Managing the Mess
We have welcomed our third baby home and, since then, trying to stay afloat on housework has been a challenge. I feel defeated often but like to think about a meme I saw online about having a clean house, happy kids or your sanity—and that you can only choose two at a time (if that). Although that’s a great reminder you can't have your cake and eat it off a clean fork too, I do know that I am a better mom and wife when the house is picked up.
One tip that seems obvious is to enlist help from your family. I created some responsibility/chore charts with my older kids (5 and 3) and wish I would have done that a long time ago! They enjoy checking the chart and sensing the independence of having their own responsibilities. They are both charged with making their beds, helping with laundry and trash, bringing their dishes in from the table and picking up their toys at the end of the day. It used to be a battle (and could be again), but for now, the kids know what is expected of them. In our house, we hand out quarters each night if responsibilities are done.
Mariko Burger, Olathe mother of one, suggests, "When we have a ton of things out, I get out my baskets for each person’s items and they put their own things away." Jessi Cole, Olathe mother of three, utilizes baskets and her family's help to manage her home as well. "One of the easiest things I do that helps a ton is having baskets for each kind of toy. Each basket has a picture of the toy on the front so my kids know where to put everything. That way, they can clean up their messes without help.”
When I was feeling overwhelmed with trying to clean everything constantly, I created a cleaning schedule for myself. This has helped make cleaning more manageable and helps the kids know what Mommy has to get done today instead of pestering me all day while I attempt to clean everything. Creating an organized system that works for your family helps make managing the mess easier. That way everyone knows what the expectations are and where things go.
Incorporate games, challenges or simply play music to make tidying up less of a chore and more fun. If you feel your anxiety swelling because of the condition of your house, take 15 minutes to put it back in order. The family can do this together each evening to start the following day on a better note. If you're feeling completely overwhelmed, enlist help from an organized friend or even a professional organizer. Requesting house cleaning as a gift may be a great idea as well.
When all else fails, get out of the house! If you have just cleaned and would like it to remain that way for more than a nanosecond, take the kids out so they can’t make a mess. Initiate an after-dinner plan where one parent takes the kids for a bike ride, walk or to a park while the other enjoys some quiet while getting things reset for the next day.
Stephanie Loux writes from her home in Olathe and keeps attempting to balance managing the mess of her family while soaking up her children's littleness.