Staying Organized While The Kids Are Home
If you grew up in a house with a clean freak, you know how tedious the constant organization, cleaning, and sorting can be. However, once kids come into the picture, it’s easy to see how important all that work was. Here, you’ll learn a few ways to stay neat and organized while the kids are at home.
Get Rid of the Excess
The easiest and most crucial way to stay organized is to cut through the clutter. It’s all too easy to accumulate a ton of stuff throughout the year, and it adds up quickly. Every few months, go through the entire house, organizing each room and donating, selling, or discarding anything that’s not used regularly. When there’s less stuff laying around, it’s only natural that the home will stay more organized.
Keep Up the Trend
After you’ve done a major de-cluttering at home, it’s important to continually get rid of extra stuff throughout the year. When you’re only keeping items your family needs, it makes things much simpler during those times of year when a deep cleaning is necessary.
As the kids outgrow their clothes, donate what’s in good condition and toss or recycle the rest. This step is a real game-changer for busy parents! By doing a little bit every day, you’ll keep the clutter from finding its way back into the home.
Clean the House Every Day
Though it can be hard to clean every day when toddlers are underfoot, it’s a worthwhile effort. Most parents have felt the frustration that comes when the house is finally clean, only to have the kids come home and destroy it. However, there are ways around it.
It may help to teach the kids early on that it’s important to keep the house clean. From the time they’re very young, do an end-of-the-day cleanup. Take about 20 minutes to tidy up and organize things, and when time’s up, you’ll feel much better about enjoying the rest of the evening. It’s great to wake up to a relatively clean house, too!
Once the kids get a little older, they can pitch in a bit more. It can be extremely frustrating to get teenagers to do their chores, but when it works, you’ll have much less on your plate. When the kids learn to help around the house, they’re also learning crucial life skills that will serve them well in the future.
Remember That There’s a Place for Everything, and Everything Should Be In Its Place
To stay organized with kids, you’ll have to have a place for everything. If there’s no room for a new addition to the house, something else should go. In most cases, parents don’t need more places to put stuff; they just need less stuff! When things aren’t used for a long time, how important are they?
Put in a Little Effort to Get Big Results
It may seem overwhelming to get and stay organized when it seems like the kids are always home. Even when they’re learning virtually and spending less time around friends, they still find ways to bring more stuff into the home. However, a little effort each day will lead to big, lasting results.
Kids seem to bring things into the house by the truckload. Remember small efforts will eventually lead to big results.
Show Them How to Be Happy With Less
Your de-cluttering and organization efforts will have better results if the kids learn that they don’t need a huge pile of stuff to be truly happy. It’s impossible to play with everything in one day! With fewer toys, they’ll learn how to find their favorites more quickly—and they’ll move up to higher-quality stuff.
Focus on Quality, Not Quantity
Instead of loading them up with cheap toys and trinkets, opt for quality possessions that will stand the test of time. For instance, a wooden toybox is more durable than a bin made of plastic. It’s better to spend money on a few good things than to waste it on less expensive stuff that will eventually be tossed out.
Foster a Spirit of Acceptance
It’s nearly impossible to live a minimalistic lifestyle with kids in the house, and you’ll feel much better when you’ve come to terms with that fact. Sometimes, it’s better to go with the flow than it is to be the stereotypical nagging parent. By giving yourself and the kids some grace, you’ll learn how to let go of the mental clutter and enjoy their company.
Conclusion
Though these tips aren’t foolproof, they can help most parents live a more organized lifestyle. The more closely these tips are followed, the easier it is to get rid of things that don’t serve your home and family. It’s quite freeing to be less tied to material things, because it leaves parents with more time to enjoy their families and the time they have to spend together.