How you can get your children to actually want to put their things away

Your children should be involved in all those resolutions you made to get organized this year.

After all, it's not your Legos or action figures that you're stepping on in the middle of the night.

And imagine a life where they hang up their coats and stow their boots as soon as they come in the door, not to mention their paperwork from school and the paraphernalia that comes with their electronics.

First, let youngsters help you pick out storage to fit their decor and gear, not to mention your budget. The theory is if they like the containers there's a better chance they will put things away.

And obviously if the storage equipment is more convenient, we could have a happy ending here. Do your very best to get individual storage for each family member near the family entrance.

After mulling these tips and seeing suggestions from stores, you will probably come up with your own ideas for helping your kids get organized.

•Don't limit children's storage to the family entry and their bedrooms. Linda Navara of LMR Designs in Arlington Heights recommends placing a bookcase or other piece of storage furniture behind the sofa in the family room. This will be more useful than a table.

•Navara likes taking doors off closets and cruising stores like Lowe's, Home Depot or the Container Store for shelves, bins and pullout drawers. Then she replaces the doors with curtains that can be held back with hooks.

•Armoires can be pricey, but if you pick the right one, Navara says it can hold electronics, books or toys for a long time.

•Don't overlook bonus storage space such as under beds, where you can tuck special boxes made to slide out easily, according to Company Kids, a branch of The Company Store.