Organization Help

I LOVE the link already submitted for the raingutter shelves, but if you're looking for something ready-made, Pottery Barn has collector's shelves: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/collectors-shelve...

You could probably find some elsewhere that are longer and cheaper, but it's just an idea. The children's section of the newer libraries are doing more of this kind of cover display instead of the old binding display.

Get a plastic tote with a lid and let the kids decorate it with stickers. Let them know that it is for books only and that they need to put them back in there when they are done.

Perhaps you can put out a "return to shelf" basket so the books have a safe place to wait until you feel up to putting them away.

Can you keep the books in a large basket or plastic bin, that you can set on the floor during the day? They can get out what they want, and you can work with them on putting them back in the container as they go. Then if you have a place to store it when it's not in use, you can just grab and stash it quickly when necessary. Good luck with finding your solution!

How about some small plastic totes or bins that fit in the shelves you already have. The kids can put the books back in the bins. Since they don't read yet, they pretty much identify a book by its cover, not the spine, so there's no need to have them standing up the way we as adults expect them.
You can even have the bins sort-able. Either board books in one, hard cover in another, and paperback in a 3rd, or by topic get some colored dot stickers - usually they're in office supply section as "yard sale" stickers - and put the colored dot on the books and the bin they go it. It will take some practice with the kids, but sorting is an important skill for them to learn anyway.

I use Hullabaloo baskets or storage boxes for my kids books. http://www.hullabaloohomedecor.com/ You can buy them at Roberts Arts and Crafts or Zurchers Party and Wedding stores.

They're inexpensive, sturdy, and cute. The baskets come in mocha and white. The liners are mix and match.

I say "time to put the books back" and the kids help me do it. Your kids might be too young to do it themselves for about 4 months of doing it with you. Put as many kids books in the basket as you want to have all over the floor. Put the other books in the storage box.

You can rotate the books or keep their favorites out and change the others.

Be sure to ask them to help you so they learn to do it, too. Soon they'll clean up themselves.

Sounds like us! I bought big rectangular tubs at Target years ago--you could also use pretty lined wicker baskets, or the like. Books go in the tubs (which have no lids) and that way kids can flip through the books, viewing their covers, before taking one out. Believe it or not, we never had books on the floor after switching to bins rather than shelves. Hope it works for you!

Yup, I triple the box/basket/bin suggestion. It's what we do, and it works fairly well. The kids can also easily carry them from their rooms to where ever they happen to be hanging out, *and then back again!*

One of my neighborhood library branches has laundry baskets on the floor in the children's section that they keep the board books in - I thought this was a great solution to your same issue. The kids can also have fun "cleaning up". I use a similar large basket in my daugher's room for her books, from which she loves to pull out books and put them back in all day long.

Little kids really can't slide books back onto a shelf upright. . . we were frustrated by this developmental fact, too. Now I keep many books (the lesser-used ones) on traditional shelves, and the others in baskets. I know you've heard baskets, baskets, baskets, but I think the secret is having many baskets so your kids have lots of opportunity to get it right. Disney engineers did a study and learned that people will drop litter on the ground if a garbage can is further than 20 feet away. So, when they designed Disneyland, they put garbage cans *everywhere*. Granted, Disney parks have an enormous staff of maintenance workers, but I don't think they struggle with the littering problem many other parks do.
Books and toys and kids are the same, I think. It's also easier for them to sort through available books and choose one if they are not stacked too tightly together. We have small-ish book baskets in the kids' bathroom, in the living room, in bedrooms and in the playroom (where their other shelves are). There's also a basket in the living room specifically for library books, so my kids know where to find those and put them back. Having this many baskets around is actually a lot less cluttered than it sounds. I occasionally rotate books from the shelves to the baskets to keep things interesting.
You'll never regret raising a family of readers! (Have you read Jim Trelease's "Read-Aloud Handbook"? It's a treasure!) Best wishes!

I saw it was already recommended, but we use a big wicker basket. It works really well, about 90% of the time. Even with our 1 yo. The bookshelf thing just doesn't work. The books in the bedroom are always on the floor there, but the ones in the living room are always put away. I have a basket with no handle, so it's not as likely to get carried around. The one with the handle is constantly emptied and carried around. Occasionally I do find it having other uses, but for some reason, even then, I'm not usually the one to put the books back. Yay! GL!

Well, a one and a three year old may not be "babies" any longer, but they aren't ready for any particular neatness unless it's in their genes! Pulling books off shelves is a time-honored, favorite toddler game!

So you might try two things (you may get much better ideas than these). First of all, you might put a low table or something (not a basket unless it's a flat-bottomed one) near where you all read. You can say to your children, "When we're done reading a book, we put it on the table to be put away." Maybe that will help keep the books from so much chance of damage.

Another thing is to invent a new game. Make it fun! It's called, "Putting the Books Away." You'll have to do most of the game yourself, especially at first, but make it a habitual game in which your children hand you the books and help you put them on the shelf or in the cubby. You could add music or other things to make the game even more fun.

Neatness and order is something children have to learn (unless, as I said, they just have the prediliction for it). Pulling and throwing is much more "active" and more fun at toddlers. So you'll have to bear with it as you teach your kids this new, fun idea of putting books in good places.

However, the steps you're taking toward giving your children an interest in reading are marvelous! If some books are damaged along the way in spite of everything, in the long run it's a small price to pay for bring up book lovers.

Just like nearly everyone else who responded we have a basket. The books I really care about are on a shelf, but we have several that I have bought from library book sales, thrift stores or our collection of toddler durable board books are in a basket on the floor. The kids are free to take out what they want to read on their own and I don't have to fuss that our special books might be ruined.

I have the same problem. I have them pick them up and put them away, but they end up putting them in backwards and upside down, or laying down...it's a mess! I haven't really thought of a solution yet. But your question got me thinking. Maybe get like a small box, or crate or big Rubbermaid box to put a certain amount of books in. Then you can trade them out for new ones like every week or something. Another thing is I always take some clear packing tape and reinforce my kids books, even before the binding is starting to tear. As soon as I get the book, I put tape on out side of the binding on the inside of each cover. It helps them last longer. I hope this helps, it's worth a try anyway, I think I'm going to...

L.,
I haven't read the other posts, but I keep several baskets (the ones with the fabric liners in them) on the floor. I just put one wherever things collect. That way the books can easily be put away by your three year old and if you spend some time with the one year old, she will get it very quickly. I have a small one filled with board books for my one year old, and a bigger one that holds the library books(about 20). I also like them on the floor because they are easy to get to and encourage reading. I pretty much have a basket or a low spot in every room for books to go. It makes for quick access and clean up. Good luck with a solution.
E.

there's a shelf i want to get, or make-- i'm not sure where it's sold. it's shaped like a "W". the surfaces are all slanted so it's much easier to put books on and have them lay nicely. they're not laying flat so that every book falls out when you pull one; and they're not completely vertical which can be hard for children to manage when the books lean on eachother and slide down flat.

what about a basket that fits on the shelf? that way the basket can be down and books can go in and out of the basket much easier for little hands then lining them up on the shelf. just a thought.
I had to implement a rule that if I saw the book on the floor it went in the closet for a week. my daughter loves her books so this was truly devastating. with my husbands books right now we have to rotate which ones he has out. we are in the process of finishing the basement and getting more shelves down there in the library but until then, there is only so much we can have out at a time. I just had new shelves built in my kitchen for my cookbooks--
good luck, we love books too and this is something we have been working on.

http://raisingolives.com/2009/07/raingutter-book-shelves-...

besides our bookshelves, we just bought a big basket that holds like 30 story books for young kids, and put it on the floor with some for them. That way they can take them out and put them back with ease.

L.,

It's great that you all love books so much! Have you thought about having a box or bin that is collapsable and can fit (folded up) on the shelf? Then when the little ones take out a book, you can open the bin, put it on the floor by the cubby and teach them to put the books in it. You still have to put them away, but at least you wo't be stepping on books.

E.

I can relate to this problem! I have three active boys who are now nine, five and three. I started having baskets for them to put the books in. I just read the other responses and it seems this is a popular response! Is there a size that would fit in the cubby? At least your little one could try to just move the whole basket and then sit in the cubby! LOL. My oldest was always "nice" to his books, so I was in shock when #2 came along and left them all over the floor, threw them, etc and was less shocked when #3 now leaves his all over his room. We have hundreds of kids' books. The other thing I've done is box up some of them, leaving enough to keep each of them happy and then switch them out periodically. Then the old books become new again and I have less mess! We do play the pick the the books/get everything off the floor game at least onece a day...
Good luck!
K.

Hi L.,

Books are fantastic and its great that your kids get into them. You can teach them (it takes time, but well worth it, that we don't walk on books, roll toys on them, etc etc) Something I have learned is to LET GO of having the books look pretty. You mentioned that the kids can't put them back in a way that they are standing up (as opposed to stacked?). Kids are eager to please and to help clean up (helps to say, "you need to do X, would you like me to help you?" it instills responsibility and family cooperation... You can do this with a bin too like others mentioned.. but it just sounds to me like you are feeling run-down the most and not feeling like they are helping. They CAN and WILL help. You're a great mom and it'll pass!