Why the Kids Need Their Own Kitchen Drawer — Organizing Tips from Kitchn

A few months ago, after yet another stack of bright plastic plates tumbled out of an upper cabinet, I set up a dedicated drawer for all of my daughter's kitchen things. I put everything in there: her plates, bowls, cups, and placemats. It's a big drawer, so we also store her cooking tools there too, including a crinkle cutter, small cutting board, masher, and ice pop molds.

It was a magical aha moment, and I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it earlier. This simple change instantly changed her relationship to getting ready for mealtime — and cleaning up afterwards. And it's restored the calm to the rest of our cabinets, which has been a relief to me after a few years of living with the chaos. Here's why I now recommend it to everyone I know with little kids.

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