Toys.They take over our lives. We curse them under our breath as we stumble upon them in the middle of the night, and the sight of them strewn over our house during the day makes us let out long sighs of frustration. That being said, here are a few tips to get your kids organized and (hopefully) stay organized.
The organization, Here We Come!
Of course, this one is an obvious one. “But how?!” you ask! We say, “Bins, buckets, and baskets galore!” They are cheap, they hide away the mess and look great. The best part about it all? You won’t have to look at them once they’re put away.
Make sure that the box, bin or basket that you are using is light enough for your child to be able to pick up on their own. Grab a sharpie and start labeling each with the contents it is housing. Writing it out or drawing a picture of what is inside will communicate to your child where they need to place things back during clean-up. Have your kids help so that they feel like they are a big part of this grand experience!
Once you are done organizing and everything has a home, it is time to get pumped and show the kids around! If they see how excited you are, they will naturally fall into the excitement, as well, and be more invested in helping to keep the place clean.
Stay Organized (as much as possible)!
Okay, so you’ve got kids. Schedules change, habits shift and sometimes you downright can’t get them to cooperate with you! We get it. But these next few points will help you get back to and staying on track:
- Dedicate time to put the toys back to where they belong. Whether it is before dinner or after a bedtime bath, it is important that your child understands that the toys are to go back to their “homes”. Make this a routine and something that “must” be done before they head off to bed.
- Purging on a routine basis is key to keeping your home clutter-free. Run a monthly scan of your children’s toys. If a toy has been replaced with a newer more amusing item, it’s time to find it a better home!
- Set a timer for cleaning up. It could be 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes (or more). Whatever fits best for your family. Turn the timer on and tell your kids they have until it goes off to put all their toys away. If they are a bit older, have them race against each other. Just the pure thought of a “winner” will get them racing to fill those bins up!