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image ORGANIZING FOR SUMMER WATER FUN

By Professional Organizer Lea Schneider

There's nothing better than releasing the kids to the backyard for sprinkler, hose or pool play. Toss in a drippy frozen pop or slices of cold watermelon and they'll stay busy a long time.

While it is fun, it can be a mess. And, if you add in swimming lessons, trips to the river to kayak or canoe, time at the beach or on the boat, it seems you are endlessly picking up wet towels and trying in vain to find one swim shoe.

Summer water fun is a great time to teach a few organizing skills. The kids can have fun and responsibility for their items at the same time.

Begin by creating storage that really works. Coat hooks from the hardware store are part of the solution. Get one for every family member and a few for guests. If swimmies or life jackets are in regular use, you might get two for each person.

Choose a place to attach the coat hooks for drying beach towels, suits and life jackets. Some options are the patio wall, the side of the house under the awning, the garage wall, the carport wall, even a wooden privacy fence.

Label the hooks. This way you'll know in an instant who didn't hang up their goods. One way to label them is with luggage tags or key chains that can hang from the hook. If there is wall space, you add the name or a photo above each hook.

Add plastic totes below each hook if you need storage for swim shoes, snorkels or individual gear.

If you have water toys that are used by all, then buy a couple of large outdoor trash cans with lids. Put away the lids and save them until fall. You'll snap the lids on the dry toys to put them away for winter. For summer, leave the lids off so the balls and floats can dry. Drill a few holes in the bottom for water to drain out.

Create a pool area or yard clean up schedule. Since the kids are all having fun, they can all take turns in making things tidy.

And one final surprise- your kids can wash, dry and fold beach towels! Beach towels are the perfect item for you to use to teach kids to run the washer, dryer, fold and put away. It's pretty hard to harm them and they don't wrinkle. Summer is a great time to get in some household lessons that you don't have time for during the school year.

Remember, no one else is going to teach them the skills they need to learn before leaving home. That is up to you.

Happy Summer!