If you’re a parent already, an expectant parent, or anyone who spends a lot of time caring for infants, there’s one fact you’ve already learned the hard way: there’s an awful lot of stuff you need to keep with you! From bottles and feeding supplies to clothes, wet wipes, and everything in between, it sometimes feels like you have more stuff for your baby lying around the house than you do for yourself! (And it’s probably almost as much stuff as you’ve bought for your pets!) We know it can get a little overwhelming at times, but no need to fear - we’ve got a list of handy organization tips right here to keep everything tidied up and in its place! In the home:

• Create a small diaper-changing station in the parts of your house where you (and the little one) spend the most time to avoid having to run around looking for clean diapers when accidents happen. Set up some small wire shelving and keep it set aside for changing needs like diapers, wipes, and baby powder, and keep plastic storage bins around to keep everything separate.
• Put a low-hanging closet rail in the baby’s closet to keep fresh clean clothes close at hand in case of emergencies, or just to make it a little faster to get them dressed in the morning so the parents can get to work faster!
• If you have room for extra closet shelves in either the baby’s closet or yours, hang some up and devote them to extra clothes for the baby - things that are out of season, backups in case something gets messy, or something they’ve outgrown. (Sad to say, it’ll happen faster than you expect!)
• And while we know you love spending time with your little one, it might do the parents some good to make one room a designated baby-free zone. Whatever it is, devote one room to things you don’t want your little one getting a hang of (or just to escape all the bright colors) to give yourself a little time to recharge.

In the car:

• Keep an emergency diaper bag in the backseat or the trunk at all times just in case you forget your normal one, and keep the following things in it:
  • Diapers
  • Travel wipes
  • One change of clothes
  • Bottle of water for cleanups
  • Trashbag
  • Snack (for you, not the baby!)
  • First aid kit with child-safe pain reliever and bandages
• Clean the backseat out of anything you don’t want the little one getting its hands on like extra pens or small loose change it might be tempted to try and swallow

In the Baby’s Room:

• Over the door storage can be a perfect way to hang onto smaller items like toys, shoes, and changing supplies while still keeping them safely out of the reach of any little hands that might get curious about what else is in their room.
• Decorative shelves can be a perfect way to display beloved toys or early pictures of the baby while keeping them up and out of the way to free up space for more practical (or childproof) needs.
• If you have anything that needs to stay safe in the baby’s room, or if you’re just looking for a cute way to hang onto clothes or bottles, kid’s lockers are a great storage solution that will grow with your child and stay useful.

It might look like a lot, but after you follow these tips you’re going to wonder how you ever tried being a parent without them!