We do our best to keep a lid on all the stuff our kids collect, but have you taken a close gander at their play space or bedroom lately? Does it look like chaos? Given the way tiny toy parts seem to proliferate like bunnies, keeping them all in one place is a monumental Martha Stewart type of task that can overwhelm even the tidiest amongst us. Unless, of course, you hire Home Key Organization’s (homekeyorganization.com) Stacy Erickson, a Capitol Hill–based professional organizer whose calm demeanor, expertise in early childhood development and critical eye can whip a play space into shape and calm down your child’s fevered response to so much stuff. “Organizing is emotional and deep-rooted,” Erickson says, “but if you take the first step of removing half of the toys in your kid’s room or play area, you’ll see a difference in their behavior right away.” On the right: Too much stuff in too little space in this West Seattle kids’ room means chaos. A cluttered room can be the root of a lack of focus and certain behavioral issues, says Erickson, who has experience working with special needs kids. She charges $50 an hour for her services, which include creating the right space for your brood by using storage solutions that you already have but may not be using optimally and taming closet and toy box chaos. She offers specific packages for families with kids of different ages and stages, as well as for new moms, which may indeed be the perfect baby shower gift, helping to contain the clutter, rather than add to it.

 

The West Seattle kids’ room after Erickson’s magic touch: