OK! I need help getting Organized!! Any ideas? The Children are Taking Over!!!!

This may have been mentioned already but it sound to me like you need time alone with the kids not around so you can concentrate on organizing and/or getting rid of things you don't need. I am a huge neat freak and had a very hard time adjusting to having a child. My son is 6 now and it is still a daily battle to keep things under control. He still loves to "drag" all his little things around with him from room to room. My suggestion is find a way to have alone time to work on this. If you can't get a sitter then do it after they go to sleep. It will take more than an hour or two but you will get there. Go thru the toys for donations or box up for later when the kids are not around. As soon as my son is too old/big for a toy or piece of clothing it goes into a box to be sorted as I get time. That way things don't stay in circulation. Small plastic bins & tubs with lids are cheap and work wonders. I would start with closets/storage areas. Get those cleaned out so you can have them ready for things that need to be in there. I bought my son a bed with drawers under it so his extra bed linens stay in there. I also have long flat containers that I keep under my own bed. Alot of experts don't recommend putting things under your bed but as long as it is neat and you really do need the items, I don't have a problem with it. Good luck to you!

 

All great suggestions.....and a word of advice...if your able to find the "alone time" to get everything gone through, the whole secret after that is in the upkeep. Dont let things pile up, they get outta hand fast. Be mindful of new stuff you bring into the house, whether its clothes, toys, etc. Ask yourself it you really need it. If you do, fine, amybe get rid of something you dont need or that has been outgrown to make space.

 

my solution

I have 2 kids, 5 and 7. My mom was not a saver, so I've been blessed with a no clutter lifestyle. (OK, except before the beanie babies I've saved in a rubbermaid tub!).

Before each 'season', I go thru all their clothes and we sort thru what can be made into hand-me-downs for friends, Freecycle, what can be sold at consignment stores.

My kids never went thru their drawers just to take stuff out. They are of the age now where they are required to put their own clothes away after I do the laundry. Yes, some do get really wrinkled. I'm ok with that.

Now, my kids do have a big dress up box in the toy room. They can make a total mess in the toy room, I don't care, as long as they clean it up when we're done playing.

Before Christmas and birthdays, we sort thru toys that can go to other homes, so that we don't have a lot of toys that are not played with. Generally speaking I let them make the decisions on what we keep or donate.


But the best advice is to know you are not alone! getting organized is your 'thing' right now...for us it's getting our 7 year old to learn to enjoy reading!! We all have our 'issues' with our kids!!!

 

I guess I'm just a clean freak!

When my children were small, I taught them at a very young age, not to touch, etc. I'd pop their hands and tell them no and after a couple of times, they learned, what to touch and what not to touch. I used child safety locks on cabinets, etc. and kept bedroom doors shut so they couldn't go in them without me. I've always gone through toys, clothes, etc. twice a year and everything that no longer fits, we don't wear at the time or isn't getting played with goes to goodwill. If I was saving clothes from one child to the next, I'd vacuum seal huge bags full, label and put in attic.

Now that they are older, I do surprise room inspections. The other day I went to the oldest bedroom and started opening closet, looking under bed and opening drawers. The drawers were stuffed full of clothing. I gave her until this weekend to take everything out of them and go through it and put away neat, or I'll probably go in and dump it all in the floor and put in trash bags and put in my trunk. That'll teach her when she has no clothes to wear. :lol:

Seriously, they are never too young to start teaching to pick up behind themselves. When mine were small I'd showed and taught them those rules over and over and then when they don't put things back up I'd collect and put into my trunk. If they didn't miss the toy then it'd go to goodwill, if they did they'd have to earn it back. They learned really quick. :lol:

 

SB...you're my hero!

 

Well, according to my girls...I'm a mean, unfair Mom...LOL (no telling what they call me under their breath).

That's okay, I'm not supposed to be their friend.

Another note, my 13 yo called me all excited when she got all good grades on her report card yesterday. She said I worked really hard, because I don't want to be grounded from existence anymore...LOL :lol:

 

# 1 thing to remember is you are definitely NOT alone!!!!!!!! Kids will drive you absolutely batty sometimes and I will be the first to admit that one. I have 7 children. I gave up having a neat house long ago--LOL. We can pick up and literally ten minutes later it looks like the evils of chaos have stormed our home. We've nicknamed our home "Chaos Manor" for a reason. We have kids, pets and we have chores for each one. Okay, so the dog can't pick up his toys but one of my sons does it every night as part of his chores. Start them VERY young to do chores. That way, they'll think it's part of routine and they want to help the younger they are. No, the clothes may not be folded the way you want or the bed not be exactly right but you know what, that's okay. They did it and tried. We have a morning chore chart and evening chore chart. Weekend cleaning on Saturday and touch up cleaning on Wednesdays.

As your toy dilema goes, kids nowadays have too many toys. My kids fiends come over here and are in shock that they only have one video game system(a gift from my brother). My kids spend most their time outside. There are many storage options nowadays. We have a basket on the stairs. Someone else's chore at night is to take all the toys that have been downstairs upstairs. Hence, the basket. Keep toys to a minimum. Let them keep the favorites. My 4 boys have the 2 small toy boxes for toys. That's enough. Same w/ the clothes. They don't need a whole lot of outfits when they're young. Yet, as a mom I know it's hard to resist. I just gave away 4 garbage bags full of toddler girl clothes. Yes, my daughter could have kept them as she's a dwarf but honestly, she did not need them. It was too much. Kids don't need a whole lot of choices at that age. I do have clothes they grow into. Keep them in a separate room from where the girls' are. Go through them in fall and spring. If the youngest has outgrown them, pack them up and put on 40/42. Don't let things sit for long or it will never get done. Do everything when the kids are asleep. Never when up and about or it won't happen the way you want it to.

It drives me nuts to be around clutter as well. Right now very, very hard as we are tryign to do some remodelling ourselves and taking way, way longer than anticipated. URghh. Oh well. I've learned as a mother, kids are priority # 1. No mater how I want my house to look, it may never get that way. We do try but in the end, going to the kids' games, playing tag around the house, go to school stuff, etc. far outweighs the clutter. Yes, the house is sanitary and clean, but clutter-free...no. I wish but alas, I do not have an "Alice" at my house as the Brady Bunch did. And we have 1 more than they did--LOL. A professional organizer would help but I guarantee you, w/ two young kids, it would probably end up the same way w/in a few days. Not trying to sound down, just realistic. Kids are equivalent to messes. Just look in someones' minivan.

Teach them some picking up stuff and praise of course. I have one child who has severe OCD in regards to cleaning. Literally, people will hire her to clean their homes as she's so passionate about it. But the others, really are alot more lax. BUT, they are expected to clean and contribute to teh house as we teach them to respect the property you have. Also, if it's not picked up at hte end of the night, it automatically goes in teh trash. I don't care what it is. Whether it's a shoe, leg, doll, food, etc. On the floor and not in it's place...garbage, no exceptions. Only exception is after Christmas, they have one week. Oh, we also have a giant shoe basket by the door. Kids alwasy know where their shoes are unless another child has thrown them on the roof.

Good luck and honestly, you are not alone. You are a mom w/ kids. Best wishes.

Stephanie--mom to 7

 

I agree. At a younger age I only kept a small amount of that season's clothing in my daughter's closet, which was organized like Harley said...up high. When she left items lying around I picked them up and put them in a box in the basement. After a short span the kid had no toys..she had to earn each one back.

She's a teen now...as long as it stays in her bedroom I am fine. Bigger fights to go through right now. She washes her own clothes because she would not bring them down on laundry day at the right time.

And, being even meaner...since she does not eat red meat (right), and believes the food I eat is not healthy, she is lucky enough to be able to cook her own meals. Not only must she cook them, she must clean up the kitchen like nobody has been in it. She will eat leftovers one day...now, if she has leftovers and does not eat them I just take them and leave them in her bedroom, since I clean the refrigerator out and pay for the food.

The Orkin guy came recently and I heard her moving things around and cleaning up...sure hope he was able to get into her room.

Grace

 

I have two eleven year old boys, and from a very early age, if I trip over something, its mine. If I have to pick it up, its mine. Plain and simple. I am the meanest mom on the planet and blah blah blah....I could care less. I am not a neat freak, but things belong where they belong, otherwise they go away, Mommy style. And trust me, with age, things get more important (ipods, expensive hoodies, cds, gaming controls) and the loss is a bigger hit....and I am happy to report that after all these years, you can go in each of my eleven year olds rooms and the bed is made and clothes are put away and coats are hung up, electronics all in one shelving area, nothing allowed on the desk unless it aides in homework etc. They know Mama don't play (plus she is dying to have an ipod unattended so she can borrow it, darnit).

You just have to train them early. When things arent put away, they go away. Its really simple. Tough Love, it works.