7 Tips on Keeping your Home Organized with Kids

As moms and parents, its not an easy task keeping our homes tidy and clean. Whether you're a stay at home mom or working mom, there never seems to be enough time in the day to clean. Are there days where I go to bed and the dishes aren’t done or the laundry isn’t put away? Of Course. However there are tips that help keep the house tidy. For the most part, if someone says they’re coming over,I can tidy up the house in an hour or so without feeling stressed or overwhelmed. These tips really help me stay organized on a daily basis.

1. Declutter.
   I did this at my old apartment and before I moved into my new pace. Throw out or donate items you don’t use or need. I use the Marie Kondo method and it really helped. I really applied it to the kids toys and it helps keep their rooms and playroom organized and neat. I kept only the toys they play with. I wrote a detailed description on thoughtful toys here.

2. Every item must have a place.

   This is so important especially when cleaning up. Any item in the house must have a place. So if you pick up a toy and just shove it in some random drawer or closet then that is just a recipe for a messy house. For my house, all the toys in the playroom have a place. Each bucket contains a category such as cars, blocks, legos, etc. If the toys are in the shared space in a living room, try to have an organization system that is concealed easily. The cube shelf with cube drawers as a TV stand is a great way to have everything look neat and an easy way to hide toys out of the way. In the kids rooms, make sure they know know where all their items go as well. Safa knows where all her clothes, toys and other items go and helps tidy up at the end of the day. This applies to every room: the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, pantry etc. If you find yourself shoving items or piling them on top of one another, that means you need to first declutter and then you can organize.
   

3. Try to keep toys and kids items in one area/room.

   If you have a lot of toys and multiple kids, try to have a designated area for them to play. Personally, my pet peeve is toys all over the house. Of course, I understand there will be some here and there but I do not want to be cleaning up toys from the entire house. Either keep them in a playroom or their bedroom. If it is in a shared space in the living room such as in an apartment, like I mentioned I would have them in a concealed way. A bench, tv stand, or cube shelf are great ways to keep it organized and neat. Our previous place was a very small apartment and we were still able to keep organized because majority of her toys stayed in her room. Now, all of their toys are in the playroom. I have a couple in the living room because sometimes they just want to be near me, which is fine too!
   

4. Baskets are your friends.

   I LOVE baskets. They are perfect for any space! I have them in my pantry for toilet paper and paper towels; I use them in the playroom for all the little blocks and legos; I have them in my living room for the prayer rugs and blankets and so on. They’re so versatile and perfect way to tidy up on short notice.

5. Have every family member be involved.

   I cannot stress the importance of this. If you are the sole person cleaning and trying to maintain the house, I guarantee you it will never stay organized. Every member of the family must know where everything goes and be a part of it on a daily basis. If children see the father not putting stuff away or leaching their shoes or socks out: the children will only emulate that. This will leave you feeling burnt out and exhausted. Secondly, the kids should be actively involved. Safa cleans up her toys after she plays with them; she puts her dirty clothes in the drawer and then she hangs her PJs or the next day outfit on the hooks. The reason why a 3.5 year old can do this is because she sees we are organized and putting our items away, she does the same.

6. Tidy up before bed.

   The best way to keep your house organized, its tidying up before bed. This doesn’t meant vacuuming and deep cleaning. I like to put all the kids toys away, tidy up the living room and make sure the kitchen counters are clean. This helps me to rest easily at night and start the next day on a happier note.
   

7. Buy less.

   This is probably the hardest for all of us but the easiest way to stay tidy, is to have less stuff. Clothes and toys are probably items most of us moms have too much of. For clothes, I really only buy for the season especially because kids grow out of items os quickly. For toys, Safa doesn’t buy any big toys or any toys that I know will be used for a short time. If we go out, she only can get small items like from the dollar section at Target or arts and craft type toys. This way, no big items come in the house and small ones are used and can be easily stored. Many people ask what to do with all the gifts that family and friends give. Many of my friends usually ask what to get the kids and if I do get gifts from others I will either donate it or re-gift if it is not something my kids need or will play with.