Sunday, January 21, 2007

Safety

This week the consultants at Key Transitions have been helping a young mother organize a room for a six year old girl. The mother has tried using plastic boxes to corral the crayons and has a beautiful bookcase for the library of books. She has a multilevel wheeled cart in the closet for all of the craft items and a system for all the miniature parts that go to the multitude of toys scattered around the room. She has shelves full of stuffed animals crowded so thickly that it is impossible to count the number of critters in the rainbow zoo. She has sorted through clothes and has separate drawers for her daughter’s play clothes, her underwear, and her hair accessories.


So why did this smart lady need help with organizing? She is a victim of the “deadly too combo”:

Too much stuff
Too little available space
Too little time

One of these three conditions is hard to handle, but when they shake hands and agree to gang up on a person, it is just overwhelming. We will tell you how we address these issues in future installments, but today we want to talk about the additional "S" that we always address when organizing.

I say additional because we have already talked about the four principles that make projects successful:
Simplicity
Systems
Schedules
Self Discipline


But when we are organizing physical space for any age group, we always add Safety to the list. While it is a principle we adhere to in every project, it is especially important when dealing with the very young, the very old, the disabled and the frail. So it has been in the forefront of our assessment and planning for the room of a six year old child. The safety issue is complicated by the fact that she has an eight month old sibling crawling around the home who will eventually find clandestine ways to invade his sister’s space.

Safety issues are different for every space and every age group, but there are some common principles that extend across all categories. Here are a few of them:

Minimize exposed cords. They are tripping hazards and interesting items for exploration by children and pets. Use covers, clamps, coils and channels to roll them up or cover them up.

Dispose of broken items. Plastic and glass can cut you and improperly working electrical appliances can do worse damage. Half a toy, no matter how well-loved can hurt with sharp edges or loose parts.

Place frequently used items in easily accessible places. Falls are a major cause of accidental injury, so don’t climb if you don’t have to.

Keep frequently traveled pathways free of clutter. We have all laughed at the comedic antics of someone tripping over a skateboard or slipping on a banana peel. It is not so funny when you are the one landing on your backside.

These are just a few of the Safety concerns when organizing spaces. It sounds simple, but when you don’t have the time, the space or any idea of how to begin, consider calling a professional organizer to give you fresh perspective and a plan of action.

Beverly and Kristen

www.KeyTransitions.net

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