subject: Five Incredible Decluttering Tips For Moms [print this page] Five incredible declutter tips for moms..Five incredible declutter tips for moms... just what you need! If you are a mom, you know how busy your life can get running after your child/children, keeping your house tidy, carrying a part-time-job (or full time), preparing varied yet delicious meals, and the list goes on and on. It is amazing, isn't it, how quickly your house can look like tornado went through it! You told yourself before your first child was born that your house would NEVER become one of those houses where you raised your eyebrows upon entering at the clutter and toys everywhere, but lately, you stand in your own door way and shudder at the mess before you! Read the 5 incredible declutter tips for moms below, and take heart... it is not impossible to once again achieve that clutter-free sanctuary called home!
DeClutter Tips #1. Discuss. Have a conversation with your partner, children, and whoever else calls your house home. Acknowledge that a cluttered home is rarely the result of only one person, and rarely will one person be able to fix the problem alone. If you take a few minutes to explain that what you want, why you want it, and that you could use their help, you can go a long way to getting to that point. And remember, encouraging and persuading will get you much further than nagging and being accusing.
DeClutter Tips #2. Plan. Start with small, achievable goals for your family. Be realistic. Aim to clear one area and get yourself and your kids in the habit of ensuring it stays completely clutter free. This is your Clutter-Free Zone. It can be a counter, your kitchen table, the parlor, or the three-foot perimeter around the couch in your den, whatever you and the kids decide. Have your kids help you ensure it stays clutter-free by enlisting their help monitoring the "Clutter-Free Zone" and ensuring that nothing can be placed there that is not actually in use. If you are creative, you can turn this declutter tip into a game!
DeClutter Tips #3. Teach. Teach your kids where things belong. If you teach your kids where things go, and get them inot the habit of putting them there, your house will begin to look much more organized. Declutter tips for Moms who are rather messy themselves: 1) set an example and get into the habit yourself, and 2) be very patient! Your kids (and you) may not learn the habit overnight, but the patience and effort will be WELL worth it! The long term effects of teaching your kids to live uncluttered lives are worth the short term pain.
DeClutter Tips #4. Implement. Implement the Pre-Dinner Pick-Up Plan (Also works with Pre-Bedtime, or Pre-Movie Watching, etc.) Before dinner is served each evening, assign different areas for you and the kids to pick up. For example, you could take a basket into the living room, pick up everything that doesn't belong there and take the items to the proper rooms. Your kids can put the toys in the play room (and any that have drifted into the hall) back into their proper places. If you enforce this routine strictly for a month (and yes, your part too), soon it will become habit! Your call of "dinner in 10 minutes" will soon mean "start cleaning up"!
DeClutter Tips #5 Encourage. Build a Rewards System. Get yourself a sheet of small stickers for your calendar, and for every day your child keeps his/her room (or the playroom) organized, he/she gets a sticker. 7 consecutive stickers equals a prize, but so do 15 non-consecutive ones (so that occasional bad days are "forgiven" without wiping out the progress that has been made). Declutter tips for Moms whose own bedrooms and rooms are a disaster? 1) Create a reward system for yourself! You know what you like, and be strict enough with yourself to follow through! 2) Give yourself "Demerit Points" for times you fall off your de-clutter plan! 10 Demerit points means you can ___ (you fill in the blank.) 3) If you're brave and have kids that won't do this disrespectfully, have them be your "judges".
Children are a blessing, yes, but their mess is often aggravating and stress-inducing, especially when a neighbor drops by expectantly. We tend to feel embarrassed that our houses are full of clutter and wish there was a way to turn out cluttered homes into peaceful and orderly havens. The above Declutter Tips for Moms are hopefully 5 places you can start to get that back! Your household can be clutter-free once more, but your family needs you, Mom, to lead the way!
