For some mothers, having a child will turn you into a neat freak as you would want to make your days as stress free as possible. You organise their toys, books and most importantly, their clothes. If you are perfectly honest with yourself, you know the overflowing closet needs to be dealt with and the first question you would surely ask yourself is how many clothes is enough or how many is just too much!

Finding the answer to this particular question is not as simple as you might think. It would be wise to tackle this problem systematically. For starters, consider the following factors:

1. Comfort – your kids clothes should be made from comfortable material and should fit them well
2. Style – unfortunately for you, there are plenty of styles to choose from and these styles even differ for boys and girls. To be on the safe side, choose a style which combines the latest fashion without compromising comfort and sense of individuality. Pick plain-colored or clothes with simple designs so you can easily mix and match.
3. Child’s Personality – older children will certainly have their preferences and you should listen to what they like and especially do not like. Like adults, children would also want to use clothes as a way to express themselves.

Now that you know what the criterion is for keeping the clothes, you can now start with the sorting. You should put aside clothes which:

1. Do not fit your child anymore. They can be donated to charity or stored in case you would want to have another child in the future.
2. Are not in season. They should be stored at the back of the closet where they can remain neat and organized until such time they will be needed.
3. Have not been worn because of stains or damages which you can no longer remove or repair.

With the clothes all in separate piles, you can proceed to the most challenging part — determining how many of them you should keep. Again, you can attack this problem in a practical manner.

Basics for girls:

-          Bottoms: six to eight different kinds including skirts, shorts, pants and leggings

-          Tops: a combination of t-shirts, long sleeved shirts, blouses, etc. About a dozen will be enough

-          Dresses: if your child likes wearing them, include at least 3 in her wardrobe

-          Jackets or coats: two or one of each is enough

-          Shoes: have one of each kind — sandals, sneakers, boots and thongs

-          Underwear and socks : a dozen each would suffice

Basics for boys:

-          Tops: you should have at least a dozen in different styles including t-shirts, collared shirts and polo’s . Consider a combination of plain and printed.

-          Bottoms: luckily, it will just be shorts or pants so about 10 will do. Make sure there are jeans.

-          Footwear: one of each: dress shoes, sneakers, boots and thongs

-          Formal wear: one of two would do the trick

-          Underwear and socks: one dozen or even 2 of each if your child is into sports.

-          Jackets or coats: at least two or one of each

Important reminders:

-          Do not forget to separate the school clothes from the play clothes.

-          Take care of the clothes when washing them so they can last longer.

-          Always choose quality over price when buying clothes.

-          Buy clothes one size bigger so they can be worn longer.

-          Mix and match or layer clothes for different looks.

After following these instructions, you will now be left with a closet with enough essential clothes.

The perk?  You and your child will no longer worry about what to wear with the limited yet practical choices. Of course, the fact that you will be pleased with yourself each time you open your kid’s closet is reason enough.