How Prioritizing Your Children Can Do Wonders For Your Pantry Space

Pantries are sacred places. They house all our food and cooking supplies, and with cooking and food being such important cornerstones of both culture and everyday life, your pantry inherently means a lot. When thought of like this, the pantry isn't just about storage; it's a bringer of life (and can even store ingredients that are great for your skin, too). And because it's so important, we should organize the pantry properly and balance the storage sapce in a way that's harmonious for everyone in the household.

When revamping your pantry, you can look at various kinds of pantry shelving, and you'll want to investigate the biggest mistakes people make when organizing their pantries so that you don't fall into the same pitfalls. One particular rule of thumb to follow is to consider everyone in the household, especially children, when organizing the pantry. Then, when you're done, everyone will not only be happy but also able to understand your pantry's new layout, helping it stay organized for as long as possible.

When organizing a pantry with children in mind, you want to think about their height and what levels of your pantry they can reach. For example, if they can only reach the bottom one or two shelves, you should consider putting their snacks there. According to HGTV, this means you won't have to get them for them and you won't risk spilling flour or other foods everywhere — or injury — if your child tries to climb to the higher shelves.

Moreover, even when relegating children's snacks to lower shelves, you should organize them in containers, baskets, or any kind of storage unit to maintain overall appearance, organization, and ease of access (via Happy Mom Hacks). The goal is to help children feel independent in the kitchen while not compromising your organization or functionality, so utilizing the combination of lower shelves and storage compartments is a perfect balance.

Finally, according to MarthaStewart.com, you can use the pantry as a learning tool with kids. Do this by labeling your shelves and containers, helping them with reading, decision-making, nutrition, and overall independence. The pantry, along with the kitchen, can be a place of growth just as it is a place of storage, so it's important to make the most of it.