Tips for having lots of kids in a small apartment

HooRYou

Wed, May 27 2009, 2:02 am

I have seen a lot of people put up shelves above the doorway int he bathroom for stocking up on toilet paper, diaper and the like.

chocolate moose

Wed, May 27 2009, 10:52 am

GR wrote:

Does your stackable shake when the water drains? Mine does. Anything up there would come flying down on us.

Yes it does. I store a case of paper towels up there, and a case of toilet paper. They aren't going anyplace. I also have a heavy box of detergent, fabric softener, pretreat stuff, etc. Also not going anyplace !

gryp

Wed, May 27 2009, 10:56 am

There are a lot of good ideas here, and I appreciate everyone's input.

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Toys are stored in plastic storage bins on shelves.

My toys are all organized, in plastic containers I bought just for this. The kids know exactly which toys go in which container and where they all belong. The toys aren't such a big issue, I just swore off buying anymore, because that's it, no more room.

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How are your closets configured? What about putting in shelves on the side, or two long low sheleves at the bottom, and moving the racks up (I assume you have double bars; if not, you should). Balls and sport equipment go in plastic barrels.

We barely have closets, two very narrow ones. The only thing good about the closets is that we have high ceilings so I can stack my clothing containers way up. The only problem with that is, my kids are all growing into the sizes I've put away, so I'm constantly opening up the containers and seeing what fits on each one. Especially in this in-between season, when some days are 80 degrees and some are 60, and I have all-seasons now packed into their dresser drawers. Sad

I can't wait until summer finally comes for real so I can organize their drawers better. And put away their jackets and sweatshirts, etc. And the quilts and extra blankets.

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Buy beds with storage, eg

I like that second bed you linked to. The first one would never fit in our small bedrooms, but we only have one single bed anyway. There's stuff under it, I don't know if I'd rather have empty space under there or drawers. Or one day trade it in for something like a high riser or those slide out beds.

Pun intended, yy. Wink

I don't usually buy Charmin, but yesterday I did because it came out cheapest for me, so it was on my mind.

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My sister has a friend who brought up 10 kids in a 3 (I think it was 3; maybe it was 2) B/R apt. One of the tips she told my sister was to get rid of absolutely everything that wasn't essential. Eg. one spare set of linen and not more, any clothes not worn in a month were gotten rid of. No big mixer, no food processor, nothing but the basics.

I think you might want to consider using your dryer if the laundry hanging all over is driving you crazy

I don't have much linen, just a few sets and a special guest set. I don't have a mixer, and just a small food processor that I use often. I have tons of things I barely if ever use, which are way up on top of the kitchen cabinets and I can't reach unless I stand on the counter. But I'm hesitant to throw them out, I know I'll use them someday, for example: a crockpot, a bread machine, nice crystal servingware, etc.

I don't think I should get rid of my clothing. I have clothing for boys up to 5 or 6 years old, and 4 boys! They're all going to be wearing that stuff in the next year or so. The clothes are all in good condition, why would I want to go buy them all over again and have to worry about what each kids' wardrobes every season. I can't even remember the last time I had to think about nothing to wear for my younger three.

And my dryer: I haven't been using it because I don't want a big gas bill. Also, I find clothing wears out much more quickly when they're dried that way, plus they'll often shrink. I could start drying just the old undershirts I don't care much about, but then I might as well just get rid of them altogether. I don't need them but I keep them for extras for those times I haven't done laundry in a while.

Quote:

I have seen a lot of people put up shelves above the doorway int he bathroom for stocking up on toilet paper, diaper and the like.

My bathroom is a 2x2 (oh, the comments I've gotten from people who found it hard to use). Sad

With a tall doorway. There's no room between the doorway and the ceiling. There are 3 small cabinets in there, two on the walls, one under the sink. The other wall has the towel rack and some empty space. Small shelves could fit there but I don't have anything to put on small shelves, since I have the 2 small cabinets on the other walls already. Oh, and there are hooks on the back of the door, for hanging towels, robes, etc.

It's just a really small apartment. A small combined lr/dr and tiny bedrooms. I don't want to clutter us in here with shelves on our one or two empty walls. The hallways are very narrow, and whatever small rooms are crowded. What's nuts is that if we move, they'll be able to rent it for the going rate of a 3 bedroom around here, which can be up to 1000 more per month.

chocolate moose

Wed, May 27 2009, 10:58 am

I understand you, GR, for wanting to stay in your apt as long as possible. DH and I always wanted a nice place and we both worked full time. It was never easy !

gryp

Wed, May 27 2009, 11:11 am

I just can't stand clutter. When my place is cluttered, my brain is cluttered, and I can't think properly. I did a lot of tidying this morning (for YT already) and I already feel so much better.

usher

Wed, May 27 2009, 11:15 am

I'm iy"h having my third and I live in a "1"! bedroom apt. I have very few toys and keep on getting rid of anything big my kids dont really play with, like big trucks. I have the basics like legos, clics, coloring books and keep it in the bottom part of my china closet/seforim shrank. The kids clothing thats being used is in my armoire in my room.My biggest headache is the kids outgrown clothing, I dont have enough storage space for that.

usher

Wed, May 27 2009, 11:16 am

Oh and also I never stock up on anything. I just buy single boxes of tissues, toilet paper and even food items.

gryp

Wed, May 27 2009, 11:21 am

Where do your kids sleep? How big is your bedroom?

Raisin

Wed, May 27 2009, 11:23 am

do you have a friend or relative who wouldn't mind storing clothes for you?

Barbara

Wed, May 27 2009, 11:26 am

Don't forget that you can buy bed risers to lift the bed higher, creating deeper storage space underneath.

http://www.stacksandstacks.com.....20549

usher

Wed, May 27 2009, 11:29 am

My kids sleep in the d/r which is quite a decent size. We disposed of our glider and got a narrow 2 seater couch/sleeper for my 4 yr old and my 2 yr old is in a porta crib next to the couch. I have nowhere to store the kids outgrown clothing except for the top shelf in one closet (I only have 2), but anything that I'm not scared will get ruined like crib, baby swing, baby walker, baby jumper I keep in the cellar. Dont get me wrong I'm not complaining I'm just trying to show you all that it can be done, while staying sane.

gryp

Wed, May 27 2009, 12:29 pm

Raisin, as I said, I'll need my clothes, but maybe things like carseats I can ask someone to store. I don't have a car, so the carseats are for the once or twice a year trips.

What about my baby swing? It was a gift from family but I don't use it. I set it up when the baby is about 2 months and it goes back folded under the crib at about 5 months. I've never even put batteries in and it's been through 4 babies. The thing is huge and takes up almost all of the storage space under the crib. Should I find a new home for it? I know people have posted about how helpful their swing was, but it was never something I really needed for more than a few weeks. I feel bad to give it away since it was a gift.

And my exersaucer. It comes out of storage when the baby is about 5 months old (once the swing is gone, it takes its place) and goes back less than 6 weeks later. My babies have all hated being stuck inside the thing, they all loved crawling around. It is helpful for a very short while, but I don't know if it's worth storing it all this time.
I anyway hate it because I asked the store for one with no treife animals and they assured me that it didn't have any. Once we got home we saw it's full of seahorses and octopuses (octopii?). I'm so relieved to put it away each time. I tried "koshering" it, but it didn't work the way I wanted.

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Don't forget that you can buy bed risers to lift the bed higher, creating deeper storage space underneath.

Maybe I'll do that. I have the risers but have never done it. The thing is our single bed (the others are cribs and bunkbeds) is also a guest bed and I'd feel weird putting all this stuff under where guests sleep.

Usher, do you have a separate living room and dining room? You say you have a cellar, and I'm sure that makes a huge difference. It would for us, anyway.

usher

Wed, May 27 2009, 12:37 pm

I have a small kitchen, decent size b/r and d/r and thats it. No l/r, den or any other space.
The cellar is a huge help as it keeps the bulky items out of the house which would make me extremely annoyed every time I would see the stuff. I really try to keep the house as clutter free as possible and don't really keep stuff under the crib in the d/r. I want to atleast have my small space clean and airy.

greenfire

Wed, May 27 2009, 12:44 pm

I had 2 in a one bedroom ... one kid in crib & other on couch both in the living room ...

& 4 in a 2 bedroom ... bunk bed with trundle and crib on the side ...

don't know if this would help but I recall as a kid having a pull up thing over the bathtub that could hold things in suspension ... maybe charmin could stay there ...

poelmamosh

Wed, May 27 2009, 12:44 pm

I would temporarily rent storage for all those things you think you don't need and see how much it improves your life, you know kind of the chickens-in-the-house story in reverse. Personally, I'm big on giving stuff away, and I've never regretted it. But I understand people who aren't (I have to, DH is that way LOL

)

usher

Wed, May 27 2009, 12:51 pm

As I previously mentioned I hate clutter so rather buy tissues/toilet paper every week than stock up and have it on shelf or whatever. I want my small space to be as clutter free as possible.
If I'm paying for storage I might as well move for the additional $ I'm paying

Last edited by usher on Wed, May 27 2009, 12:52 pm; edited 1 time in total

freidasima

Wed, May 27 2009, 12:51 pm

GR I feel for you and empathize. We have a small apartment and I know the drill.
First you have to be super organized. Second anything and everything becomes storage space. Third use what I call "compacters" meaning everything has to fit inside something else, Russian babushka doll style. That means stackables in terms of kitchen stuff, in terms of toys etc.

Kids don't need too many toys, so I have learned, when they are small they are truly happy with little and when they are big then go out to play and use up their energy with the old fashioned stuff, balls and bats and jumpropes and building blocks.

Kids also don't need too much clothing except as babies when stuff gets wet and dirty from diaper stuff. They need enough underwear to change daily for two weeks without washing at one set a day, but more than that isn't necessary.

We also don't need so much clothing. I am ashamed that I have a "double wardrobe" that takes up twice as much room as I should be using, but one is for when I am a large size and the other is when I am a small size. When I am in between I have nothing and have too much of everything like now. Everything is either too big or a bit too small.

Things only used rarely - build a storage area in each room high up above the door. Shelves everywhere. Extra toilet paper on shelves above doors.

Our real problem is books and sforim room, which we don't have. Dh has them piled all over his desk and I keep taking my books to work to store so that he has room for more and more sforim. That's from an old promise I made him that there would always be room for more sforim. So I take my stuff to work as I don't really use it at home anyhow, much is work related textbooks, old sociology and psychology stuff and the like.

My problem is the kids, who are older than yours, and want to keep things like their first grade notebooks until 8th grade. Now that's nice when you are in 10th grade but we are talking about a kid who is doing her MA already! So I laid down the law. What can fit in the build in closet in the bedroom stays, you want your notebooks? Get rid of clothing.

Beds - storage underneath, but not as drawers as plastic things on wheels which can come out to be cleaned underneath.

Linens - that's a problem. Where do we store the winter blankets? They get put on the bed and the kids sleep on them during the summer with a sheet on them. Remember the story of the princess and the pea? That's what the girls' beds look like these days, the chayal couldn't care less, he leaves everything on a pile on the bed and when he is back from the army it goes on the floor for three days and then back in stacks on the bed when he leaves. He figures he has two more years by which time one of his remaining sisters should be married and he can store stuff on her (former) bed.

Yeah well.
Divest yourself of stuff.
Ask your parents if you can store at their house.
Ask your dh if you can store things at work.
Consider renting a large lockroom somewhere to store stuff (only half a joke).
Hatzlocho!

Raisin

Wed, May 27 2009, 3:14 pm

I don't know how much it is to rent storage, maybe it is worth it. see if you can rent locally - some people have huge basements and maybe would be happy to rent a littel space.

I would give away/lend the exercauser/swing etc to a friend who has a lot of space. don't ask for it back until you need it again.

MommyLuv

Wed, May 27 2009, 3:19 pm

GR, like Raisin said, would you want to loan out some stuff-like the swing, exersaucer, etc. to gain some space? I would totally do that. Keeping an exercauser around to be used G-d knows when is not worth the space it takes up. You can fit many more toys and essentials under a bed than one big, bulky baby item that you will only use for a few months at some later date.

Also, wall storage can be a lifesaver if you get it done correctly, so you don't have to worry about things falling on your kids' heads. Maybe not for heavy items or books, just to be sure. you can get something like this to maximize space above kids' beds:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/cata.....14883

then you buy these small plastic containers to fit into the grooves.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/cata.....94072

I'm thinking of getting this combination to organize small craft supplies or toys, like beads or knex or those tiny polly pockets. The nice thing about it is that you can make it inaccessible to the kids so that they can only use them with your help, which is good for the once-in-a-while activities, and it keeps the baby from finding and eating the little pieces.

BTW, Ikea also has these adorably tiny highchairs. I wish I had seen them before buying my monstrous Fisher Price one.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/cata.....0432/

daisy

Wed, May 27 2009, 3:28 pm

This is a very helpful organizational thread, although my living space is somewhat larger than yours.

I agree with you about the swing and the exersaucer. I "loaned" mine to a relative, who has already used it for 2 babies and I gave away the exersaucer, since it only worked for my oldest. I hated that massive monster! I've never been sorry about getting rid of things that annoyed me. I even threw out high risers because they got on my nerves. We have no beds for multiple guests at the moment, but I am so not sorry.