How to Keep Your Home Organized with Toddlers Running Around

Cleaning up after a home sounds like a Herculean task when one has two very active toddlersᅳleaving toys, clothes, and crumbs all over the place. But with a few strategic means and some consistency, it's really possible to maintain an organized home even with those little ones underfoot. Here are a few ways:

1. Regular declutter

The fewer things you have, the less mess you can make. Regularly go through your home and rid yourself of things like toys, clothes, and other miscellaneous items your kids may have outgrown. Let your children get involved by allowing them to choose some of the things to purge from your home to donate. Fewer possessions mean cutting back on cleaning time and it makes cleaning up very easy.

2 Kid-friendly storage

Have bins, baskets, and shelves that are reachable, so that you children can rummage and put away their toys, art supplies, and all the other miscellaneous articles a toddler seems to need. Label them with pictures, so your little ones know where stuff goes. Make it fun to clean up. Challenge the kids to a speed cleaning contest or turn on some tunes and race to get everything back in its place before the song ends.

3. Establish Play Zones

As opposed to letting toys be all over the place in the house, you may want to assign certain places for your kids to play at, maybe in a corner in the living room or in their bedrooms. It will limit the mess and make it feel more controlled. You can also define the specific play space using mats or rugs.

4. Have a place for everything

Give everything a "home": the coats go in the closet, dirty clothes in the hamper, toys in the play area, etc. Get the kids used to returning items to their spot as soon as they are done with that item. In the beginning, you may have to remind them over and over again, but eventually, they will do it out of habit.

5. Clean as you go

Don't leave everything to the end of the day; you'll probably only feel dejected about it. Do short intervals during the day, such as picking up things, wiping surfaces clean, and bringing everything back into place. Let the children help so they learn responsibility.

6. A daily schedule for cleaning

Clean as you go, but also take the opportunity during any free time to do simple tasks that will help your home stay clean. For instance, do the dishes, run the laundry, vacuum main living areas, etc. Doing a little bit at a time really helps prevent messes from getting great. You may also want to consider hiring a green cleaning service in Seattle to deep clean periodically.

7. Be Imperfect

Remember, your house doesn't have to look magazine-perfect to be a happy home. Aim for "good enough" and don't stress if there are always a few toys on the floor or fingerprints on the windows. A lived-in look is normal when you have toddlers.

Keeping your home organized with young children is an ongoing process that requires flexibility and patience. Some simple systems and a way to get your toddlers involved in age-appropriate ways will do wonders for keeping up with the daily chaos and still having a clean space. And if you need help getting your home deep cleaned and refreshed, a Seattle cleaning company can help you start with a clean slate.

Nanny to Mommy