Affiliate links used in this post at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting Life of Creed blog!

Toddlers have this very curious ability to turn every place into a mess in just five minutes. One way or another, dirt always finds its way to your innocent little adventurers. But that doesn’t upset them; on the contrary, it makes them very, very happy. You, on the other hand, are anything but overjoyed, especially when dirt eventually finds its way onto your walls as well. However, there are a few sneaky ways to change this or at least to make a difference. Check out these tips for keeping your place neat with toddlers.

Use Baskets to Store Your Kids’ Toys

It’s a good idea to designate a home for your children’s toys, but don’t go with shelves or boxes. In time you will see that it’s too much effort to put all the stuff back where it belongs. Using baskets, on the other hand, may make things better. Placing a few baskets around your home or in your toddlers’ room will make cleaning up a breeze. It’s much easier to toss everything into a basket than to put it on a shelf. It will be easy for your small ones as well, as their toys will be within arm’s reach.

Opt For Washable Markers and Crayons

For the sake of your white walls and engineered wood flooring, don’t let your small ones use anything but washable crayons. Toddlers aren’t aware of how expensive your couch is or how much time and effort remodeling takes. But you are. So, make sure to stock up with washable markers and crayons because no matter how hard you try to talk them out of drawing on your walls, they won’t listen. Kids generally don’t like it when limits are set, so don’t assume they are going to solely draw on the one piece of paper you give them. If other people give them non-washable markers, just don’t let your children use them.

Spend About Half an Hour Cleaning Each Afternoon

It’s one thing to want a clean house, it’s another thing to be obsessed with cleanliness. Housekeeping is like a circle. You do a little cleaning, then the house gets dirty again, you pitch in as always and in a few days (or hours), there is more to do. Your goal is to keep germs at bay and the house presentable. But you don’t have to get it immaculate. A second later your toddler will make a mess anyway. In order to make cleaning easier, take a few minutes to tidy up and wipe down during the afternoon while your small one is napping.

Rotate Toys

A good rule of thumb is to rotate your toddlers’ toys. Instead of buying more toys that will only add up to the huge pile of stuffed animals, Legos and Barbie dolls, follow this rule. It’s kind of the “one in, one out” rule many people use to keep their homes tidy and free from clutter. Every time you introduce a “new” toy to your kid, take one out of the pile and store it in the garage or wherever you store toys. It goes without saying that your toddler should never know about it. Take advantage of those moments when he or she is napping and replace a toy of your choosing. A few weeks after that, take out another toy from the pile and replace it with one from the garage. Kids love finding new stuff. And since we are talking about toddlers, they won’t know that they have already played with that toy before. Rotate toys every few weeks.

Do you have any other tips for keeping your home tidy and clean with small kids around? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

About the Author