How do you stay organized with young children in the house? A lot of people find it nearly impossible. Organization seems like a constant uphill battle. Some parents don’t even know where to start. When you’re facing a mountain of clutter, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. The rest of this article will help you move forward. When it comes to staying organized with young children, here are the most important steps for you to take.
Don’t “Get Organized”
Do you tell yourself that you’re going to “get organized” when the new year arrives? Do you buy tons of organization products and hope that they’ll solve the problem? You want to get organized, but the mess always comes back. Lots of people make this mistake. It’s not just a matter of staying organized with young children, either. Even people without children struggle to get organized this way.
The problem comes from thinking about organization as a one-time event. People imagine that once they organize everything, they won’t deal with clutter again. The truth is that organization is a consistent thing. You need to make time for it on a daily basis. It doesn’t have to be a huge project, either. You might organize for ten minutes or so after the children go to bed. The key is to reframe your thoughts about organization. Instead of saying “I’m going to get organized,” say “I’m going to organize today.”
Remove What You Don’t Need
Most people have clutter simply because they have too much stuff. A lot of people start organizing by finding a place for everything. That’s a great step, but it shouldn’t be your first one. Start by getting rid of the things that you don’t need. If you’re interested in staying organized with young children, include your children’s toys in the process. What toys do your children still play with? Which toys have true sentimental value? Those are the ones that you should keep. The rest are simply taking up space.
Give Everything a Home
When you’re staying organized with young children, try to teach your little ones to give everything a home. For example, their clothes’ home is in the closet. Their books’ home is on the shelf. A lot of possessions shift aimlessly. They don’t have a designated space, so they land in the nearest convenient corner. That’s what causes clutter. When everything has a place, you can keep your spaces organized.
Teach Children How to Clean
You can’t stay organized with young children if they don’t clean, too. However, a lot of parents forget that children need to learn how to clean before they can do it themselves. Take some time to teach your children how to clean up after themselves.
Give Children Their Own Spaces
Give each of your children their own space to contain their odds and ends. This space might be a shelf in the mudroom or a plastic bin in the hall closet. Help your children get into the habit of placing things in this space. Once a week, have your children clean out their boxes or shelves. You can make it a part of their weekly chore routine.
Staying Organized with Young Children
Staying organized with young children isn’t easy. It takes a lot of teaching and patience. You can make it easier by instilling the right life skills into your children. That’s where Legacy Academy comes in. At Legacy Academy, our curriculum doesn’t just involve academics. It also emphasizes life skills like organization and chore participation. Ready to learn more? Contact Legacy Academy today. Come see how we can help you and your family.
