Bonjour lecteurs! While many of us dream of living in a neat and orderly home, it’s just not a realité, especially if you have children. I don’t know about you, but I find it difficile to concentrate when I’m constantly surrounded by mess and chaos. Having said that, there’s not much time to keep your home sparkling clean when you are a busy working parent. So let me share with you some tips on How To Keep Your Family Home Tidy. Who is ready to have a family home as clutter-free as possible? Our house is far from being parfaite, but here is what works for us.
Clever Storage Solutions
When our famille started to grow, space was getting tighter. Even now, our living-room is pretty much half a toys room thanks to Stanley’s large collection of objects…
But, c’est simple to create more room when you take advantage of clever storage solutions. C’est parfait to help to maximise space and minimise the appearance of clutter in your home.
Add more storage capacity by using vertical space to store your belongings. And you can even combine a practical storage area with your existing décor.
We have many shelves in the house. It’s an affordable solution and easy to install without too many DIY skills.
Another bonne idée is to maximise spaces that don’t get used such as above beds and doorways. Par exemple, we have drawers withing our bedframe where I store books and items from my own childhood in France.
Delegate chores
If you have children who are old enough for it, it’s a great idea to get them involved in the tidying of the house.
From a very young age, I got Stanley involved with cleaning and general chores.
I encourage him to take part in our weekly family house cleaning sessions. I feel it teaches him valuable life lessons. Children need to take responsabilité of their belongings and surroundings as soon as possible.
Mums already have enough on their hands. Even better, get the other half involved too…
Daily Habits
To Keep Your Family Home Tidy, it’s worth incorporating daily cleaning habits into your family’s routine.
This way, it doesn’t add up and become a big issue to sort out at the weekend.
Simple tasks such as making your bed or doing the washing up every day after le dîner make such une différence.
It is so nice to wake up in the morning and make a fresh café on a clean kitchen surface.
Declutter and donate
Over the years, we have been amassing a crazy amount of stuff. It build up so quickly with children. So we regularly have a clear out.
From old toys that no longer get played with to old clothes that no longer fit, you’ll have plenty of things to declutter and donate to charity to create more space.
More and more, I am trying to make room for things that inspire me and make me feel at home rather to hoarding items that no longer serve a purpose.
I am using Vinted where I can sell so many things and save up for a little treat later this year.
Redefine Tidy
Last but not least, having a tidy home doesn’t mean it has to be spotless and that your home has to be a certain shade of beige if it’s not truly your style…
The definition of a tidy house is a choix personnel and I feel that as long as there is some order in my house and it doesn’t feel cluttered, we are doing a good job.
We try to get organised and pack toys in boxes or basket rather than leave them all over the place. I clean up the kitchen pretty much every day.
It’s YOUR Home
But at the end of the day, I have accepted that family life can be chaotic. Mess is inevitable, especially in homes where fun days are taking places. And to être honnête, I would rather have it this way. A happy and lively home is better than a spotless one without a soul.
So don’t be too hard on yourself. There will be days when your home is a mess, but order can be found again.
How To Keep Your Family Home Tidy doesn’t have to be another constant worry on your mind. In a few words, it’s all about routines and teamwork! Get the entire family involved and set yourself achievable expectations.
Your house is made to be lived in, not to be constantly cleaned…
What’s your best tip for a tidy home? How often do you clean your house?
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.
Family life is chaotic – cleaning does get done here eventually
I remember when my children were younger their toys took up so much space, especially the lego bricks which seemed to be everywhere!
great post!
I have recently had a massive declutter with the help of my granddaughter who has OCD about tidiness. I didn’t need all “that stuff” as she puts it and I feel better for it. However, my home is not a show house, and I don’t stress over it too much
tidy up a bit every day and then it will not build up so much
Lots of storage if possible and put things back as you go
Daily habits are always a good idea, a little at a time.
I think we should enjoy making a mess and tidy up together because that is a great way to teach children to tidy up!
My house is clean but definitely not as tidy as some. We wash our sheets and towels once a week, vacuum every day and never leave dirty dishes in the sink but I know our house isn’t spotless. It is hard with kids because the moment your house is clean, they see as an empty canvas to bring out all their toys again.
But we have got storage everywhere in the house, even in the cupboard, we have storage unit to divide everything and make use of the space in there. It is a little bit crazy.
In our household, we expect the kids to clean up all the mess they made right before bath time and going through their daily reward chart where stickers will only be allocated if they’ve been good. This motivates them to clean up too. When the spilt something, I always hand them over a towel or cloth to clean it up and then I will go over it with detergent.
When I was working housework came very low on my list of priorities. I had neither the time nor the inclination but it was always clean, rarely tidy. Now i have the luxury of time to devote to cleaning and I love it. I tend to tidy as I go then do a thorough clean through on a Sunday with hubby’s help plus a mid-week whip round. Bathroom and kitchen cleaned daily. We may be retired but we don’t have the time to devote hours to cleaning……too much else going on that keeps us very busy.