Best Tips for Getting Organized
After nearly 53 years of being a homemaker, there are a few tips I’ve found that have helped me get and stay organized. And even after all these years, I’m still learning new little tweaks to keep me organized.
Confession time: by nature, I’m what most would classify as easy-going - a phlegmatic - which often means, “procrastinator”. Like most young wives and moms, I wanted a tidy home. Growing up, I was the eldest of four children, so many household chores were my responsibility. I learned the basic housekeeping tasks like cleaning, dusting, and doing the laundry but like most kids, did not always do all things as “unto the Lord”. Don’t get me wrong, I am certainly glad my mom taught me those skills, especially as I entered adult life and found many of my peers didn’t have a clue how to keep a home tidy. What was missing in all the instruction, though, was the very practical “why”. Why is it important to learn to make my bed, do laundry, etc.?
After a couple of years of marriage and some embarrassing moments, like friends dropping by while I still had dirty dishes on the table and unfolded laundry on the couch, I began to think there had to be a better way. My bookshelves were full of “getting organized” and “super cleaning” books, but reading a book and putting it into practice are two completely different things. It’s the putting into practice that provides results. So whether it’s for yourself or for aid in teaching your children, here are some simple cleaning hacks I’ve learned along the way:
Make sure everything has a home
If something is taken out, it goes back to its home before you go to bed. For your children, starting in the playpen, keep things simple by having a small basket with a few (3 or 4) age-appropriate toys. When playpen time is over, have the child (with your help) put the toys back in the basket. If you like the idea of every item having a “home” then use that: “Time to have your toys go back home”. Begin as you mean to go. A child who learns that every item has a home and experiences that instruction being reinforced will eventually put everything where it belongs. Note: If there isn’t a proper home for something, ask yourself, “Is it really necessary or needful?” Something to consider. Sometimes less is best.
Don’t go to bed with a sink full of dirty dishes
At least as much as possible. If you have a dishwasher, make sure once a dish is used, it’s rinsed and put right in the dishwasher. If you are hand washing, take the few minutes to wash the items after each meal/snack rather than allowing dirty dishes to accumulate.
Find a laundry routine that works for your family
This one took me several years to conquer. Review your daily routine and decide what is reasonable and realistic regarding when to do the laundry. If your situation requires going to the laundromat, you will likely do your laundry once a week. If your budget allows, most laundromats now offer a ‘fluff and fold’ service where you drop the laundry off and they do it and fold it for you too! If you are doing laundry at home and your family is small, you might get by with doing loads once a week. I tried that for our family of 4 and it seemed all I did for that day was wash clothes, which meant all the clothes needed to be folded and put away as well (that is part of doing laundry, you know). You might consider doing laundry Monday, Wednesday, and Friday instead. Try getting into the habit of folding or hanging up clothes as you take them out of the dryer. If you have littles, you can have one help take the item out and hand it to you to fold. This is keeping them in your view and they are also learning to contribute to the “team” by participating in family chores. You are preparing them for the day when they will take over this task.
Include the whole family in the housekeeping tasks
Make a list of household responsibilities, including vacuuming, sweeping the floor, dusting (think that’s still done), empting wastebaskets, putting out the trash bins, laundry, dishes, etc. Dad and Mom can now discuss who will do what, making sure the kids are included. Children should help around the house and be given age-appropriate responsibilities. After all, they benefit from the cooking, the warmth of the house, the clean laundry, etc. so as part of the Family Team, they can participate in helping with the responsibilities of maintaining an organized home and, thereby, life.
These are a few of the major organization hacks I’ve found very helpful in my own life. I trust they will encourage you in your journey to become more organized as you establish a peaceful and life-giving home environment for you and your family.
Anne Marie Ezzo serves with her husband in ministering to families around the world through Growing Families International. For the past 30+ years her passion has been, and continues to be, to encourage wives and moms to practically understand what it means to “love your husband and children”.