Positively Family

Family Home Organizing and Storage Issues

Having a family with young kids can be trying when it comes to organizing the home and keeping the home organized. Trying to find storage space can be just as trying.

The number one thing is for the whole family to be involved in helping. Having little children doesn’t mean they can’t help clean up behind themselves. It’s great that the kids help with the chores. It’s important to KEEP cleaning as you go, rather than putting things off. That helps a ton!

For the laundry issue…. every time there is a load of clothes, wash. Get rid of clothes that don’t fit anymore or box them up if they are to be handed down and store them. Towels used for bathing can be hung up to dry and reused. after all after a bath a body is supposed to be clean so the towel used to dry with will be clean.

Having a ton of clothes is really something that’s not necessary. You of course need and want enough to make do with, but having more clothes than you can possibly wear is a waste of closet and drawer space. If you have THAT many clothes, clean out.

Go through things like the clothes, toys, dishes, etc, and clean out what you don’t use or just don’t need. When you make a new purchase, on say sheets for example, throw out the worn out ones or cut them up and use them as dust clothes. When replacing things, get rid of what’s being replaced.

Storage issues can be a real problem for some homes. Get a multi hook rack for bedroom doors for jammies and jackets and such. Get some plastic storage boxes that are made to slide under the beds for extra blankets, freeing up closet space. Get plastic storage containers for the kids toys so they are in one place. Out of season clothes can be stored in these in the closet too, and they stack nicely (but not for the little ones!)

Bills can be organized easily by putting them in a letter stacker or small box, in order of what’s due first or what you intend to pay first and when. When mail comes in, go through it right then and file the bills in the bill paying organizer or toss junk mail.

The main thing is to stress to the entire family that everything has a home, a place it goes. When it’s not being used, it’s put in its proper place, not just put down and let here or there. Clean clothes are kept put up, dirty clothes go in the hamper until there’s a load then washed and dried, then put up. Toys that aren’t being played with are put up. If a mess is made in the bathroom, it’s cleaned up then and there, not left.

The storage issue is one that will usually require spending a few dollars to get some items to store and organize…. storage containers, boxes, chests, drawers, book shelves, CD holders, bill holders, etc.

Once you get into a routine and the family is in a routine, staying organized will become normal and natural.

Seven Cleaning Tips for the Family

These are tips that the entire family can and should use. All family members living in the home should help take care of the home they live in. Almost everyone can do something, even small children. There is NO reason why Mom should clean up behind herself and everyone else too! After all, if everyone is partaking of the blessings of the home to live in, everyone should help take care of it. While no one will change overnight, incorporating these tips into your daily life will soon make new and neater habits for even the messiest of the messies.

1. If you make a mess, clean it up immediately. Don’t say you will get it after a while, do it now. Once you walk away from it, chances are that you won’t go back to it. Make a habit of cleaning up as you go! This saves time and keeps the home clean and organized. Washing dishes as you cook works great if you don’t want a pile after the meal, fold and put away the laundry as soon as it’s done, and have the kids put away toys they are done with before they take more out.

2. If you use it, put it back where it belongs. Don’t wait until later, do it immediately! Again, once you leave it, chances are you won’t go back to it, and whatever you used will not be put away. Have family members learn to put things where they belong when they are done with the item.

3. Have a place where things live. Everything has a home! Instead of just laying something down anyplace, always put it where it belongs. If you make a habit of putting things up THEN, and having the family do the same, it will become a habit to automatically put things away in the correct
place.

4. Never go to bed with a dirty kitchen. Even if you don’t do dishes right after a meal (I don’t), make sure the kitchen is clean before bed. If the kitchen is clean and someone decides on a snack after, have them clean up anything they mess up. Wipe the counters, the stove, and the table, and make sure the sink is empty and clean.

5. Bathrooms should always be clean! Keep Clorox Wipes in the bathroom so that anyone can use them immediately if needed. These are great for cleanups!

6. When you are cleaning out, have a bag or box for items no longer needed or used. Donate them, sell them, but get rid of them! There’s no greater clutter than things we don’t have need for. Clothes that we no longer wear, toys the children are too old for, books we have read and that just sit on shelves….whatever is in your home that’s not needed, get rid of it as you clean. When you put items no needed or used in that bag or box, make a note to have the items out of your home no later than seven days from the date you packed them. Don’t just move the clutter, get rid of it!

7. Take time to declutter! If your home is really cluttered, make yourself start the cleaning process by taking at least 15 minutes a day to clean it. It’s a great thought to try and clean the entire house at once, and if you can do that, great! But for the person that cannot do that, make it a goal to start at 15 minutes and work on up to more as you go in the following days. Start with the kitchen and bathroom. These are two rooms that should always be clean and sanitary. Make it a goal to clean those two rooms and keep them clean. Then work on the rest of the home. Once you have a room clean and organized, KEEP it clean and organized!

Each of these tips are attainable! While everyone is different and works at a different pace, at the same time, everyone can do this! It cannot be stressed enough that ALL members living in the home should do their part. There is no excuse for anyone to not help out unless they are physically or mentally unable to do so. Even a baby that crawls at six months can be taught to begin put their toy into the toy box. Get everyone involved and get organized!