Parents, are you overwhelmed by the amount of messes your children generate? Are you so exhausted from the demands of parenting that picking up after everybody is the last thing you want to do?
The last thing I want to do is to give you more work! But I hope I can give you some ideas that with a little effort will save you time and stress and help you find some peace and order in your families life.
Having children will drastically increase the amount of stuff in your home. Add kids to a house that already has a lot of stuff and things will get crazy. If your stuff is not kept in check, then your things will become clutter. Clutter will block the healthy flow of energy in your home and will inhibit the flow of a healthy life.
Clutter is anything that no longer serves a purpose in your life. Clutter can also be things you love and find useful if they are scattered around and unorganized. Are you constantly bumping into things or unable to find what you’re looking for? The order or chaos of our belongings affects our health and our ability to work and enjoy life.
1. Have regular clear outs or things will get out of control.
With all that growing and learning, kids need a lot of stuff like books, toys and clothes. New things come in, but do old things go out? Go through their things on a regular basis and keep things moving along. Donating what they have outgrown will feel good knowing that other kids will benefit.
2. Teach Your Kids to pick up after themselves.
Kids thrive on routine and parents will benefit from this one. Creating this routine from the beginning and making it fun will support the order and balance in your home and life for years to come.
3. Clear your own clutter.
This will give you energy, clear your mind and help you to function at an optimal level. Get a babysitter and spend the day or choose one day each week and spend 1 hour clearing clutter. To experience the on-going benefits, do it on an on-going basis.
Clutter Clearing Guidelines:
- Keep only things that you absolutely love or find useful.
- Ask, Why am I keeping this? Is it worth it to maintain? Is this still meaningful for my child or helping them in their development?
If this is overwhelming to do alone, call a friend or a professional to help you with this process.
Clearing clutter can feel really good. If your kids are old enough get them involved and have fun. Once you let go of the things that are no longer serving you, the weight of this burden will be lifted and you may want to get rid of more stuff. Taking the time to go through your things will create more quality time to spend with your family. The extra effort will be worth it when the peace and order are restored to your home and life.
