What’s the proper way to organize infant clothing? Yeah, there is no “right” or “proper” way. Bummer. It is up to you to determine what system works best for you.
A couple of questions you can ask yourself before you start:
- Do I want to fold clothes or simply toss into drawers?
- Do I want to hang clothes?
- Do I like the clothes to be out of site in a dresser or in open-top bins for easy access?
There is no right way to coordinate how you organize your infant’s clothing, however having some sense of order will keep you from pulling your hair out! Infants and children grow so quickly therefore rotating the clothing they have easily accessible will be beneficial.
Before my son was born, I put any clothing labeled as “newborn” and “0-3” in the dresser and closet. Chances were pretty good he would fit in that size for at least a few weeks after birth and no need to confuse myself (or family members) with clothes that were far too big. Because this was our first child, and baby clothes were all new to us, clearly knowing the difference between pajamas, onesies (long and short sleeve), pants and full-piece outfits was necessary.
The easiest way I was able to label the contents of the drawers was by using Post-it flag labels. The labels are narrow enough that I can create two rows of clothes and label the upper lip of the drawer. I decided using these removable labels and writing on them with a pen was easier and less time consuming than creating labels with a label maker. Especially early on, I didn’t want to invest too much time into a system I wasn’t convinced would work well for me.
A major motivator in labeling the contents of the drawers was not only for my husband’s and my benefit, but also for others who may help care for our child. I wanted it to be easy to put away clean clothes as well as find clean clothes in our sleep-deprived stupors.
As for the closet, I hang just a few items; sweatshirts, sweaters, overalls, and jackets/snowsuits. Getting tiny clothes on hangers is a bit of a project, so I chose to limit how frequently I would have to do that. I did make a point to purchase tags to hang on the rod to indicate the clothing size. While this step is not strictly necessary, I feel it helps me see quickly which items may be transitioned out sooner.
As for clothes in sizes that are bigger than what he is currently wearing, I purchased clear storage bins and labeled them by size. The bins live in his closet and I’m able to add to them as more clothes are acquired. Clothing he has outgrown is either donated or passed onto others, or stored in bins kept in the attic (should there be another little one in the future).
Creating a home for everything was the most important step in keeping this system working for us. The clothes have been organized for over 5 months now, and by and large the system continues to work. My goal was to keep it simple, yet functional for everyone using it.
How do you organize (or not organize) your child’s clothing? Any tips or tricks for other first-time parents? Share your ideas in the comments below.
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