Raising children and having a clean and organised home – an impossible task or totally achievable?
At Finer Details, we believe there is always a way to achieve what you desire – it’s all about finding systems that work best for your situation and having a routine that allows you time to stay on top of things.
Setting out your intentions from an early age is also important – get your children involved with organisation and hopefully it becomes second nature!
We’ve worked with many families to organise and declutter homes – and these are some of the most successful ideas we’ve learned over our years as lifestyle managers.
.
Tips:
- Storage, storage, storage! NOT so you can shove it full of things and hide them away – but an effective and managed system of making sure everything has a home.
- Use visual charts for the morning routine or school prep – clear instructions work! Keep it simple and prioritise the most important tasks of the day. Your children feel a sense of achievement when they have everything on their chart completed.
- Drop spot at the front door – kids like to dump and drop the second they get in the door. Design a drop spot for all their bits and pieces – a hanger for bags, a shoe rack, a large basket for the day’s artwork or sporting kit. Whatever works for your house – it’ll be a lifesaver.
- Emergency supplies in one place – from first aid to spare pens, know where you keep the stash of supplies for those inevitable last minute emergencies as you’re trying to leave the house.
- This one is controversial – consider keeping bedrooms for sleeping and only having minimal toys and extras in the space.
- Clean as you go. An important value to teach children as well – make a mess, tidy it up and move on to the next task or fun. The it doesn’t become overwhelming at the end of the week when the house looks like there’s been an explosion!
- Don’t keep every little thing your child produces! We see how much room scrapbooks, old toys, outgrown clothing, and sporting equipment can take up in a household. Multiply that by a few children and you’d need a second home for storage! Digitise your child’s school projects and artwork, donate or sell everything that is outgrown and consider where you can hire equipment or instruments instead of purchasing. Move it on and save your sanity!
Keeping a well organised home with children can be a challenge – but if you work as a team and try to do a little, but often, then we are sure you’ll thrive.
To a child LOVE is spelt T I M E – Zig Ziglar
