Is a Clean House Possible with Toddlers?
There is a balance to maintaining your home (and your sanity) without sacrificing the cleanliness of your house. Here are my top 5 solutions for managing the mess.
5. Have a designated play area. No, really! Even those living in smaller apartments can set aside space for their kids to play, even if that space grows throughout the day. A Winnie-the-Pooh table with 4 little chairs is perfectly acceptable parked next to a Thomasville Microfiber sofa. Your kids want to feel at home, just like you do. If you have the luxury of devoting an entire room for play, better yet. It can be decorated in your child’s favorite hobby (this week) like airplanes, trains, or sports. A large toy box is a must in any home with kids, and it is perfect for hiding bulky items or stuffed animals (Step 2 LifeStyle Storage Chest, Walmart.com, $49.88.) Storage boxes not only bring color to a play area, but can also be used to sort and de-clutter (Dora the Explorer Toy Organizer, Target.com, $29.99.)
4. Get the kids involved. Nobody said you have to do it alone. Assign an area for your child(ren) to clean up, and they can learn at the same time. Make sure to keep it age-appropriate, and be specific. Telling your toddler to go clean his room may be a little vague, as he does not yet have the capacity to break down a large project into smaller components. Be a good teacher and demonstrate it as you walk him through it. It will save confusion and a barrage of repeat requests later. Toddlers could be in charge of putting their clothes in the hamper, or helping to put Tupperware away from the dishwasher. Have them sort out different colored blocks to put away and count each one as it goes in its designated container. Singing “The Clean Up” song and doing a little dance can make the time fly. They may have as much fun putting away the toys as they did while they were playing with them! Plus, they will feel a sense of accomplishment and it will ay the foundation for good habits later.
3. Multi-task. You brush your teeth in the shower, cook dinner while conducting a conference call, and whiten your smile while shaving your legs. While not a new concept, applying it to everyday cleanup is no different than in any other aspect of your life. Run the dishwasher while you’re mopping the kitchen floor. Vacuum the carpet during the rinse cycle of the washing machine. Spray Easy Off in your oven and let it soak in while you make the beds. Carry a small bucket around with sanitizing wipes, dusting cloths, and Windex pre-moistened cloths. Utilize any items that can be used for more than one purpose. A perfect example (and my husband’s personal favorite) is scented baby wipes. Not only an asset in its intended use, but they clean kitchen and bathroom counters very well. Plus, your kitchen will have that fresh, baby powder smell that you love!
2. Make a schedule. Having seven days in the week can actually work to your advantage. You don’t want to use all seven cleaning, so dividing up big chores between 3 or 4 days can take a load off the seemingly overwhelming task of cleaning it all up at once. Dust and vacuum on Mondays and Thursdays; clean bathrooms and do laundry on Tuesdays; scrub floors and wash bedding on Wednesdays. And if you’re catching toothpaste spills here and the occasional spotted mirror there, cleaning the rest will be a breeze! Post the schedule in a conspicuous place, like the fridge, and check off each task as it gets done. Experiment with a schedule that works and you could go 3 days out of seven not cleaning a thing. This will give you a chance to have fun with your family, instead of always picking up after them.
And the most important rule to remember……..
1. Don’t sweat the small stuff! Do you live in a museum? No way! You live in your home; don’t be afraid to show people that you actually live in it. Anyone with kids knows how hard it is to maintain a clean house. They understand. When our son, Spencer, was a toddler and starting to get into everything (like the toy box, the magazine rack, the toilet paper roll) I used to clean up twice a dayâÂ?¦ when he took an afternoon nap, and when he went to bed at night. There is just no point in trying to constantly pick up during the day, because you won’t get anything else done! Our home was always clean, but it had a “family feel” to it. It was warm, inviting, and kid-friendly, so Spencer’s friends always had a great time coming to our place. Pick your battles and decide which rules you absolutely will not bend (like never leaving food out.) It’s OK if tennis shoes are lined up at the front door instead of the closet. Where will they get used the most? On the way out the door when the kids go out to play!
Like it or not, if you have children running around your home, you have mess. Kids have become professional mess-makers in their short lifespan. That’s their job! Of course, while you wouldn’t want to go back to a time before kids, you may wonder if your house (and lives) can ever return to normalâÂ?¦ back to the days when the dining room table was actually used for dining, before it became an art studio. Back to the days when the living room rug could be walked upon, without destroying enemy tanks and soldiers in the fort. You really can find a balance and be comfortable in your home without non-stop cleaning. Besides, wouldn’t you be willing to step over a few toys in order to rescue Elmo?
