Intervention: Tackling the Room!

Today I forced myself to "tackle" my son's room.  Yes, it most definitely needed some attention. I felt there was just too much stuff in his room.  I kept putting off doing it 'cause I didn't know where I was going to put all the stuff, but I decided to leave that excuse in the hallway...literally...Now, all the stuff is in the hallway, waiting for a new home.
I've cleaned out and organized my son's room before, but this time was different.  This time I literally took everything out of his room and I ONLY PUT BACK WHAT I FELT WAS NECESSARY.

HERE'S WHAT STAYED:


HIS TIRE SWING STAYED.  A couple years ago we had an Occupational Therapist recommend we put a swing in his room, and so we did.  It has been a very good thing for my son and will definitely stay in his room.

THE MONKEY BARS are permanent and of course, stayed.  The Occupational Therapist also recommended we put monkey bars in his room, and gratefully, I have a very handy husband who had the monkey bars built and up and going in just a couple days.  The monkey bars have also been a very good thing.

STUFFED ANIMALS IN HIS CLOSET:  I completely emptied his closet and then decided to put only stuffed animals in his closet.  He has a lot of stuffed animals and they are all very important to him.  They fit perfectly on the shelves in his closet.  He doesn't have closet doors so it feels more like they are just on shelves in his room. 

HIS BED:  Because of the space the monkey bars and swing take up in his room, his bed is simply a mattress on the floor. The mattress fit nicely in front of the closet and that way his animals are all by him while he sleeps, just like he likes it.

ONE BOOKCASE (3 shelves):  I kept one bookcase in his room.  Top shelf:  a few legos, water bottles, lotion and hand sanitizers (Again, things that are important to him).  Middle shelf:  special things:  picture, special clay animals he made, puzzle star, etc.  Bottom shelf:  books.

BIG PILLOW/BEAN BAG:  I put a big pillow and bean bag by his book shelf so he can sit there and read if he wants.

HOOKS ON THE BACK OF HIS DOOR:  On the back of his door there are hooks.  On the top hooks I put his backpack, special bag, and water bottle carrier.  On the bottom hooks, I put his cub scout shirt and his jacket.

PLASTIC DRAWERS FOR CLOTHES: I put all his clothes in small plastic drawers.  Each drawer is labeled with "pants", "shirts", "socks", etc.  Everything has a place.  I lined his shoes up next to the plastic drawers.

AND THAT'S IT...THAT'S ALL THAT'S IN HIS ROOM.

THE RESULT:  Seeing how I did this without consulting with my son, I was a little nervous about his reaction, especially since all his toys, stuff, etc. were just in the hallway.  BUT he didn't even care about the toys he passed in the hallway.  HE LOVED HIS ROOM THE WAY I HAD ORGANIZED IT!  His face lit up when he walked in and he sat on his swing and whispered to himself:  "This is way better.  This is way better."  And it's not like his room was messy before...we kept it clean most of the time...but I just think it was TOO MUCH STUFF.  I think he will like it much better this way.  We will give it the "2 week try" and assess! Now I just have to find a place for his legos, blocks, toys etc...cause those are good for him too...but just not good in his room.


INTERVENTION:  THE POINT OF THIS INTERVENTION IS TO ASSESS THE ENVIRONMENT, PRIMARILY HIS ROOM, TO SEE IF IT IS TOO MUCH OR TOO OVERSTIMULATING....AND THEN CHANGE IT TO NOT BE OVERSTIMULATING.