7 ways to keep your abode tidy with kids

SINGAPORE — The kids are back at school, and this means only one thing: Homework and textbooks strewn all over the place, not to mention shoes, uniforms and lunchboxes needing to be arranged, and rearranged.

All parents know it is difficult and tiring to maintain a neat house with children. Every day, the mess piles up, and the house looks like a tornado swept through it.

The good news is, with planning and intentional effort, regaining some floor space and keeping the house neat is possible. Here are some tips that will help.

1. Declutter And Purge

Most kids tend to have lots of toys, but only a few favourites. Observe which toys your kids play with, and get them to understand that some of their toys are better off donated. Or if your kid is a hoarder, have their grandparents bring them out and use the time to stash and give away the toys they do not really care about. Because if unchecked, clutter can mushroom quickly again. On your part, rationalise purchases for your kids, especially bulky ones. Do you really want a hefty swing set as a permanent fixture at home?

2. Get Organised

Good storage solutions are essential to an organised home. Use baskets, boxes or storage stools to do the trick. Better still if these fit under the bed or the sofa. Train the kids to store similar items together (say, art supplies all in the same box) so that you do not have to hunt madly next time. When tidying up, pick up everything off the floor so the room immediately looks less cluttered — instant Zen.

3. Instill House Rules

Keep up with the regular rules, such as picking up after themselves or returning items to their original places. Parents need to set good examples, too. Make the beds once you wake up, wash the dishes after eating, and put away clothes right after laundry. When you are consistent in your housework, kids tend to emulate you.

4. Play clean-up

All kids can learn how to clean. And nothing gets them more excited than games, so make it fun! Start young, be clear in your instructions, and have patience with them. Get a little creative, such as having a cleaning contest to see which child does it faster, or get them to pretend they are hired cleaners for the day. Reward them when they do things well.

5. Make It A Family Activity

Get everyone involved. A great way to clean the house fast is to organise a 30-minute clean-up. Turn on the music, bring out the cleaning rags, assign some age-appropriate tasks for your kid, and watch the mess (and your stress) disappear. Even if you have a helper, it is good to teach your child that everyone plays a part in maintaining a clean home.

6. Limit The Play Area

Again, it is all about enforcing the rules. Limit toys strictly to the playroom or nursery to keep from cluttering other spots. For those with smaller spaces, designate one area of the living room for play. This way, you will not have “Spider-man” creeping into your bedroom, and you are less likely to fly into bouts of rage.

7. Go Digital

Love your kids’ art pieces and craftwork, but cannot bear to throw them away? Keep or frame some of their favourites, and as for the rest, use photos and apps to keep digital archives. Unless you are sure that your kids are definitely Picassos in the making and their works will fetch millions of dollars down the road, you do not need to keep every piece, which would probably just end up collecting dust.

Practice makes perfect, and you will have a much cleaner house while staying sane in no time.

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