Keeping family homes neat and tidy is anything but easy. Any parent will tell you that. A lot of time outside of work goes toward keeping everything clean and ship shape.
Unfortunately, many parents can find themselves overwhelmed by the amount of work that needs to be done. Dishes quickly pile up in the sink, laundry baskets start overflowing, and toys seem to find their way into every corner of every room.
The good news is that this post is here to help. We explore some of the ways to master the chaos in your home and straighten everything out. Here’s what you need to know.
Set Priorities
The first thing to do is set priorities. Commit to the most important tasks first and relegate everything else.
Many parents fall into the trap of believing they need to do it all, which often results in a losing battle against the chaos. Instead, focus on the 20 percent of tasks that will generate 80 percent of the results. If you have time for extras, go ahead and do them, but don’t force yourself.
Pick A Routine Cleaning Day
Another strategy is to pick a routine cleaning and tidying day. One day per week you give your home an overhaul, removing and reducing the mess that accumulates during the week.
The weekends make excellent cleaning days, but you could also commit to them after work. Setting aside just two hours a week is often enough to keep the house in shape.
Enlist Your Kids
You should also enlist the help of your kids if you want to reduce the amount of chaos at home. Asking children to assist you can provide enormous benefits and help you prevent the mess from being created in the first place.
For example, you could train your kids to put away toys once they finish using them. This approach should be instinctive, reducing the risk of toys strewn across the floor.
You should also teach them the value of carefully putting things like puzzles and Legos away. These items require even more care and attention and also cause a lot of mess.
Rotate Toys
On the toy front, you might also consider rotating them. This approach reduces the clutter in your home and also increases the number of playthings available to your kids.
Check to see if any toy cooperatives operate in your area. With these, you can exchange old for new toys, allowing your kids to diversify their play.
Stop Keeping Everything At Home
Many parents also use cheap storage units near me to reduce the number of possessions in their homes. It’s a common tactic in the local area because it provides so much flexibility, particularly for those living with families in apartments.
Modern facilities offer plenty of space for a surprising quantity of personal possessions. Businesses also provide security and other features, such as climate control for delicate items.
Once you stop keeping everything at home, you’ll soon notice an improvement in your environment. Even if it does get messy, clearing up is significantly easier.
Start A Daily Cleaning Habit
Starting a daily cleaning habit is another technique you can use to master the chaos in your home. Regularly brushing up dirt brought in by kids from the garden or putting the dishes in the machine can make a tremendous difference.
Plan Meals In Advance
You can also reduce chaos by planning meals in advance. Instead of taking an ad hoc approach to everything, you can write up a list of what you’re going to eat each day to streamline your cooking and reduce the stress you feel.
If you're stuck on ideas, you don’t need to plan meals in advance yourself. These days, there are all sorts of online weekly planners you can use to get organized and reduce the time you spend in the kitchen.
Personalize Your Storage Systems
You can also try personalizing your storage systems to your home. Having places where you can keep things that suit your setup can be enormously beneficial.
Also, try to figure out what kind of storage works for your family and each member. What works for one child might not translate as a viable strategy for another.
Hold Family Meetings
Finally, you can attempt to reduce chaos by holding family meetings. Getting everyone around the time to discuss strategy for the week can help reduce the load and prevent unnecessary mess from accumulating in the first place. Family meetings can also be fun and something you do over dinner.