9 Tips for Keeping an Organised Home With Kids
By my very nature I am quite an organised person- I guess I always have been- and it’s something that I find greatly calming. In fact, when I was much younger, my siblings would take great delight in messing up my bedroom- knowing they would be pushing all the right buttons to make me fuming !!
So where to start?
I’m going to list a couple of my favourite things that help me as a family of 5. I should add that I am not a professional- I have got all of my ideas watching the experts. I just love decluttering, sorting and organising my home & it is something that helps me relax and find my zen! If you are looking for the professionals, then look no further than @declutterdollies and @thesurreysorter Give them both a follow for amazing daily tips, wise words and lots of encouragement!
My favourite items are my label maker (if you label it then you are 90% closer to your kids putting it back in the right place!!) and zippy wallets (game changer for puzzles, board games etc without their boxes!) Every thing needs a place. Schools are run similarly - there are trays for paper, boxes for blocks and pots for pens. They are all visually labelled and classes are ‘trained’ to be able to tidy up quickly and effectively. The same can be done in your home.
⭐️START. Sounds obvious but don’t put it off. Ensure you have adequate time - I like to dedicate a whole day- but however long you have, just begin.
⭐️Start off small. Write a list of all the little places in your house that get messy. A cupboard, a drawer, under the stairs… they don’t have to be big. Tick them off one by one. This helps if you only have an hour or two.
⭐️Tip everything out. When it comes to said cupboards or drawers, tip it all out. Only then can you see what you’ve really got & can put back only what you really need/want. Obviously just tip out a drawer at time, otherwise it’s just one massive mess!
⭐️You need 3 bin bags- one for charity, one for recycling and one for the bin.
⭐️You need a basket- for stuff that belongs in a different room, this makes it easier to transport back!
⭐️If you are tackling a whole room, focus on that ONE room. When you’re clearing it, pop anything that doesn’t belong, outside of that room. Only move on when the room is done.
⭐️In the lead up, collect a few storage solutions. Clean Nutella pots with lids, sandwich bags, zippy wallets, curver baskets, cleaned out takeway tubs all work well for small items like doll accessories, counters, dice and plastic toys. A label maker is also super useful! Don’t be afraid to tip things out of their original boxes and decant into smaller tubs.
⭐️If you have the space (or a loft or garage) then consider using it to house some spare toys to help you create a rotation basis. Children don’t need a lot. Have too much out and you’re asking for mess…or for most of it to be ignored…it’s just too overwhelming.
⭐️Be ruthless. Don’t think about it too much. It’s better not to have your children or partner in the vicinity!! On that note, any bags that you’re taking to charity, put them straight in your car boot so they can’t see what you’re chucking and drive straight there that day!
