Can You Luxuriate in a Clutter-Free Home with Kids?
Is it possible? Am I talking about utopia here? Read on and perhaps you might learn a trick or two.
I only have one kid. Yes, one. But his clutter is in all our living spaces. From the moment he arrives from school, drops his bag and eventually starts his homework. If you have even more kids, can you imagine the number of things doubles/triples/quadruples... Sorry my dear son, if you get to read this! Anyway, I've decided to take charge and remove that clutter forever ... or at least as long as possible!
First, outline your day.
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For each of your children/spouse/loved one, find out their routine. When they get home, where do they place their things? Do they remove their shoes? Place their bag on the floor? What do they do first? Find out their daily ritual all the way til they sleep at night. List down all the things and areas you need to provide organization-- such as keys, shoes, letters, jackets, bags.
Second, make space and make plans.
Ready an area for your command center. It should have all the basics. That means, a place to keep shoes, jackets/coats, bags, keys. Maybe even their schedules and chores!
I know it isn't really trendy here to have a command center. But once I placed mine, wow, the changes it made to a more organized home is immense! You don't need a large area for this, by the way. So no worries if you live in a studio unit.
Third, label each space.
Label them too. That way, they have a sense of ownership. The labels are important! Whether it's handwritten or printed, do make a label. If you have smaller kids, let them decorate their own name. They will feel proud and be more likely to actually use the space.
Finally, train your loved ones!
If they're used to putting their things everywhere, it's about time to train them that you specifically placed an area for all of their belongings. Yes, training is always key. No need to nag, mind you. But if you made everything real pretty too, won't it be pleasant to use?