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Entrance Closet Transformation

Bit by bit, I have been updating different spaces of my home to become more aligned with the Montessori Method. This simply means to allow my children to become more independent in those spaces.

This is what my entrance closet looked like. We have another closet where my husband and I hang our jackets.

I had to hang up the jackets and place the shoes every time we came in. It eventually just led to us just throwing everything on the ground. This is a problem in the dead of winter when there's coats and mitts and tuques and snow pants and scarves and boots and they are all covered in snow!

You see the white tuque (hat ;) upside down in the grey bin, up in that picture? That's how I felt every time I passed by that area.

Finally, I had the courage to get to it.

I found a small shelf in the garage and I bought some self-adhesive hooks from Amazon (check the reviews first, I really like 3M Command hooks) for the walls. Easy-peasy! Why, oh why, did I wait so long to do this?

I got the boys to help me measure and stick the hooks to the wall. They pushed the shelf in and were ready to try it out. I always ask the boys to help me when doing these things. They don't always agree to do it, but if it involves a measuring tape, they're in! When they do help, it gives them a sense of accomplishment and of ownership.

On their own, they chose sides of the closet and of the shelf and I've hardly ever had to remind them to put their shoes or jackets away. They are actually better than my husband and I! ;)

 2024 Update

It's funny because looking at those pictures, I remember how stressed I was about getting that done and I always thought it was so messy.

Fast forward 7 years and 4 more kids! It was so clean. It's tough and sometimes a bit discouraging to try and keep the small entrance organized but I try to keep a positive and grateful attitude towards it. So many little shoes means so many little humans to love.

This is what it looks like now that we've added a bigger shelf and hooks on the opposite wall:

3 tips that help to keep it tidy:

1. Make sure to only have the absolute necessary things. As soon as fall hits, I put away the sandals. As soon as winter hits, I put away the runners and we only keep the winter boots. Same goes for outerwear, except for mitts, tuques, scarves, etc. those stay in a basket in the kitchen (after they've sat on the heat register to dry off!).

2. Only 1 per child. I do my best to make sure every child has only 1 pair of anything they need. It would never fit if they each had 3 pairs of sandals or runners.

3. No one is allowed to keep anything in the entrance that doesn't belong. In the summer they can hang a sweater or small jacket but in the winter it's only their winter jacket and ski pants. My 11 year old is in charge of checking to make sure nothing has crept in there that doesn't belong, like a dropped toy, or a bag that wasn't put away.

And again, in the end, a messy entrance is a sign of a full house, and I'd rather spend time making sure it's full of love and laughter than full of nagging for a clean entrance.