How do I organize and clean my house with 2 kids?

Question

I have a 1000 square feet. Which isn't very big but it is so cluttered. How do I clean and organize my house? How do I get my kids to help? I have a 2 year old and a 1 year old and they destroy the house. We can usually get one room started and then they mess it up. How do I get them to clean their room so there won't be toys everywhere? Plz help. I am desperate.

Answer 1

Check out www.flylady.net

She has a TON of useful tips, tricks, and tools to get your house clean in just 15 minutes a day.

I have been using her program for 6 months and I have 3 children (twin 3 y.o. and an 8 y.o.). My house has never been so clean and decluttered!

I have currently taken in my 3 neices for the summer so there are 6 kids in my 3 bedroom home... and still my home clean enough for company.

Her system is very easy to follow and it really works. I think you could really benefit from checking it out!

Answer 2

,They are only little ones, so you cannot expect much,but this is the time to train them,I used the Barney song to help,with my kids , my grandson,also with other little ones I have had around over the years, your first step will be to become aware that children do not like to ply with messy toys,but if they are all on shelves or in tidy chest they will be more attracted to them. second,learn to rotate toys get a big plastic bag or a big box and put three quarters of them away were they cannot touch them,and every week or two change them around, that way they will not all end up on the floor at the same time, teach them now ,while they are little to put one toy away, before they get a different one out,it takes time and perseverance but it works, but most of all be patient,they are only little,so the Barney song worked for me ( still does) time to clean up now,I need your help, then sing along,

Clean up clean up,every body every were,

clean up clean up every body do their share.

As you deal with the toys do the same with the rest of the house,any thing you have not used for a year, out it goes, to where ever, garbage, charity,or pass on to some one who needs it,good luck

Answer 3

Hi Candy,

It is very good that you want to teach your children to clean up after themselves, and this is something that should be started at a very young age.  What you have to be sure of, though, is that the chores you assign to your children are age-appropriate.

At 1 and 2 years old, they are still young enough that they would not be able to complete chores on their own.  This does not mean that they should not have chores.  It just means that you will have to help them, for now.

As they get older, their chores should change with their age.  They should also become more and more responsible for completing their chores independently.  Just be sure to always keep their chores age-appropriate.

To help yourself in helping your children it really is in your best interest to declutter your home as much as possible - and that does include your children's toys.

A very important rule when it come to clutter is that you are only allowed to have as much stuff as you have the space for.  If you only have a 1,000 square foot home, you are going to have to be very particular about what you allow to come into your home - especially now, while your children are still young and don't realize that they may have less than other kids.

Even after you declutter and purge, limit the number of toys that you take out every day.  If your kids have fewer toys within their reach, they will make less of a mess and it will be easier for everyone to clean up at the end of the day.

Rotate the toys that you take out each day to keep your kids interested and stimulated - so they are not playing with the same things over and over and getting bored.

For you to be able to keep the rest of the house clean, find an activity that grabs your kids' attention - like a movie they love to watch, and allow them to enjoy that activity for up to one hour each day so that you can have some (relatively) uninterrupted time to get your household chores done.

Remember - the less "stuff" you have, the less "stuff" you will have to clean up!

Answer 4

I'm a SAHM of two little toddlers ages 2&4 and with some help they are responsible for picking up their toys in the bedroom/livingroom BEFORE bed/bath at night.. If you make something ROUTINE it's generally easier for children to understand...

In our livingroom- we have small toy bins that we can "stash" under the entertainment center.  We also have some small nice wicker baskets under the end tables to keep the kids toys.  When the livingroom is clean it looks very nice/uncluttered.  In fact you'd hardly know the toys were there!  

We also try to limit the amount of toys the children have upstairs... They have a downstairs playroom but, sometimes play upstairs.  I can only pick up 1000 hotwheels ONCE a day..... So, the children know that at night ALL the toys get picked up.... You can also pack away toys and rotate the selection or go through their toys and pack/give away any they have outgrown....

Get creative with storage.. If the kids play in the livingroom maybe get a couple ottomans with "hidden" storage to keep toys at bay.... Or if in the bedroom- use a closet or under the bed storage containers to confine toys... Or a dresser....

Answer 5

1 & 2 year old children are too young for housework!

If you did it at their age, there would be no need to ask!

Limit their toys!

They must have too many!

Give them a bightly coloured basket each!

Fill it with their favourites!

Get rid of the rest! Donate, whatever!

At the end of the day, teach them toys go back in the basket, to "sleep" for the night!

Tomorrow is "another" day! lol

Keep on this!

Make it a game! Children learn quicker than us, sometimes!

Good luck!

Answer 6

I used to have my kids clean up their stuff with me two or three times a day and we made it a game or we sang songs the entire time we worked. Make it something fun. As for the rest of your house either get it done at naptime or after they get in bed. Good luck!