baby bunching tip #8: embrace the mess, fake the clean up

Besides getting in shape, the next big new year's resolution is to get organized. Almost an impossible feat if you're a Baby Buncher. Diapers, bags, toys, bottles are usually everywhere. Little ones don't know about picking up so who's doing it? You are.

Don’t get discouraged when you look around and realize that your house looks like it was hit by a tornado. In the early months of Baby Bunching, this is pretty much unavoidable, so don’t beat yourself up. Even if you are a Type A control freak, as you recently learned with the birth of your first child, you no longer control anything in your life.  So surrender to your house and let the mess roll off your back. 

We’re not suggesting that you totally let it go. We’re just suggesting that you let some things slide for awhile. We promise that this will get easier, like everything else with Baby Bunching. One day two or three years from now you will look around the house and realize that it’s no longer so trashed that you’re not embarrassed to let even the exterminator in. But until then, we’ll teach how some tricks for holding down the fort and faking it. 

Here are a few general tips to help you keep it together:

• Buy big bins or containers and shove your toys in them. Organizing toys for babies and toddlers is an exercise in futility – spare yourself.  ou can go through once a quarter or every six months and pare down/organize, but day-to-day just shove/hide it in a container. Now is the time to stock up on these containers/bins/baskets. Get a variety of styles and shapes. Some with tops and some without. Label them if you can. It will help you remember what goes where and will help those helping you put it back where it belongs.

• Along these lines, have bins/containers on each floor. Let it go that toys are everywhere.  You will save yourself trips upsptairs to the nursery/playroom if you have toys on the ground floor where you will spend most of your time – next to the kitchen.

• Do yourself the favor of “re-setting” – pick up toys, clean kitchen each night and enlist hubby’s help. It is a sanity saver to start the next day with a clean slate!

• Have ONE ROOM that is picked up/organized where you can spend time in.  Even if it is only your bathroom or closet. You will at least have one place where you can go and feel like some aspect of your life is under control.

• Likewise, have ONE ROOM that toys can just get tossed in (bedrooms or out of the way playrooms are great).  When guests come and you need to look clutter-free, just throw everything in there.

• Have one major chore assigned to each day (ex. only do grocery shopping on Monday, only mop on Tuesday, etc.)  This alleviates some of the overwhelming “Where to start?!” feeling that comes with 5 free minutes of time and gives you some focus for what to do that day when you get a few free minutes here and there.

Comments

[Gillian]

Great tips! And if someone is coming over, just wipe off the kitchen counters and wipe down the toilet and sink in the bathroom. I swear, people will think you cleaned everything!

[beth]

one thing i've learned and was just reminded of is rotating toys. we just emptied our current toy basket in the living room into a cheap, large rubbermaid type container, to store in the basement. we put the toys the babes got for xmas in the toy basket. we'll rotate these toys out every few months (and sort and donate some) so it's like they're able to enjoy their toys at different times depending on what's out of storage.

another thing in regards to organizing with bunchers (and babes/kids in general probably) is make sure everything has a "home". that way when you clean up at night or whenever you know where everything goes. you don't have to get all martha stewart and buy special equipment to do this instead be creative-use what you have. we've found that this is what's keeping us sane as we are currently going through the process of selling our house. we have house showings and in order for me to get my 3 yr old, 2 yr old and 9 month old out of the house in time as well as get the house in order i MUST have somewhere specific to put everything. obviously so we can show the house but also so we can function normally day to day without losing our minds or spending cash on things we already own but have no idea where are.

[Casey]

Ha, my house is completely gone! I did do the bins idea though and have them in every room to shove toys in when I want to clean up. Before my second came along, I used to spend every night after my kid was in bed reorganizing and putting the pieces back with the right toys. Now I just throw it wherever so I don't step on them in the middle of the night. Why do toys have so many pieces anyways?

[Tara Pringle Jefferson]

Oh man, you are so on point with this. I was just saying to my husband, "Why is our apartment always so flithy! We clean up every night and by the following night, it is a Level 3 diaster zone. Toys on the floor, a trail of clothes everywhere, Cheerios in random places, vomit on my clothes - it's a mess!

Another tip I'd give it to buy toys that are one big piece. We bought my daughter a gazillion Legos and Tinkertoy sets and man do I regret it every day. Just buy teddy bears or something. Saves you time in the end.

Tara
http://theyoungmommylife.com

[Stimey]

I love your have one room that is always clean and one room you can let be a disaster idea. Fabulous!

My living room I keep clean (and toy-free), which works out well because that's where unexpected visitors come in.

My messy room is my kids' bedroom. Plus, if someone drops by, I can throw all the messy stuff in there, then lock the dog in there, which gives me a reason to not let anyone in!

[April]

big bins (we use inexpensive baskets from Old Time Pottery) are KEY!!!