Managing Children's Clothing

I am a mom of three kids.  Along with kids comes a lot of stuff including a lot of clothing. I have found that regularly decluttering my kid's closets and dressers is vital to keeping my sanity.  Nothing is more annoying than pulling clothing out of the closet just for it not to fit your children on a busy school morning.  This is the system I have naturally fallen into to ensure that closets don't get too out of control. 

1. Twice a Year

I do this process twice a year once in July and the other during Spring Break.  Doing this process in July allows me to know what my kids need when back-to-school shopping.  Spring Break is when I like to really focus on deciding what fall/winter clothing my kids didn't wear or will probably outgrow by next fall.  It is also when I need to check short lengths in preparation for warmer weather. 

Disclaimer: My youngest child is four years old so twice a year tends to be plenty; however, if you have an infant, you might have to do this a little more frequently because they grow out of clothing so quickly. 

2. Pull out Everything

I pull everything out from each dresser and closet and touch everything.  I will do a drawer at a time so it's not so overwhelming.  I go through and check the size and condition. I often group clothing by size and brand and have my kids try on one in each group to determine if it fits, especially for pants. When it is fall/winter clothing, if I have noticed it is starting to get short in length, I go ahead a remove it from their clothing.  

Don't forget to check shoes, PJs, socks, and underwear too. This is a great time to make sure all socks have their partner and no holes. Check underwear for worn-out waist bans.  

Another thing you might want to check is hats.  Are they getting small? Does your kid wear all of them? It's a good time to pair down. 

3. Have a Plan

Make sure you have a plan for removing all that from clothing, so it's not just sitting around your house.

• Donate - Do you have younger cousins or friends that could benefit from the clothing? Great pass it on! My kids happen to be the youngest group of cousins, so I don't have anyone I know who can use the clothing.  So I bag my clothing and there is a clothing donation drop off less than 5 minutes from work. I just swing by and drop it off.  I also sometimes get postcards in the mail from charities looking for donations that will pick up at the door. This is another great option. 

• Sell - I don't find selling kids' clothing to be worth the effort, but I will on occasion sell nicer pieces like heavy jackets or fancy dresses on FaceBook Marketplace.  It is really up to how much effort you want to put in. 

• Hand Me Downs - I have two boys, and I like to keep my oldest son's clothing for my youngest.  I have a large Rubbermaid bin that I throw all of my oldest clothing into.  I also go through the bin as part of this process and pull out any sizes the youngest is ready for and wash them. 

• Keepsake - There are some clothing we as moms want to keep (special occasion outfits, old sports jerseys, etc.), but you need a place to store it.  Each of my children has a bin of keepsake items in the garage. If I have anything I feel is worth keeping, I throw it into those bins.  This is not a step I need to do every time I declutter because I try not to keep too much. 

4. Inventory 

Now that you have gone through everything it is time to inventory and decide what if anything your kids need replaced. 

5. Don't forget to check the laundry!

Chances are some of the kids' clothing is in the dirty clothes when you decided to go through the closet. Make a note as you are doing laundry over the next week to double-check all the kids' clothing before you put it back.  Yes, 99% of it is probably good to go because they wore it recently, but a holey sock or t-shirt that is getting a little short still might have snuck in. 

6. Have a system for between purges. 

Undoubtedly, you will find things that no longer work in the months between purges. I like to keep a bin in my closet that I throw things into that I know need to go. When the bin fills up, I bag it and drop it off. The reason I keep it in my closet is that my husband and I don't do major declutters on our own clothing. We purge as we replace items or decide we no longer need an item. I am really trying to practice one-in-one-out in my wardrobe.  The majority of what goes into that in-between bin is from our own closet.  

What tips or tricks do you have for managing your children's clothing?