Declutter Your Way To An Organized Home... Then Tidy Up Time Is Child's Play!
Posted: Saturday, January 01, 2011
by Lorin Young
Chores and Checklists
I know you want an organized home. I really do. And I have a really tough question for you: Do you have too much STUFF? If so, know that you are not alone! I hope you haven't fallen into one of the four common pitfalls . But I do need to tell you that if you can declutter, your efforts toward a clean and organized home are infinitely easier and more effective.
Do you ever have charitable organizations calling you soliciting donated items? This is a great opportunity to declutter! I am on a first name basis with these people! I love it when they call!
Between the handful of charities, I have a pick up about every three weeks, and I give them at least three or four bags of stuff. You can easily call to arrange for a pick up, too. It is SO much easier to have an organized home when you have less clutter!
Okay, so understand that there are times when you want to clean and times when you just need the house picked up a little (or a lot)...
Did you know that a decluttered and tidy (but not-super-clean) home is much more attractive than a clean (but messy or cluttered) home? An organized home is easy to clean and easy to keep it that way. There are some fun ways to tidy up so it doesn't have to be a chore.
Sometimes, though, we say "clean" when we really mean "tidy." Kids need to understand the difference between the two (and so do you) because each has different expectations. Make sure you outline these differences on their cleaning lists For tidying up general or common areas, here are four strategies to make it easier for kids to contribute.
1. Zones:
Divide up the house into reasonable zones. This can be by room, or parts of rooms. Each child gets a zone to manage (keep it tidy). You can either assign a zone to each child, or let them choose. This is a great way for kids to learn to get organized themselves.
In our family, my kids of course keep their bedroom (mostly) clean, and they also are responsible for keeping a zone of the house tidy.
2. Family Fifteen:
For the general areas that tend to accumulate a lot of clutter and mess, we have a group approach to tidying up. Every evening we as a family do a "Family Fifteen." Keeping the house tidy is not kid stuff; it's a family affair. Young kids especially emulate adults, so guess what?
We put on some energetic music and everyone in the family works for 15 minutes. (You'd be surprised how much can be accomplished when everyone is chipping in!) With a family of four, that's an entire hour of work! Well, not really with little ones, but you get the idea.
Family Fifteen can be a great addition to any nighttime routine, and it really makes a difference. It's important to note that the "Family Fifteen" is not the time to actually put everything away!
3. Tidy Up Basket:
We have what I call a "tidy-up basket" that collects random things that are in your zone that need to be put away. We have a basket in each of the bedrooms and the living room area.
Your challenge, of course, is to regularly empty the basket in order for this to be effective. You do not want the tidy-up basket to be a stand alone storage area! In our family, we have tied this system to allowance.
4. The Three Piles:
For just a general "tidy." In our home, when I see a mess in someone's bedroom, for example, just about every single thing on the floor can fit into one of three categories: trash, laundry, or "stuff-that-can-be-tossed-into-the-tidy-up-basket."
Make it easy for them!
But don't forget to build a time into your week for kids to check and for you yourself to empty the the tidy-up basket. Remember that the tidy-up basket should not be an actual storage area! Empty it at least once a week!
If you can declutter a little bit (or maybe a lot!) you will be on your way toward getting organized. These four strategies can make tidy up time fun for kids and easy for you to create an organized home. For more strategies to involve kids in household cleaning, visit us at http://www.choresandchecklists.com.
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