As a homeschooling mom who's kids are home for most of the day, it is imperative to have some sort of orderliness going on in the house. I am not talking spotless floors and dustless table tops, but kids- in fact all people- need order around them. It affects us whether we like it not. So if our homes are somewhat tidy on a daily basis, it really helps with the home environment.
Now this is coming from someone who has learnt the hard way and it has taken me literally years to figure out how to get to this place... but now that I have figured out my little formula, I am sharing it with you and hopefully it will help you as much as it helps me.
If you stick to the following rules, I can guarantee that the clutter will decrease and your mind will feel a lot more free:) And please remember that this is a life long journey- not something you do in a day (although that would be nice:)
Rule #1:
If something does not have a designated place in your home, give it one. And yes, a Junk drawer is considered a home as long as you clean it our every few weeks. If you can't find a home for something and it seems to just float around your house, get rid of it.
Rule #2:
Now that everything has a home (a designated place) when you or a family member are done with it, put it back where it belongs. Don't leave it out for someone else to put away or tell yourself you'll do it later.
Rule #3
Like I mentioned before, don't push it off for later if it can be done right away. Obviously there are things that cannot be done right away, but if it could, do it.
Rule #4
If you have stuff that does not have a place/use in your house or life, have 3 options always readily available:
1.Throw it out if it is broken or has no use.
2. Donate it or sell it if you don't want it but don't want to throw it out.
3. Recycle it.
Have a "Donate" box and a "Recycle" box somewhere in your house that you can constantly fill up and send away.
Don't just store it in your house because you have no where else to put it.
And most important, give yourself 5 seconds to make the decision of whether or not to keep it. The more you think about it and all the possibilities you may have to use it (when you haven't used it or wore it for the past 5 years) the more of a chance you have at keeping it around for absolutely no reason.
Its all about simplifying our lives and making things easier.
Ever since I have this system, and believe me, it is never ending (there are always things to get rid of) I find it so much easier to find things, and clean up at the end of the day is so much easier and quicker. The kids benefit as well and it really creates a sense of order in the house.
(Please don't think for a second that my house is neat and tidy all day- on the contrary, it is very lived in! But it takes minutes to tidy each room and the kids are more then happy to help as it is easy for them to put things back when they know where things go)
So happy organizing to you and I would love to hear how you keep a sense of orderly sanity in your home!
Have a great week and a Happy Chanukah!
Always,
This is definitely true! I took up rule #2 recently and it has really helped my house look more orderly.
ReplyDeleteIf you pick it up to put it on the steps or counter for later, you are "wasting time" because in the end, you've picked it up twice instead of just putting it away from the start!