How to Organize Teen Rooms

Allow the teen to help you set up the organizational structures from the start to ensure that she buys into the process. While it may seem easier for you to just do the organizing, doing so won’t help your teen better understand what it means to be organized. For her to develop her own organizational skills, she must play a role in the process.

List the types of things your teen needs to organize. Jot down a list of types of things that require attention. This list may include desk supplies, clothing and makeup. Tackle each of these different needs separately when creating your organization plan.

Divide the room into stations. Because teens often spend a lot of time in their rooms, it is vital that their rooms fit their needs. Instead of making the room a mishmash, dedicate a different section to each task your teen will complete. For example, create a station for the completion of school work, placing a desk in the center; another for resting, with a bed as the central object; and a third for your teen’s hobby. For example, if she loves art, set up an easel by a window, creating an art-ready space.

Select storage tools that fit with the room decor. Don’t make your storage merely utilitarian, but instead make it part of the decor, hanging shelving in colors that fit the rest of the room theme or selecting baskets and other receptacles that match the room motif.

Place items into their designated spaces, pitching items the teen no longer needs as you do. Don’t allow your teen to be a pack rat, as this behavior is contrary to organization. Instead, force her to part with items that you know she doesn’t need as you move through the process of organizing.