Are you tired of hearing shouts of “Where’s my other sock / homework book / glasses / mobile phone / keys?” Then it’s time to tackle the clutter and get organised. Life is busy and we all seem to be moving at 50 miles an hour, juggling several balls as we go.
When time is of the essence efficiency is key. Make sure little Johnny can find his shoes and coat in the cloakroom cupboard by investing in children’s clothing labels and name tags for school that can easily be attached to his items.
It’s easier to find things when there’s a place for them, the last thing you need is a family bust-up about who had the dog’s lead last. Poor Fido just wants to go for his tea-time walk before you head out to judo/book-club/ballet/the local pub-quiz etc. Let’s check out a few tips on how to organise your home:
Instigate the In-Box Rule
Katie comes in with a permission slip for a school trip, does she:
Wave it under your nose while you’re cooking, so you tell you will look at it later.
Leave it in her bag with her latest report and a detention slip.
Stick it on any available countertop before engaging in inane banter on FaceTime.
The outcome of any of these? A chance you won’t see the slip, don’t sign it and poor Katie gets to spend the day scowling her way through double math with the kids in the year below, while friends from her class have a great time at the theatre.
The solution? Set up an in-box where school letters, permission slips and mail requiring urgent action can go. That way you can check you are on top of important and urgent matters that might otherwise be overlooked.
Get Your Outdoor Gear Ready to Go
There are three left handed gloves in the cloak cupboard, two broken umbrellas, a hat with a bobble hanging off and a bag for life that’s pretty much hanging on for dear life after being used for a million last-minute shopping trips. Having your outdoor garments and accessories in a jumble makes it ten-times harder to leave the house on time. Consider having a box for each member of your family, and encourage everyone to put their own gloves, hats etc. in the right box.
If you have kids of similar ages or sizes using children’s clothing labels can help to make sure the right things go in the right place. If space allows have a box at hand too for lunch boxes, snack boxes and water bottles, again make it easier for your children to identify their items by investing in school name tags.
Only Buy What You Need
Scratching your head at the shop because you can’t remember if you had run out of spaghetti for tonight’s planned bolognaise? In households all over the country people end up buying stuff they just don’t need. Consider leaving a notepad near the fridge and cupboards – when you run out of something you can quickly make a note. It also pays to think ahead about what you are eating, if you can plan breakfast, lunch and tea for the next two or three days it will help you to see what you will need to buy.
Although food is the main culprit for attracting needless spend, other items can rupture the household budget too. Perhaps you are replacing items too quickly because people are being too careless e.g. socks are being left strewn around the house. Misplaced items can cost, if you have just brought your child a pair of football boots for the after-school footy tournament it can be really annoying (and costly) if they are lost. Reduce the chance of forking out for misplaced items by making sure you affix children’s clothing labels. They are great for making sure coats, jumpers and all other garments make it back to their rightful owner if they are lost. The same principle applies to all possessions, if your child is taking their favourite robot and treasured train-set into school for a “toy-day” be sure to affix school name tags to the items to avoid tears if they mislaid.
If You Don’t Love It Don’t Keep It
Encourage your family to have a sort out. Chances are there are items lying around the house that you seldom (or never use). Clutter can lead to chaos, streamline your lives by only keeping the useful things or things you love.