I always know it’s time to reorganize my home when I spend more than 20 minutes each day helping my kids search for puzzle pieces or some other small item just so they can continue their game. This morning my son and I combed the carpet in the playroom and searched the toy box for his little Lego police helmet.

When you have young children, it can be difficult to keep their things organized and keep clutter at bay. But an organized, clutter-free home helps everyone feel calmer and more relaxed. And it means you also have to spend a lot less time looking for lost toys. Here are eight quick tips to help you help your kids organize their stuff.

1. Get a sense of the big picture and find out what needs to be done first. Take a quick tour of your home and determine where to start. And know from the start that this project is not going to be done in one day. It is best to get an overview of the job as a whole and then pick the most pressing task first.

2. Don’t go crazy buying bins and containers before you start. Before you finish your job, you’ll likely need shelves and more than a few bins of various sizes, which you can find very inexpensively at discount stores. But don’t buy these things before you know what you’ll need. I have wasted money in the past on unnecessary storage bins (buying two or three, when one would suffice) or buying bins that were too big to be truly functional. Be patient and find out what you really need. Then make a list and go to the store for these items just once.

3. Make sure your kids have the right tools to keep their rooms tidy. If their clothes are all over the place, get them a nice laundry hamper that matches their room decor. Or put a gold star on their chore chart for taking dirty laundry straight to the laundry.

4. Keep things in logical containers. If there are too many of one item, divide them into another box. If you’re really organized, you can create a color-coding system to make things easier. Or tape a photograph of the container’s contents on the front. We have bins for Star Wars action figures and Playmobil pirates, as well as separate bins for Playmobil knights and then another for cars and trucks.

5. As you progress, you’ll want to have two large plastic bags: one for charity and one for trash. Pack things up right away because I find that if I ask my kids if they want to keep an item or give it away, they can make a decision right away, but if they continue to see that item, they’re likely to change their minds. minds. Once the decision is made, it is much easier for everyone if it is out of sight.

6. Don’t push yourself too much in one day. For me, taking care of my son’s toys was one day’s project, and taking care of my daughter’s closet was another. If I try to do too much in one day, chances are I’ll rush into the middle of the second or third project, and end up not being as thorough as I’d like.

7. Explain to your children the value of keeping their room organized. Children also do not like to spend a lot of time looking for lost toys. Once you’ve got things organized, be sure to emphasize the benefits of tidying up the room every time they can successfully find their toys on the first try. You are teaching your children habits that will serve them well throughout their lives.

8. Know that this job is never really done. My son and I recently organized his room, which means we tossed out everything from his toy box to his storage shelves, as well as every bin they ever organized, and started from scratch. No matter how organized you keep things, you’ll probably need to do this from time to time.

Now use the time you would have spent looking for lost toys in another way: put your feet up and relax with a hot cup of tea.