An untidy house feels stressful and chaotic. All those stray toys also cause a landmine of toe-stubbing and tripping danger. No matter how many kids you have, six tips keep your house tidy.
1. Assign Daily Chores
From unloading the dishwasher to picking up their toys, all your kids can help clean the house each day. After you print chore charts from a reputable website or write age-appropriate chores on a white board or poster board, show your kids how to do their assigned tasks. They learn responsibility as they work with you to create your tidy home.
2. Organize Your Home
Putting toys, artwork and clothing away is nearly impossible when the rooms in your home are disorganized. Invest in shelving, dressers and bins as you create a designated space for everything you own. Keeping your home tidy will be easier when everything has a place.
3. Cull Unneeded Items
Your kids will balk when you suggest they give away unwanted toys. Encourage your children to cooperate when they give toys to younger friends, donate books to a local library or sell gently used clothing at a consignment store. By reducing the number of items in your home, tidying up takes less time and effort.
4. Take Five
Look at your daily schedule, and you’ll probably find several five-minute increments of time sprinkled throughout the day. As your kids brush their teeth, while you talk on the phone or before you fall into bed, sweep the kitchen floor, sort the day’s mail or wipe off the bathroom counters. Use those minutes to clean up the hotspots and maintain your neat home.
5. Schedule Heavy Duty Clean Up
Doing small tidying tasks each day keeps the clutter and mess under control. However, don’t forget the heavy duty cleaning. When you tackle a different room or a different chore each day, you’ll see a big difference in your home’s neatness and appearance.
6. Let Go of Perfection
Yes, your house needs to be tidy, but does it need to mirror a magazine cover each day? Give yourself and your children some leeway to play and enjoy your home. You’ll feel less stressed as you let go of perfection.
[divider]
A neat and tidy home increases your peace of mind and allows your entire family to play safely. Achieve these benefits when you implement six steps and work with your army of kids to create a tidy home every day.
