Contents
- Include Your Children in Tidying up with Toy Organization
- Faster Results in Less Time
- The Dreadful Tidying up “Toy Sweep”
- Keep Decor to a Minimum (at Least in the Early Stages)
- Have Designated Hampers to Keep Dirty Clothes off the Floor
- Keep a Vacuum Nearby While Doing Messy Indoor Activities
- Keeping up with the Busy Kitchen Means Less Tidying up Later
- Monkey See Monkey Do
- BONUS TIP: Do Your Walls Need a Little Love?
Let’s embrace the chaos of parenting young kids, and let’s make a mess! Then, proceed to the tidying up part of the process! Yes, we have to clean it up, but how you do it can make a big difference. To help maintain some sanity, I want to share simple strategies that have worked for me in keeping my household manageable. Please note that I don’t have any secrets to keeping a spotless house with young kids – that’s impossible. Instead, I aim for a realistic mindset to avoid going bonkers and driving everyone around me bonkers too. Now that we have established my benchmark let’s dive in!
1. Include Your Children in Tidying up with Toy Organization
A crucial tip for parents is to involve their children in household tasks from an early age. Doing this helps to develop their self-esteem and teaches them about organization and responsibility. While it may require patience and effort on the part of the parent, the long-term benefits make it a worthwhile investment.
- Encourage kids to tidy up their toys before moving on to something else. By doing so, they’ll always know where their toys are when they want to play with them again.
- If you have a toddler, begin with straightforward tasks and give clear and precise instructions such as “Put the legos on the couch into the green lego box” or “Put the red balls under the table into the gray toy basket.” Make sure to use words your toddler will understand. This way, you can impart the significance of being organized and responsible to your child.
- Transforming the task into a game can add an element of fun. To engage the kids in cleaning up their toys:
- Call out a specific color OR pull a folded paper from a bowl with a color written inside and have them gather all the toys that match that color.
- Singing songs or playing music during cleaning can create a lively atmosphere.
- Try setting a timer for putting away toys to encourage teamwork and efficient cleaning. Challenge everyone to finish before the timer goes off. To incentivize further, offer a reward or prize to the child who cleans up the most toys.
It’s never too early to foster good habits!
Consumer Reports has a helpful article if you’re still searching for ways to involve your kids in tidying up. It suggests age-appropriate cleaning tasks for a broader range of ages.
2. Faster Results in Less Time
When tidying up needs to be done quickly, I use a simple and efficient technique that takes only ten minutes (at most). First, I grab three boxes, one of which I keep with me as I move through each room, including the kitchen, living room, and dining room. As I go through each room, I pick up any items out of place and put them in the box. Then, I use the other boxes to sort the items into categories for each room, such as the kitchen box, dining room box, and living room box. Lastly, I return to each room with its designated box and return everything where it belongs. This approach saves time by avoiding unnecessary trips back and forth. Remember to work smarter, not harder!
3. The Dreadful Tidying up “Toy Sweep”
A monthly practice known as the “toy sweep” can be incredibly useful in ridding your home of broken or unused toys. Begin by sorting toys into three categories: trash, donate, and sell. However, if you prefer not to donate or sell, that is perfectly fine. The goal is simply to minimize clutter within your home. This practice isn’t just limited to toys; it can also benefit adults. With the fast-paced nature of parenthood, it’s easy to misplace items and forget about them.
If you haven’t already, I highly recommend reading Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. This book has the power to transform your life. So take my advice and join the millions of people who have already benefited from her wisdom. Doing a monthly “toy sweep” and “grown-up sweep” is vital to declutter your home and mind.
4. Keep Decor to a Minimum (at Least in the Early Stages)
Minimal decor in the early years is slightly similar to the previous strategy. I prefer less decor due to my son’s tendency to be destructive. Decorations on the floor, walls, and furniture are all at his mercy. If Xander sees it, he will manage to damage it, either intentionally or unintentionally. Although some may not appreciate this idea as it removes the homemaker’s personal touch, it does offer certain advantages. Less decor means fewer things to worry about getting broken, lost, or cluttered. It also means less dusting to do. Although I look forward to the day when my home is filled with an eclectic mix of decor, for now, I am content with its simplicity.
5. Have Designated Hampers to Keep Dirty Clothes off the Floor
To maintain a tidy environment, it’s imperative to have hampers in key locations to prevent dirty clothes from cluttering the floor. One might think it’s excessive, but clothes may end up scattered around the floor without a nearby hamper. In our household, we keep hampers in Meli’s and Xander’s rooms, their bathroom, our master bedroom, and the laundry room on the first floor.
Having multiple hampers in these areas is the most effective way to avoid misplacing dirty clothes kicked underneath furniture accidentally. Children can be messy and impulsive, often discarding their soiled clothes aimlessly. Thus, having a hamper within reach ensures everything remains organized with less tidying up to do.
6. Keep a Vacuum Nearby While Doing Messy Indoor Activities
This technique is best for messes that can be vacuumed (rice, sand, coconut shreds, etc.), but it’s a lifesaver for quick cleanups. While Meli and Xander stand on their towers at the kitchen island, I let them make as big a mess as they want. To make cleaning up easier, I place a textured mat on the floor that catches most of the spillage. I stand next to them, and when the mess becomes too much for me to handle, I vacuum for a bit of damage control.
Once they’re done playing, I lift them off their towers and ask them not to step on the mat until it’s been fully vacuumed. Without this strategy, sensory activities could easily make a mess throughout the first floor in no time.
7. Keeping up with the Busy Kitchen Means Less Tidying up Later
Maintaining a clean kitchen and dining table after meals is crucial for a tidy home. No matter how daunting it may seem, addressing this responsibility is necessary to keep a sanitary food area at the very least. However, breaking it down into smaller tasks throughout the day can make it much more effortless. Simple tasks such as wiping counters, cleaning dishes, and loading the dishwasher after each meal can make a significant difference.
To get your kids involved, have them bring their dirty dishes to the sink and provide them with a wet rag to clean their eating area and faces. These simple tasks not only instill a sense of responsibility in them but also motivates them to do more.
8. Monkey See Monkey Do
Children often look up to adults and want to imitate their behavior. Therefore, parents need to set a good example for their children. If your child expresses interest in helping you with household chores, such as washing dishes or folding laundry, it’s an excellent opportunity to teach them fundamental life skills. For example, you can show them how to handle fragile dishes carefully, explain why it’s important not to waste water, and encourage sorting by grouping clean laundry by type and color. Additionally, involving children in household chores can help develop their motor and organizational skills.
In my own experience, Meli has loved helping with dishes since she was just two years old. While her initial motivation was probably to play with water, she now does a great job of cleaning dishes, and I’m happy to let her help whenever she wants. Similarly, Meli and Xander have seen me use a mini vacuum to clean up crumbs from counters and furniture.
Now, if they make a mess while snacking on the couch, they are responsible for cleaning it themselves. I’ve even seen Meli take the initiative to sweep under the couch with the mini vacuum. I will never complain about less work for me to do!
9. BONUS TIP: Do Your Walls Need a Little Love?
Although it’s not directly related to tidying up, a wall covered in marks can be unsightly. That’s where the pink stuff comes in – it’s been a game-changer for my cleaning routine. While it has many uses, I’ll focus on its effectiveness in removing marks from walls. Xander is the primary culprit for the marks on my walls, but Edgar isn’t far behind. Meli and I have also made some marks, but not to the same extent as the boys.
The pink stuff has brought my walls back to their original condition, and it’s straightforward to use – just apply some of the paste to the mark and gently buff it out. Be careful not to be too rough since it’s an abrasive paste. Once the mark has disappeared, use a clean damp cloth to wipe away any excess. I recommend wiping down the whole wall afterward to even out the paint and reduce any lighter patches. I can’t recommend the pink stuff enough!
These are my foolproof tips for effortlessly maintaining a tidy home even with two young kids. Although my home may not be spotless, it’s definitely manageable. The key is to keep clutter in check and involve your children in the tidying process as much as possible. By instilling good habits through consistent actions, teaching your kids to help out may seem like a lot of work initially. However, the payoff in the long term is well worth the investment.
Do YOU have any tried and true strategies for tidying up as a busy parent? Please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We would love to read your feedback! Interested in more parenthood tips and tricks? Check out 17 Easy Ways Parents Can Save Money and Live Better for easy strategies to save extra money!
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