Kids are cute. Their laughter is like none other. They are quite forgiving. They are easy when it comes to dinner mayhem (as in, nothing is for dinner, how 'bout a sandwich?). They find delight in the littlest of little - sunshine, rain, puddles, cookie dough, a cheese stick, homemade play-do, tickling and laughing. Really, kids remind us that there is joy ALL around us!
But sometimes that "joy all around us" gets cluttered with a mess of toys, uncleaned dishes, unfolded laundry, sheets that need changing, toilets that need scrubbing, backpacks, paper, pillows on the floor, etc. Sound familiar to anyone?
Lately, I've been regressing when it comes to "handling the mess" that comes with kids. It might be that I have a 16 month old who simply loves to throw toys and get in cabinets, pulling out cotton balls and bottles of lotion and jelly roll pans for no reason other than to drive me batty! My 3 1/2 year old is a fairly good "picker-upper" when asked, but she's a contributor as well. Dealing with the reality that life isn't a magazine cover can be hard!
I'm trying to do a few things to help myself handle this season of mess just a bit better. It's not leaving anytime soon, so I've got to adjust my attitude and expectations. Cleaning up as you go throughout the day is helpful. Get the little mess-makers in on the fun of cleaning up their toys! I'm a firm believer that kids won't play with toys productively if they're just thrown across the floor. Some organization is helpful simply for more productive play.
Ask your kids to help with tasks around the house. I've discovered my daughter thinks it is really something FUN (see first paragraph of this blog) to have a pink sponge to help clean sinks with! Jackpot, people! Involve the kids in the work where you can. You're accomplishing some of the tasks on the list - cleaning dishes, clearing the table, emptying the dishwasher, cleaning the sinks - and you're teaching kids to be responsible and take part in keeping the house clean.
Storage bins are great! We've got the 9 cubed system from Target with colorful bins for some of those spaces. We also have a bookshelf and another toy organizational holder with different colored-sized bins. I don't know how else you can organize toys without some of these basic essentials! Label the outside of bins or boxes if possible to make clean-up easier for your kids and their little friends. For younger children, take a picture of the items that go inside the corresponding bin and tape it to the outside. Even little kids can help with just a picture!
Another suggestion is to have just a couple (1-3) goals for yourself in the day to strive for. Whether that is cleaning those dreadful toilets, mopping the floor, or simply having a hot dinner, figure out the goal and strive for just that. If you get other things accomplished in the day, great! But Moms can sometimes feel overloaded because we're trying to break a world record while having kids at home. Not possible. All that might get you is in one grumpy mood, some unhappy kids, and a clean house. Do you really want the latter if your compromise is the former? I don't think so. Set realistic goals for yourself, and give yourself some grace when you don't achieve what you set out to. Parenthood is by far predictable, so when the best-laid plans blow up in smoke, give yourself a break. Every day (most) is not a magazine cover. Strive for the simple, the joyful, and the content.