Update: I finally labeled my bins with pictures instead of words.

River Reed · 2026-04-10T08:15:04.188619+00:00

My kids can actually put stuff away now, and I don't have to dig for the holiday lights every December, so what other visual systems have worked for your families?

noahbaker5mo ago

We have a picture schedule for my five year old's morning routine and it cut our arguments in half. I also put photos of the dishes on the front of the kitchen cabinets so everyone knows where the plates and cups go. The game changer was using clear bins in the pantry with labels showing a picture of the pasta or snacks inside.

9

blair_green865mo ago

Color coded towels and hooks for each kid stopped the bathroom floor from becoming a swamp. We also have a shoe rack with outlines traced on the mat, so they know exactly where to line up their sneakers. My biggest win was putting a simple chart on the fridge with photos of common lunch items, letting the older ones pack their own. Why did I wait so long to make things that obvious?

5

park.iris3mo ago

Hang on, you put photos of the DISHES on the CABINETS? Like, right there on the outside of the cabinets? I mean, I get the picture schedule and the clear bins, my kid would probably still shove a toy truck in the pasta bin, but that's genius. I'm just sitting here trying to imagine walking into my kitchen and seeing a picture of a cereal bowl stuck to the cupboard door. That feels a little... much? But if it stops my husband from putting the frying pan in with the Tupperware, maybe I need to get over myself and try it. Seriously, how did you get them to actually follow it and not just peel the pictures off?

4