All sorts of things change in your life when you have kids. You’re suddenly fully committed to taking care of someone else – someone who is much more vulnerable than you and hugely dependent on your love and attention. You have more outgoings. You have more responsibilities and a busier schedule to keep up with. You get less sleep. But one thing that tends to change that can have a profound impact on your happiness and wellbeing if left unchallenged is clutter. Kids tend to come hand in hand with mess and you’re likely to find that your property goes from showhome to absolute chaos if you’re not careful. Toys, arts and crafts, bottles, nappy changing facilities – the number of new belongings scattered about your house is seemingly endless. But there are a number of ways that you can easily declutter your home.
Decide What’s Essential and What’s Not
Most of us have non-essential items in our homes. But if you have kids, the number of these non-essential items multiplies. It’s important that every so often you have a clear out, determining what’s essential and what’s not. Sure, it’s fine to have a few non-practical, sentimental items about. But you shouldn’t have junk that you really don’t care much for. This will just use up space and make your living rooms feel crowded. Clutter can also be dangerous, posing a trip hazard or even a choking hazard for little ones. So, take a look at absolutely everything in your home. For each item, determine whether you get any use out of it, whether it has any sentimental value or whether it’s just taking up space. If the latter, you need to get rid of it. Where possible, try to recycle, donate to a charity shop or sell. This is much better for the environment rather than just dumping everything in landfill.
Invest in Storage Solutions
Often our homes aren’t actually that cluttered. The issue is that we simply don’t have the right space or storage systems to tuck our belongings away properly. Even the most minimalist homes have personal belongings, they’re just stored effectively where they can be pulled out as and when needed. Now, there are countless different types of storage solutions out there that could potentially tick all of your boxes. It’s important to browse them to settle on which are best for you. From supply only fitted wardrobes to underbed storage, shelving units, rails and more. Only you will know which best suits your needs and your space.
Teach Your Kids to Be Tidy
Of course, you don’t want to be running around picking up your kids’ clutter after them constantly. This may be fine when they’re young and don’t know better, but as they grow up, you should teach them how to clear up after themselves effectively. This will make all the difference to how your home looks on a day to day basis.
These steps may sound time consuming and relatively complex, but don’t worry. They’ll quickly become habit and routine and make all the difference to your day to day life. So, give them a try and stick with them. It really will be worth it!
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