The “Catch All”

My heart fluttered when I saw this in one of my tween client’s rooms. The idea of a "catch-all drawer" isn’t just practical, it’s empathetic. It acknowledges that perfection isn’t the goal — consistency and self-awareness are. You're not asking the child to always be tidy, but you're offering a way for them to pause the process without giving up on it altogether. That’s a life skill, not just an organizing trick.

Also, by tying it to natural consequences — “When it’s full, it’s time to sort” — you’re giving the child both autonomy and responsibility. It removes the shame of messiness and replaces it with curiosity and choice: What’s in here? Do I still need it? It says so much about the bigger picture of growth, patience, and trust in the learning process.