The conversation often starts with, “Where are your shoes?”

For many parents trying to get out the door on time in the morning, a child with a disorganized bedroom can be a huge roadblock. The clock is ticking. The bus is coming. And your offspring is searching for his favorite hoodie.

The day often ends with similar challenges: “Is your backpack ready for school tomorrow?” “Where are your library books?”

Getting a child’s room organized can be the first step toward smoother mornings and more peaceful evenings.

“It was nice to be organized 20 years ago,” says organizing consultant Kathryn Bechen, author of Small Space Organizing: A Room-by-Room Guide to Maximizing Your Space (Revell, 2012). But given how busy we are today, she says, “it’s become a necessity.”

Here are some experts’ tips on decorating and arranging your child’s bedroom in ways that will simplify daily life.

There is no need for full-scale redecorating. An offer to rearrange items and perhaps add a few new ones will probably get your child excited enough to help shape up her space.

“Try to make it fun,” Bechen says. “Take one whole Saturday or Sunday for the whole family to work on it.”

PARE DOWN

Eliminating clutter isn’t simple, especially when kids would prefer not to part with anything. Donna Smallin, author and creator of unclutter.com, suggests having kids help haul everything they own into the hallway outside their room. When the room is empty, have them bring back in only their favorite or most necessary things. You can supervise: When all the necessities are back in, start discussing what might be good to give away, sell, or box up for storing. Reassure the child that items in storage can always come out again later.

If the room includes a desk, keep it as uncluttered as possible, suggests Dr. Martin L. Kutscher, pediatric neurologist and co-author of Organizing the Disorganized Child (William Morrow Paperbacks, 2009).

Get a bin that holds hanging file folders to store finished papers that come home from school or pending homework. Another small bin can hold pens, pencils and a few other supplies needed for schoolwork. Otherwise, keep the desk clear.

THE CLOSET

To get children excited about putting things away in the closet, let them “paint it a neat color inside,” says Bechen. It can be as outrageous as they’d like; it’s hidden behind a door. If they love it and it feels personal, she says, they’re more likely to use it. (For kids who share a room, let each choose the color for one side of the closet.)

Then, work with their habits: If your child isn’t a fan of hanging up clothing, consider filling some or all of the closet with open shelving. Put bins or baskets on each shelf, labeling with words and/or pictures to describe what belongs inside.

You might prefer T-shirts to be neatly folded, says Smallin, but having them wrangled in large baskets is better than finding them on the floor. If shoes get misplaced, add a large crate to the closet where the child can drop them.

If you will be using the closet rod, Smallin suggests adding a small double rod that hangs below one portion of the main rod. Put items the child wears most often on the lower rod, so they’re within easy reach. Or use this extra rod for the clothing the child will wear to school this week. If those items are chosen in advance and all in one place, you won’t spend time searching for them.