Shoe organization

Love this---great way to teach toddlers and preschoolers how to match their shoes and keep them organized. A small shoe rack or shelf and some clothespins are all you need. Teach the child to clip matching shoes together (you may have to help with the clothespin for a while).

I am thinking this would also be a great tool for clipping pajama tops and bottoms, sock matches, etc. together. Including children in laundry time teaches great practical life skills as well as early math skills (one-to-one correspondance, matching, odds/evens, counting, size, etc.)

I think one problem we have as parents is that we have "too much" of everything. For some reason I think my daughter needs 10 pairs of pajamas and 8 pairs of shoes and a gazillion socks. Paring down to a small number that the child can have control over and keep neat is a much better method, developmentally. This challenges me to put up a few of the pj pairs and even some of the shoes until we need them, and just keep out the most-used so that Q can take more control over her belongings.

I also love the low stool next to the shoe bench. A pretty rug, overturned flowerpot or bucket, or even a folded up blanket would serve the same purpose and provide a sense of boundary for children when they are putting on shoes or taking them off.