But if you want to give them more freedom in the moment, store out-of-season or out-of-dress-code clothing in a separate place, so you know whatever they pick (even if it doesn't quite match) will pass muster. To avoid daily battles over what they're wearing, the classic organization hack is to use a hanging shelf organizer in the closet to lay out all their clothes for a week of school. 'If their bedrooms are also where the toys are kept, zone the room so high activity items are out of sight from the bed, Truesdale says. 'If there are separate playrooms in the house, keep the higher activity toys and items there instead of the bedroom. 'It's always good to have only low activity things in the bedrooms,' Truesdale says. Clearing the room of toys can help create space for them to unwind. 'When going to bed, the goal is to let the brain wind down and not be stimulated to a state of unrest,' Truesdale says. A good night's sleep is essential, and a lot of toys or electronic gadgets may make it hard for them to get their rest. So look for systems that can be customized (and can grow) to make it more likely that everyone uses them. There may not be a one-size-fits-all solution for every kid (especially if they all have different extracurriculars that require different storage options). If you have lids on your shoe bins or your kids need a step stool to store their jackets, those items are far more likely to end up on the floor rather than in the spot you want them, Hord says. You want to make sure every system in place is as simple as possible. Take away any barriers to using your system.

'Make sure your kids can easily reach things on their own by putting storage, hanging racks, or hooks down lower, where they can access them,' says Jamie Hord, founder of New York organizing company Horderly. When you're plotting out your storage system, go low. Reduce what's in the entryway to things you actually use on a regular basis to make it easier to store and organize them. Before school starts, move out-of-season clothing and sports gear to bins in a separate closet or the garage-and give away anything that no longer fits. There are probably plenty of items in the entryway that you don't use regularly right now.

How to tidy up room