Every parent knows that kids create clutter like nobody’s business. Any life that includes children is going to be complicated, at least to some degree. You’ll never get an absolute quietness or neatness with kids, and I’ve learned to accept that. Everything has a place. This also means that you have to be willing to let things go.
I have found ways to simplify my house, including the kids’ rooms. Sure, the house still gets messy — especially their rooms. But it’s not as bad as it once was, and it’s at a manageable level.
These are the main tips that I have, based on years of keeping my house tidy and clutter-free.
- Everything has a place. I know. You have heard it before. But what does it really mean? What does “a place for everything” look like? It means that I can hand my child any item that belongs to them or is communal and say, “Put this where it belongs.” and they know exactly where to go.
- Identify the important. Identify which toys and other possessions are truly important to the kids. What do they play with, what do they love? Then get rid of as much of the rest as possible, like selling it to other mums that needs them at Baby Market and keeping only those they use and love.
- Leave space. When you put the important stuff back, don’t try to fill up each drawer, shelf or closet area. Allow there to be some space around the objects. It’s much nicer looking, and it leaves room for a couple of extra items later if necessary.
- Contain. The key for us has been to contain the kid clutter. We only let them keep their stuff in their rooms. The living room, kitchen and dining room are for household stuff only. We do have a play area for the two toddlers, and their stuff gets spread throughout the house, but still, we try to contain the kid stuff to certain areas only. This leaves our living area very simple and minimal.
- Storage boxes. These are the best type of containers for kids stuff, in general. The key is to make it easy for the kids (or you) to toss their stuff into the boxes, making cleanup simple. Label each box, if possible, with the type of stuff that goes there If your child can’t read, use picture labels.
- Allow them to mess. Kids are not perfect. They will inevitably make a mess. You have to allow them to do this. Then, when they’re done, ask them to clean it up. No harm, no foul.
- Give out old items when new one comes in during Christmas, birthdays. On these two occasions, new stuff comes into their lives. If you just add this new stuff to their old stuff, you will have a huge mess. Instead, ask them to put all their gifts in one place. Then, a day or two after Christmas or their birthday, go through their closets and ask them what they want to get rid of so they can make room for the new stuff.
- Do regular decluttering. Every month or two, you’ll need to declutter their stuff. See Tip 2. Do it at least quarterly. You could put a reminder in your calendar, or just look at their rooms every now and then, and if it looks way too cluttered, schedule some time to do some purging.
- Less is more. Teach the kids that they don’t need to have huge piles of stuff to be happy. They can’t possibly play with everything anyway — there aren’t enough hours in the day. With less stuff, they can find things more easily, they can see what there is to play with, and they can own better quality stuff (see next tip).
- Go for quality. Instead of getting them a huge pile of cheap junk, go for quality toys or possessions that will last long. It’s best to spend your money on a couple of great things than a whole bunch of cheap things that will break and be relegated to the junk pile in no time.
- Buy less. Drastically reduce the amount of stuff you buy for your kids. It’s difficult to resist them when they really want something at a store, I know, but you aren’t doing them any favors by caving in. Don’t deprive them completely, but also don’t spoil them with stuff. On Christmas, for example, just get them a few great things rather than a whole bunch of stuff.
- Clean before bed. I also do a quick clean-up right before I go to bed, getting any little things the little ones forgot to put away. It makes my mornings much more pleasant.
- Clean the kitchen completely after dinner/before you go to bed. I promise you that making a small effort to have the kitchen tidy and clean before you go to bed will make a huge difference in your mood when you wake up in the morning.
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