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You guys know that my 3 oldest kids are all very close in age. By the time Ethan was born Hannah was only 3 years old, and I had Carter in the middle. It was crazy. I basically had 3 babies all at home with me. I’ve always loved having a clean home and I think everyone is happier in a tidy space, but holy cow it seemed really hard when I was suddenly really outnumbered. It’s amazing how fast 3 toddlers can trash a place, and I learned very early on that if I wanted a tidy house I would have to stay on top of the mess. Here are a few simple tips for keeping a tidy house with kids, that I picked up early on, and we still implement everyday, now that those toddlers are busy teenagers, coming and going and we’ve added another little cutie to the mix. I hope these help you if you’re a fellow mama who feels like she’s drowning in legos and laundry. A tidy house is possible!
Never leave a room empty handed. Whenever you get up from the table or the couch to leave a room or a space, look around and see if there’s something you can grab really quick and take with you to put away where you are going. You will be amazed how much tidying get done just moving things back to where they came from when you’re already going there. And it’s quick!
Tidy when you come and go. In the same vein. When you come into a room, if you notice its needs tidying, just straighten it up really quick. When you get up from the couch, straighten the pillows and fold the blanket you were using before you leaving the room. If you get a book out, put it back when you’re done. You’ll be surprised how much your kids will pick up this habit just by watching you.
Keep a catch all basket handy. I started doing this when my kids were little and leaving toys and things everywhere, especially because I don’t always have time to put everything away. I have a catch all basket handy to drop things out of place in throughout the day, then at the end, it all gets collected and put away. This keeps the out-of-place things from ending up all over the house.
Have a place for everything. It’s really easy for things to get messy fast if there isn’t a place for things. So take a minute and decide where things go in your house. Be strategic. If your kids like to play with toys in the family room, get a little box to keep a few of them. We love getting cozy with blankets on movie nights or when the kids are reading, so I keep them tucked in crates and baskets around our living rooms so they don’t end up all over the place. And if you don’t have a place or space for something, you may want to let it go.
Get your kids involved. Let your little ones help you clean up! Even if they aren’t that little anymore. My kids help with everything around the house. They clean their own rooms, do their own laundry (except Ava), help with the dishes after dinner, do farm work with us. It’s fun to work as a family. Getting your kids involved in the process when they are little means it’ll be second nature to them to clean up!
Hopefully you find these helpful! What are some things you’ve done in your home to stay on top of the mess and keep it tidy?
These are great tips, thankyou! As a mum of young kids, I’m struggling with a messy house, and feeling so overwhelmed that I give up. I cried to my husband the other night after spending an hour in a room for my toddler to come in and mess it all back up in 5 minutes.
I try doing the “finish it” method. So instead of clearing a plate and putting it on the bench, take the extra few seconds to put it back or when you get the cereal out for breakfast, put it straight back etc. It’s a good habit if you’re not doing it already. This helped me.