Marie Kondo Tips for Tidying with Kids
Photo from konmari.com
Finally, 2020 is coming to an end. While we might not have had a chance to be with extended family physically this holiday season, it doesn’t mean that there was any shortage in the gift-giving department, thanks to shopping and shipping through the internet. Your kids probably received gifts not only from Santa, but from grandma and grandpa, aunts and uncles, neighbors, friends… the list continues. But how do you deal with the clutter that comes after the gift wrap is all thrown away and the shiny new presents are just… there?
About Marie Kondo
Listed as one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People” in 2015, Marie Kondo is a guru when it comes to organizing and tidying up. Her book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which came out in 2011, has been published in more than 30 countries, making headway in the US in 2014. Her organizing empire grew with the release of her Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo in 2019. You may have heard her main philosophy before, which is only to keep things in your home that ‘spark joy’.
But what about when it comes to your children’s things? The truth of the matter is, many children own toys that they have either gotten bored with, outgrown, or that are broken or damaged. On the other hand, children can become very attached to their toys. Where do you even begin to incorporate your children into toy tidying? Marie Kondo’s website, konmari.com, lists Marie’s Top 4 Tips for Tidying with Kids: narrate as you tidy, make tidying playful, give everything a home, and respect spatial limitations.
4 Top Tips for Tidying with Kids
Narrate as You Tidy - Explain to your children what you are doing as you help clean up, so that they have a better understanding of it.
Make Tidying Playful - Let your child know that playing and tidying go hand in hand. If you play with it, you should put it away. The more they see the adults in the household cleaning with a smile on their face, the more likely a child will be to adapt good tidying habits as well.
Give Everything a Home - Make sure each toy has a set location in the house and that your children know where each toy belongs. This will make clean-up a faster process.
Respect Spatial Limitations - As Marie says, you don’t want “your home being overtaken by your children’s belongings”.
Having spent more time at home than ever this year, do you have more or fewer toys for your children in your house? Either way, as we head into 2021, it might be time to toss a few broken toys in the trash, put a few keepsakes in the attic, and teach your children a lesson about donating toys to those in need. Another way to make the most of the play room? Rotate toys in and out. After the holidays, stow away a few older toys that you don’t want to throw out to make room for the new toys. After about a month or so, switch out some of the stagnant toys for one of the toys that was kept in storage. Your child may rediscover how much fun playing with older toys can be!
Don't Forget to Forgive Yourself
Marie Kondo admits that having children did throw her household routine off kilter for a bit, but she has a new routine. She says some days are better than others regarding the children’s participation in tidying up. If she is having a tricky day, she will clean up on her own before she goes to bed. She says it usually only takes ten minutes or so because everything in her home already has a designated space.
Motherhood has taught Marie Kondo to loosen the reins a little bit, after she realized sometimes she doesn’t have the energy to keep up with the house. “Motherhood taught me to be more forgiving of myself,” says Marie. “The joy that comes from parenting exceeds any satisfaction that could have come from a perfectly neat home.”
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