• PARENTING
    • POSITIVE PARENTING
    • MOM LIFE
    • CHILD SAFETY
    • HEALTHY KIDS
    • ACTIVITIES & BIRTHDAY
    • SCHOOL
    • BABY & MOM FREEBIES
  • SLEEP & ROUTINES
  • BIG EMOTIONS
  • HOLIDAYS
    • GIFT GUIDES
    • CHRISTMAS
    • EASTER
    • HALLOWEEN
    • NEW YEARS EVE
    • VALENTINE’S DAY
↑
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Parenting Tools
  • Learning Tools for Kids

The Pragmatic Parent

Positive Parenting for Connection and Thriving Family, Emotional Tools for Developing Kid’s Emotional Intelligence, Daily Routine Charts & Create a Schedule with Kids, Fun Family Activities, Calm Parenting and Stop Yelling Parenting

  • PARENTING
    • POSITIVE PARENTING
    • MOM LIFE
    • CHILD SAFETY
    • HEALTHY KIDS
    • ACTIVITIES & BIRTHDAY
    • SCHOOL
    • BABY & MOM FREEBIES
  • SLEEP & ROUTINES
  • BIG EMOTIONS
  • HOLIDAYS
    • GIFT GUIDES
    • CHRISTMAS
    • EASTER
    • HALLOWEEN
    • NEW YEARS EVE
    • VALENTINE’S DAY

It’s Possible to Have a Mess-Free House While Raising Kids

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Do you feel like you can never keep your house clean? Everywhere you look, you see toys left out? Does it seem that you minute you pack away the broom and dust pan your kids inevitably leave a trail of cracker crumbs not five minutes later?

This was our home too. Until I snapped.

I lost it, actually. 

I was stuck in a rut feeling like I was constantly cleaning, picking up toys strew on the floors and wiping up messes.

My time was spent cleaning more than my time was spent playing with my kids.

I was irritable, getting upset when one of the kids dropped something on the floor instead of finding a way to make it a teachable moment and turning into some kind of cleaning witch.

Thankfully, gone are my days of having flames shooting out of my ears.

We have a organization system in place that keeps lets us live in a mess free home, even with three kids and two big dogs.

(And most importantly, doesn’t involve me scrubbing the floors everyday!)

 

I WAS YOUR TYPICAL CONSUMER WHO HAD TOO MUCH

My house was full of “stuff” before I had kids but once we found out we were pregnant, the accumulation of baby clothes, toys, and items such as activity centers, play areas and supplies seemed to multiply each month and quickly – especially having twins and thinking that we *needed* two of everything!

And while we eventually outgrew the baby stuff, next came toddler and then big kid stuff. Mountains of stuff. It seemed like we couldn’t get away from growing our inventory of clothes and toys or dig out from the “stuff” that was overtaking our house.

We knew we wanted a clean house that was functional but still kid-friendly and finally through many purges and trial and error organization methods, we’ve found a way to streamline our items, live without clutter, organize our playroom and family areas and most importantly, find a cleaning system that doesn’t take much time every day.

We wake up in a mess free home and go to bed in a clean house. Here’s how!

Keep Your House Clean and Mess-Free Even with Kids and all the toys!

Copyright 2mmedia

ELIMINATE (& Then Eliminate Some More)

The first thing you must do to live in a clean house is to get rid of all the non-essentials.

Kids grow fast – they grow out of toys, out of clothes, out of phases and we think they need more than they actually do.

Our homes are filled with material objects we – at one point – thought we *had to have.*

If you want a clean house, you have to start by doing a monster purge. This involves your children’s toys, clothing, equipment and the rest of your home.

I love using the  KonMari method for clothing and books, and to listen to our gut about what possession we have that we’re holding onto for sentimental reasons instead of necessity. Read this for an easy tutorial to decluttering once and for all.

BONUS DOWNLOAD:  Decluttering & Eliminating Checklist For Your Whole Home

 
DON’T BUY NEW UNLESS… 

Stop buying things. Don’t bring more into your home unless you’ve prepared to get rid of something else. These two rules will save you a lot of mess and money!

Do not buy new unless it’s for birthdays or holidays. 

This was a tough rule for us to adhere to at first because our children’s interests changed frequently and it felt like we were always bringing new items in the house or the backyard to keep everyone busy and entertained.

But then, those purchases were only adding to the mess in our house and our kids were not only making me unhappy, but our kids weren’t playing with their toys for very long before losing interest and their creativity was becoming stagnant.

PROVEN FACT: boredom is an incredible creativity booster for children!

 

When kids are surrounded with light-up toys and a constant stream of new entertainment, they loose the ability to tap into their imaginations. Children who have less, play longer with the limited toys they have, increase their attention spans and can engage for longer periods of time, and most importantly, use their imaginations to create games and entertainment.

The bottom line is that having too many toys and things, makes your house messy, harder to keep clean and tidy and stifles kid’s imaginations.

When it’s time for our twins’ birthday, we make a note on invitations to not bring gifts. Sometimes guests still bring gifts and we donate these items to organizations that our children select.

Our gift to our children is throwing them a birthday party and we buy them one present that they will use all summer. In the past, this has been bikes, scooters and a hard shell pool for the backyard where they can be physical active and be creative!

Before Christmas, we go through all of the toys in our house to see what they’ve outgrown or don’t have any interest in any longer. The kids also participate and fill a boy of toys to donate to make room for any presents they receive over the holidays. At the holidays, consider gifting experiences instead of filling your home with more toys!

 

MAKE RULES FOR PICKING UP MESSES 

We have one main rule in our house –  clean up your toys before you play with something new.

It took some getting used to but has really helped that this is also a rule at preschool, and we all know that consistency is key!  Now, we never have messes that need to be cleaned up throughout the day and it’s so nice.

If you ever notice your house piling up with toys, institute the magic 2-Minute Clean-Up for a quick fix to an all-over house clean-up.

 

Want a Mess-Free Home? Target Your Dumping Grounds and Set Up Organization Solutions

Copyright GoodMoodPhoto


FIND YOUR DUMPING GROUNDS & IMPLEMENT A SYSTEM

There is a place for everything in our house even if it’s in the laundry basket.

It takes some time to establish habits but if you make an effort to identify your dumping grounds – whether it’s on the floor of your closet, entry table or kitchen counter space that serves as your catch-all – create a system that solves these areas.

We have laundry baskets in everyone’s closet and labeled bins in the entry of our house so mail, keys, magazines, etc. all have a place to immediately go when we enter the house or bring in the mail.

In the garage, we have a storage system for jackets and sweaters to be hung up and bins for shoes so our kids have one place to find and put their shoes on and keep their jackets.

Here is a quick tutorial on how to assemble your own storage system for jacket and shoes with a bookcase and 30 minutes. Here is a great system you can buy and put into your garage, mudroom or entry to have one set stop for shoes and coats.


SET-UP DESIGNATED PLAY AREAS

Choose one or two places in your home that are for playing and keep the toys corralled into these areas so they don’t get strewn all over your home.

Teach your children that toys stay in those areas and once they’re done playing in the room, they need to clean up after themselves before moving on.

For example, our kids have some toys and books in their rooms for quiet time, a playroom and a basket in our living room with a handful of play items and quiet activities.

If the kids move from the playroom to the living room, they pick up first before moving to the next room and starting a new project in there.

 

Set up Designated Toy and Play Areas For an Organized and Mess-Free Home

Copyright antagonist


EXPERIENCES TRUMP MATERIALISM

How many times have you thought you’ve bought the perfect for your child only to see that their interest in it lasted for ten minutes and they’ve dropped it behind and moved onto something else?

Children don’t need material items, what they need are memorable experiences.

I know my children would always choose to head out of the house and go to the zoo or even have a picnic over playing at home with their toys. They want to get go and see things and most importantly, want their parent’s undivided attention and time with their family.

Do you think your child would rather have a toy or go out and get ice cream with you? Do you think your child wants a baby doll as a gift or a stroll around the neighborhood one-on-one with Mom?

In the long run, what do you think will mean more to your child and to your relationship with your child. the memories and experiences you share together, not the toys you bought them.


GO PAPERLESS

Paper is the number one thing that leads to clutter and mess. It’s everywhere!

Mail, bills, magazines, work, homework, arts and crafts, junk mail, school projects, newspapers… it consumes your countertops, drawers and filing systems.

Turn your valuable documents (mortgage, life insurance, wills, birth certificates, investments, taxes) into digital files, and when you’re ready, start this process for everything else that comes into your home that you need to save. Create a digital file of the document, save it to an appropriate folder, and back-it up (this one is a little pricey, but HUGE and a high-quality brand.)

What subscriptions can you do without and what can you automate to paperless so that it never even enters your home? Subscribe for electronic billing and turn your kid’s artwork into digital files for easy storage.

 

RECAP FOR A MESS FREE HOME

Having a mess free home while raising kids is not easy, but the hard work is on the front-end during the decluttering and eliminating that you need to do before you can really get started.

Once you get rid of all the non-essentials, you’ll not only feel a huge relief, but the burden of trying to keep your home clean will be immediately lessened.

The rules for having a clean and mess-free home while raising kids:

  • Declutter & eliminate the non-essentials
  • Don’t Bring Anything New Into Your House Unless You Get Rid of Something Else
  • Don’t Buy New Unless for Birthdays & Holidays
  • Your Kid’s Don’t Need A lot of Toys (this is much better for creativity & imagination anyways)
  • Make Rules for Cleaning Up Toys & Messes
  • Set Up Designated Play Areas
  • Find Your Dumping Ground Areas & Create Organization Systems
  • Remember, Kids Will Always Choose Experiences Over More Toys
  • Go Paperless and Eliminate the Paper Stacks In Your Home

BONUS DOWNLOAD:  Decluttering & Eliminating Checklist For Your Whole Home

 

 

WANT MORE? 

  • Overwhelming Situations When Parents Should Step In and Intervene
  • 25 Ways to be a More Playful Parent
  • How to Create a Positive Home (and why this will affect your kids forever) 
  • How to Help Develop Emotional Intelligence in Children
  • Family Traditions For a Memorable Childhood
  • The Best Inside Activities for High-Energy Kids
  • Put an End to Power Struggles

 

Filed Under: MOM LIFE

Comments

  1. Kayla says

    June 2, 2016 at 1:46 PM

    I love this. This is everything we do too. There is no reason in keeping toys if they will never get used. I find that having only a few toys helps my children learn to respect what they have. I have 4 kids under 6 years old and I can keep my house clean too. It is possible.

    Reply
    • Corinne says

      June 2, 2016 at 3:09 PM

      I definitely noticed a difference in keeping our house clean (and better concentrated play for the kids) when we started whittling down our toy collection too. I like having a clean and picked up house too. 🙂 BTW, I love your site – it’s gorgeous and the art projects look amazing!

      Reply
  2. Nikki Crump says

    June 29, 2016 at 6:52 PM

    These are great tips and I’m going to use these.

    Reply
    • Corinne says

      June 30, 2016 at 3:00 PM

      Glad they’ll help in your house! Thanks for commenting and visiting. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Jennie Jones says

    July 19, 2018 at 5:02 AM

    I really like what you said about cleaning up after yourself before leaving a room. This is great information and I totally agree with it, but recently I had a huge party at my vacation house and I will need a cleaning service to pick up after me. It would be great if I can find a cleaning service that can take the job on for me and get the place all cleaned up.

    Reply
  4. Airbnb Cleaning says

    December 12, 2018 at 11:30 PM

    You have a great insights. Thanks for sharing it. It really make sense.

    Reply
  5. Julie Seeney says

    July 26, 2021 at 8:31 PM

    I love the advice about setting up a designated play area! I really need to do this as the whole on my living room is like a child’s play centre at the minute 🙂

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

CAN THIS HELP YOUR FAMILY TO THRIVE?

Grab your FREE copy of 8 Not-So-Great Parenting Habits to Break Today (& Simple Fixes for Big Changes) when you join 60,000+ Other Readers who Receive the Weekly Parenting Tip & Printables

**We never spam or distribute your details.

Free Baby Products for Mom and Freebies for Baby. Stock up on awesome baby essentials and new baby products you'll need and use. These baby essentials come in a variety of patterns including baby wrap, baby sling, baby carrier, carseat canopy or carseat cover, hooded towels, nursing pillow, pregnancy pillow and more.

Raising children can feel overwhelming. Let me help!

CHECK OUT MY FREE EMAIL COURSES

Could you use a little extra help?

HERE YOU'LL FIND THE MOST POPULAR PARENTING RESOURCES

72 Printable Family Conversation Cards

$5.00

Kid's Positive Affirmation Cards

$5.00

Calm Mama Kit (4 Most Popular Tools)

$26.99

WHAT'S TRENDING...

50 Screen-Free Activities to keep kids occupied this Summer. Never hear, "I'm Bored" again with this fun and practical list of 50 Kid's Summer Activities.

50 Screen-Free Activities for Kids This Summer

Nature Scavenger Hunt PDF Printable for Kids to Do an Outdoor Scavenger Hunt

FREE Nature Scavenger Hunt PDF Printable for Kids

Living with parenting anxiety is no way to live. Grounding techniques help you handle your parenting anxiety and stress that can be more helpful for immediate relief than medication. Put your parenting worries to rest. Battling anxiety as a mom can be lonely and overwhelming.

Parents: Get Immediate Relief from Anxiety & Stress

Morning, Evening, Chore, & Routine Charts for Kids. Check out these 11 Awesome Kids Charts for Chores & Daily Routine. Brilliant Printable Reward Charts to Start Using Today. 

11 Helpful Charts for Kids: Chores, Reward & Daily Routines to Help Kids Thrive

RECEIVE THE WEEKLY PARENTING TIP

Grab your FREE copy of 8 Not-So-Great Parenting Habits to Break Today (& Simple Fixes to Big Changes) when you join Over 60,000+ Other Parents & Readers who Receive the Weekly Practical Parenting Tip & Occasional Freebie

We never spam or distribute your email.

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • SHOP
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
Copyright ©2022, The Pragmatic Parent. All Rights Reserved.
Design by Pixel Me Designs