Regardless of how smart, nice and talented your children are, chances are they probably weren’t born with inherent tidiness. Most kids are so busy having fun, that the last thing on their mind is cleaning up their mess. The truth is that children are so engrossed in their activities, that they often don’t realize the mess they’re spreading around them.
Yet, as a parent, it can be frustrating to constantly pick up their trails of junk. When you add on multiple children, pets, and a spouse, your cleaning load can feel overwhelming. Whether you have a cleaner or not, it’s a lot of work decluttering and putting things away. Fear not, parents with messy kids— here are some of the best tips for keeping your home tidy even with little roommates.
Use Baskets
You can’t organize everything ten thousand times a day only to have children pull them out again, and expect yourself not to go crazy. As the saying goes, if you can’t beat them, join them. So while you may not want to have toys scattered throughout every square inch of your house, you can declutter by using baskets.
Baskets are an effective, quick, and easy way to clear your living space in between play sessions. Putting baskets throughout rooms full of toys is a useful way to put toys away in a flash. If you have younger children, it’s also much more manageable for them to help straighten up if all they have to do is put something into a basket. Above all, baskets are trendy and cute, so who doesn’t love the idea of more baskets incorporated into their interior design?
Rotate Toys
Your kids will accumulate a lot of toys throughout their lives. At some point they’re going to get bored with some of them, and all they’re going to do is take up space. Instead of allowing them to occupy the majority of your home, put your toys away on a cycle.
Rotating toys doesn’t just reduce the clutter in your home, but it will extend the life of your toys, and make them feel like they’re getting new toys all over again when you pull them out in a few weeks or months. Since not everyone has the luxury of a big garage to store things in, you may want to consider renting a storage space or dedicating a closet specifically to toy rotations.
Give Kids Chores
Chores don’t just teach your kids responsibility, and life skills, they also keep you sane. You already have enough on your plate. Asking your kids to help pull some of the weight when it comes to cleaning is not unreasonable. Give your kids age-appropriate chores that will help take some of the pressure off your shoulders, and keep them accountable for participating in the responsibilities of the household.
Leave a Reply