front closet that is specifically for my handbag.

*