What I've Learned About Organization

This has been brewing in my mind for quite some time. But before I get started, I want you to know that I have not totally achieved this organization thing. I'm still learning. I am a stay at home, home school mother of 4  and a farmer's wife. You may be in a completely different stage and setting. If organization doesn't come easily for you, I will not judge you.

I function best in an organized environment. I have OCD issues with making my bed and a few other things. (well, I thought I did. I just looked up that term and maybe it really doesn't apply. I kinda hope not anyway.) I like order, hate clutter, love schedules, and have passed at least some of this on to my children. Being flexible is not my strong point but God is teaching that one to me in a variety of creative ways.

1. Your children will seldom be neater than Mom.
I have seen this over and over. People tell me that they can't get the children to pick up after themselves or be neat. But one peek at the master bedroom or the kitchen, and you know Mom has higher standards for her kids than she's willing to follow herself. I must set a good example for my children. That means making my bed, hanging up my pj's, putting away my shoes and the like.

2. You can't put things away if you don't know where to put them.
We mom's have to have a plan. Hooks in the bedroom for pj's, hooks in the bathroom for towels, hooks in the entrance for coats. Drawers for gloves and hats, shelves for shoes, baskets for blankets. You get the idea. I am not a fan of toy boxes. Things get thrown in and lost, broken, or ruined. We have totes for lego's and little toy cars, nice cloth bags for the doll clothes, book shelves for the books, and a little kitchen cupboard for the toy dishes. Granted, when we have guests over and it's time to clean up the toys, it can be a little confusing. But we generally help with pick up or send them home and do it ourselves. Who doesn't like to skip that part if you have tired children? Each of the children has their own personal 'treasure drawer' and no one is allowed to dig around in it without permission. This gives them a place to put their stuff.

3. A hamper in each room saves the dirty clothes clutter.
I keep a hamper in each bedroom and each bathroom and I get pretty frustrated if I see dirty clothes on the floor! My children often gather and sort the laundry for the regular laundry days. I have a laundry cart in my tiny laundry room and it makes sorting the clothes very simple.

4.Get rid of clutter. Get rid of clutter.
Oh, did I just repeat myself? I am a bit obsessive about this one and yes, you can ask my husband if this trait has ever caused issues in our marriage. I am a pitch-er! If the dresser drawers won't shut easily, we have too many clothes. I often go through our clothes and consign, or give away what we don't need or wear.  Mail piles up on the kitchen counter and drives me crazy. At least once a week I sort through it and organize and pitch. Several times a week, I make a sweep through the house and gather up the children's paraphernalia and put it on a pile on the table. I give them each a chance to get their stuff and put it away then I pitch the rest.

5. Have regular clean up times.
Like before naps, or before supper or bedtime, designate a room to a child and pick everything up and make it neat and tidy. Sometimes I say, "All hands on deck" and we all pitch in together. Or maybe I'll say everyone has to put away 5 things. It's so much more fun to wake up in the morning and start my day in an un-cluttered house! 

6. Have a meal plan.
I've tried it all- to weekly menus to monthly menus to none at all. Right now, I'm not really planning menus but I do figure out in the morning or the night before what we're having for supper. That way I can have the meat thawed, put in marinade, or whatever it takes. The more of a plan you have, the less grocery trips you have to make for that one elusive item you thought you had. 

7. Teach your children to work.
You don't have to do it all alone. I read once that if you are feeling overwhelmed as a Mom, you need to delegate more responsibility to your children. Of course, all things considered- they may be too young to help and you might need some outside help. But if they are between the ages of 5 and 11, like my children are, there is MUCH they can do. My boys have been cleaning bathrooms for a long time, and all 4 keep their bedrooms clean. 

There is a lot more that could be said about organizing a house. I like to look through the freezers every now and then and use up those forgotten items. And speaking of freezers, mine wouldn't win an award for being neat. I also like to clean out and organize the pantry frequently. I hate throwing food away.
Our mud room is this teeny tiny space that is supposed to store a lot more than it's actually capable of. Depending on what day you visit, you just might be shocked at the condition of that room. I always say you don't need a large space to be organized, but that room makes me wonder. I often feel grumbly inside when I step into that room, but after a thorough scrubbing and organizing and an attitude check about how much I have, I feel content again. First world problems definitely.
I have 2 daughters who are in the pack rat stage right now. It can be super frustrating. When I ask them to clean up their room, they do, but they save a lot more stuff than I would. Several times a year, I go in and clean it out and pack the 'junk' away. I save it in a hidden location for a month or so, just in case I eliminated something precious. I learned that the hard way. Then eventually I get rid of it all.
We have issues sometimes with the children's drawers looking awful. I set up a plan where I would make random drawer checks and reward anyone w/ neat drawers. It was amazing what a couple of quarters could do as an incentive.
I hope this is an encouragement to you with maybe just one helpful idea. We need to figure out what works for us and go with it. Habits form in a month, so one month of consistently adopting a new habit and you're hooked!:)