Keeping a clean house when you have kids is always a challenge!
From infinite loads of laundry, to mystery spills, it can feel like a never ending job for sure!
But these are some of the things that have truly helped me calm the madness of maintaining a tidy home with kids, and I hope they can help you to do the same!
1. Toy rotation
Using a toy rotation system for your kids can be helpful in so many ways!
I started using one about a year ago, and I have to say it has seriously been LIFE CHANGING!
And if you think I’m exaggerating then you probably don’t spend every second of your free time picking up after a toddler haha!
Now we just get out one box of toys a day, and when it’s time to put them away the whole process usually only takes about 5 minutes!
Check out my complete guide to our simple toy rotation system!
My toddler also plays with his toys more, and stays engaged longer since we started doing toy rotation.
And if that isn’t enough to convince you to try toy rotation, it also means no more stepping on toys in the dark! I call that a win for parental feet everywhere haha!
2. Have them eat at the table
There’s nothing worse than finding mystery mush smeared into the side of your couch!
I know because I’ve been there myself, and swore never again!
Well never again might be a bit out of reach haha!
But making a rule that the kids always have to eat at the table (including snacks and any drink that isn’t water) greatly reduces the chances they have to run around touching eeeeeverything with sticky little fingers!
As soon as they’re finished they must wash their hands (or have help washing them if they are too young to do it by themselves) before they can play with toys or do anything else.
3. Take off their shoes
Let’s face it, kids are not exactly the best at wiping their shoes.
Eliminate that problem altogether by taking them off and putting them away as soon as they come inside.
You can even buy or DIY a container to sit right next to the door to make it as easy as possible. A simple basket, box, or tray will work perfectly!
You may even want to consider extending this rule to the entire family, to really cut down on the dirt coming in!
Make sure to place rugs both inside and outside all doorways and remind kids that they can’t go any further than that before taking off their shoes!
4. Pick up before meals and bedtime
Get yourself and your kids into the habit of doing a quick clean up before meals and bedtime.
Make sure to involve your kids, no matter how young they are!
I did this with my youngest from the start, and he wasn’t even two years old yet when he started cleaning up his toys by himself before meals!
He would see me making lunch and then run around grabbing toys and putting them away as fast as he could, not stopping to eat until he was completely finished!
If you’re starting when your kids are very young, make sure they are watching you put things away (you can even narrate what you’re doing to really help it stick!)
Try setting a toy in front of them and then a box nearby, ask if they can put the toy in the box.
Be sure to get very excited if they do it!
If you’re just starting this routine with older kids you could try to find ways to make it more exciting. Set a timer to see if they can get done before the time runs out!
If you have more than one kid you could also make it a challenge to see who can clean up the most before time runs out!
Another idea would be to offer them a slightly later bedtime if they clean up before bed, an extra 15 or 20 minutes may be just enough to motivate them!
5. Baby proof/move things out of their reach
Of course you’ve likely already baby proofed/ kid proofed your house, but you were probably only thinking about dangerous things like stoves, cabinets with cleaners, and fragile things that they might break.
I’m talking about things that aren’t necessarily dangerous or breakable, but that kids frequently get into.
This could even mean making entire rooms off limits if there are just too many things to get into and make a mess of.
It may not seem like a big deal if your kids can reach a stack of folded blankets, but after you’ve refolded those blankets for the 1000000 time, you might feel differently!
I’ve definitely had to do this in my own home, and sure the lower shelves in my coffee cart look rather empty, but it beats cleaning smashed coffee pods and ripped open tea packets all day!
(my toddler loves to sniff the tea bags! haha)
6. Declutter toys regularly
If you don’t regularly declutter your kids toys already, I would highly recommend starting asap!
You can declutter as often as you like, but at the very minimum try to do it either before or after every birthday and holiday when your kids receive gifts!
For older kids it’s important to remember to include them in the decluttering process!
For very young kids it’s usually easier to do this when they are asleep.
If you’re concerned that they will miss something you can always hold onto it for a few days to see if they ask for it, but usually they will never even remember whatever it was you got rid of!
And if you’re not sure where to start you can check out my Ultimate Toy Decluttering Guide (Plus FREE Printable Checklist!) for lots of helpful ideas and inspiration!
7. Give yourself a break
When you have kids, and especially when those kids are young, your house is probably not going to be the cleanest it will ever be.
And that’s perfectly okay!
No one expects your house to look instagram ready every second of the day!
And hey, remember that you kept those little humans alive today! So who cares if you went to bed with dirty dishes in the sink?
Someday they will be grown, and your house will probably be neater and tidier than you can imagine, but you will also miss these days dearly!
And even more so if you spend this precious time constantly fretting over the state of your house!
So for now, just do what you can, and embrace the days when curious explorers leave messes in their wake, and too many extra bedtime stories mean you don’t have time to clean them all.
Your kids won’t remember the mess, they’ll remember the love!
I hope these tips help you to conquer the mess, and find more time for joy in parenting!
What other tips have you found help you to keep a clean house with kids?
Be sure to share your ideas in the comments below!
