How to Maintain Organization in Your Home Even with Kids Around

Chores – the bane of children across the world. Many excuses have been made throughout history to avoid doing any, and even some adults today still dislike tasks. People fail to realize that chores are some of the ways parents instill responsibility to their kids. Being responsible should be passed on to the next generation for it is a trait that will help humanity thrive.

Responsibility starts at home. Jobs keep most parents out of their homes, but this situation has never stopped them from assigning chores to their kids. If you manage to find ways to make money from home, you would quickly learn that it is quite challenging to keep your home organized while your children scurry around. Let these tips help you:

It’s All about Leadership

Every member of your household should understand why you want the house neat and tidy. Some members may be exempted, like infants and toddlers, whereas the rest should do their part. Focus on:

• Teamwork – Explain to everyone that you all have to work together to keep the house spic and span. With everybody helping each other, it would be quicker to search for things as the whole family knows where everything is.
• Communication – It’s easier for people to do what is asked of them if the request is presented in a proper manner. Shouting may get your message heard but it doesn’t mean it’ll be understood. Be open to ideas especially if these will make the job simpler.

Have a Place for Everything

Arranging the things in your house can be overwhelming; however, it would be wise to maintain a system to keep things in order. Specify where each item should be stored.

• Gardening tools – These tools can corrode quickly if left at the mercy of the weather. Visit your nearest handyman store for a ready-made or easy-to-build shack or a great garden shed where all your tools can be safely kept.
• Mechanic tools – The garage is the best place for these items. Use toolboxes, shelves, or racks to organize your tools. You can also label these storage items for easier identification.
• Power tools – If you don’t have a separate space for a workshop, it is recommended to keep your power tools locked in a shed or a cabinet in your garage. Power tools are dangerous to the untrained individual, and you would want to avoid any accidents from happening.
• Dry goods – The cupboard can hold a wide array of items. Food that does not require refrigeration can be kept here along with other kitchen items, such as paper plates or cups.
• Dining utensils – Keep dining utensils neatly arranged in kitchen organizers and have a child lock in place to keep your young ones away from them.
• Cleaning items – Household cleaning items should be stored in a dry place away from food. A ground kitchen cabinet, a stairs cabinet, or a bathroom cabinet are excellent spots. Always remember to deploy child-proof measures to keep the little ones safe.
• Reading materials – Books and magazines can be placed on shelves, magazine racks, coffee tables, or inside space savers. If you have a reading nook or a study room in your house, you can have all of your reading materials there in one place.
• Dirty clothes – Put laundry bins inside each bedroom or near your laundry area. Instruct everyone to place their dirty clothes in these bins each day.
• Toys – Have a box or chest for kids to store their toys in. They can also use their room shelves or cabinets to keep their toys. Remind them never to leave their toys scattered around, and train them to tidy everything after playing.

Maintain a Task Schedule

General house cleaning is often done at the weekend so that everybody can help out. The amount of work needed, however, can be lessened by having a chore schedule for the entire week. You can place your plan on a cork board or stick it on the refrigerator using magnets.

• Garbage disposal – Assign someone to be responsible for taking out the trash. Do not wait for the trash cans to fill up. If for some reason you can only take out the garbage once a week, do it a day before the garbage collectors do their rounds.
• Dirty dishes – Whether you have a dishwasher or not, designating someone for this chore lessens the weekend workload. Divide the days to the number of identified people. Do supervise your children especially those who are old enough to handle this chore until you become confident of their skills.
• Floor work – If your babies or toddlers love crawling or playing on the floor, a daily sweep and mop are needed. Otherwise, you can sweep daily, mop every other day, and vacuum once or twice a week.
• Garden work – Watering your plants or lawn can be done with an automated sprinkler system or spend some hose-time daily. Weeding and checking for bugs can be done once a week.
• Laundry day – This is perhaps one of the most essential tasks that need proper scheduling. Fight the urge to let dirty laundry pile up as your family might end up with no clean clothes to wear.
• Car wash – Cleaning your car at home is a lot better than taking it to an automated car wash. You can provide the right amount of time and care needed as well as guarantee that the car is cleaned inside out. It is also an excellent opportunity for parent-child bonding.
• Pet care – Your pets are part of the family too, and they should have feeding and cleaning times. The schedule frequency for such would vary depending on the type of pet you have.

Prioritize Safety

To cap everything off, the prevailing thought behind all the tips listed above is safety. As much as you would want your family members to learn and value responsibility, you should always guarantee that they can accomplish their chores safely.

• Provide gloves or face masks as needed.
• Educate them with the proper use of tools and appliances.
• Warn them about the hazards of household chemicals.

You may not be around all the time to supervise them, but there will be fewer worries if you give the right amount of effort to teach them how to do things safely.

With proper planning and every family member’s cooperation, your house can be clean and organized even when you have kids around.