Here are a few ways to include the entire family in helping to get and keep your home more organized...
IDENTIFY FAMILY MEMBER ACCOUNTABILITY:
Does everyone in the home insist the clutter isn't theirs, but rather is someone else's? Do you get tired of pointing out the items to each family member? If so, one way to help members of your family become more aware of their contributions to the clutter is to assign and buy a colored dot or fun character sticker (that is easily removable) to represent each family member. Be sure to include yourself! Each day place a sticker on items that are left lying around, that needs to be put back "home". This can help each member become more aware of their contribution to the clutter including the volume or frequency. The stickers serve as a silent reminder and cuts back on the nagging requests to put things away.
MAKE IT FUN:
If your family has a game night, consider a scavenger junk hunt. Give each family 10-15 items to find. Your lists may include orphaned socks, containers with no lids, broken toys, battered books, outgrown clothing, old phone books, last year's homework, t-shirts with holes, you name it. Set an amount of time to find the objects. At the end of the game, toss the junk and have a treat for the family and if desired award prizes.
DEVELOP DAILY HABITS:
Implement the 5 minute clean up. Before bedtime establish a 5-minute clean up as part of the bedtime ritual. Have each child spend 5 minutes picking up items lying around the house. The morning of the day you start, let them know that after the 5 minutes are up, you will be gathering any remaining items that have not been picked up. All of the items will be going into a "earn back" or "service" box. They will be able to earn them back by having to perform a service by doing a simple chore (requiring no more than 5 minutes). To encourage items not continuously going into or staying in the box indefinitely, set the last day of the month as the day all items in the box go away as donations. On the first day, remind them that they will only have 5 minutes before bed, and encourage to pick up during the day if needed if you see that the clutter is WELL beyond a 5 min pick up. After the first or 2nd day, don't remind during the day, but let them learn by doing. Be sure that when someone has nothing put in the box that night or earns their belongings back that they are praised. You should see a decrease in the items that are taken out and not put away. When they get mad or frustrated that they can't get it all done in 5 minutes, be sure to teach/remind them that if they clean up as they go, or put away something before they take another item out, they will always be able to clean up in 5 minutes. Be consistent with this method. Pick up the items, do not give back until it has been earned, donate at the end of the month. If you are not consistent, you will have no credibility.
ENCOURAGE COOPERATION:
Make it clear you are not searching for perfection, but do insist that everyone cooperates and tries. You do not want to turn into a nag who makes coming home miserable. There may be many well established habits to break so you need to be patient but firm. Consider starting with establishing 3 basic rules such as:
* Remove dirty dishes from table or other area they were consumed in, rinse and put in
dishwasher.
* Put dirty clothes and towels in the hamper.
* Clean up 5 minutes before bed.
When you include the entire family, you not only are teaching good habits, and relieving yourself of some of the burden, but family members will find that when they are going to be part of cleaning up, they will be more careful about MESSING it up, and they will share more fully in the pride of a cleaner / more organized home.
Mamasource
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Foot Fetish...
Is there rumor of a sock shortage that I don’t know about?? Because it appears that hoarding of pantyhose and socks is completely out of control!
I was at my girlfriend’s house last week and we were looking through an old trunk that was her grandmothers, and inside was a pair of old wool socks. First, I thought, gross... Then I noticed how many times they had been darned. These were very well worn socks. Clearly, she was a frugal woman who did not believe in waste or did not have the luxury of owning several pairs, let alone DOZENS. It left me feeling not only very fortunate, but a little embarrassed over my good fortune or ocassional decisions to "toss" vs. fix things, at the same time.
One pair of excessively darned socks is certainly extreme, but can we be a little more realistic about the amount of balled up pantyhose and socks a person really might NEED on hand? Perhaps if you live in a rural area, or have a hard to find size of pantyhose, you might need to store more than average. But with department stores and drug stores right down the street practically open 24/7 there is no need to fear you might have pantyhose fashion emergency and can't find another pair quickly. Or heaven forbid, put on another color or outfit until tomorrow! The general rule of thumb is; two of each color should MORE than suffice. If you wear them frequently, wash them right after you wear them, so they are ready to wear again. When they wear out, throw them away, and buy another pair. (Again, apply the one-in/one-out rule). As always, be honest, be reasonable, be SIMPLE.
The same sensible idea applies to socks. But is a much more prevalent problem. How many socks can one possibly wear in a week? If you have colored socks - stick to the two per color rule maximum also, BUT be reasonable about how many different colored socks you REALLY need. Is your dresser stuffed with purple or pink socks that you wear once a year with a certain outfit or costume? Would your feet be just as warm and comfy in another color? I question which choice might really be a bigger fashion faux pas, wearing the pink socks, or having to wear white instead? I'd have to see the outfit :) I recommend 4 basic colors (tan, black, blue, brown) and the rest in WHITE. This will reduce the amount of time trying to find that one sock that is missing. Try to buy the same style each time if possible, to keep them mix and match.
Occasionally there are some necessary specialty socks (peds for clogs, knee highs etc) which is fine. Again, limit the colors and the amount of each style. And if you must have a pair or more of socks for every HOLIDAY, store them with other infrequently used seasonal clothing in your closet vs. taking up valuable real estate in your dresser drawer. Quit digging through dozens and dozens of sock that you NEVER wear, trying to find the pair that you ALWAYS wear. The 80/20 rule applies here too. You most likely wear 20% of your socks, 80% of the time. They are your favs, be honest.
So quick, how many pairs do you think you have? Most think 7-12 pair. If I was a betting woman, I'd say it's closer to 15-30 and depending on the woman, probably more :).
Wear what you have. When they wear out, toss them. If they are colored, and you are down to your 2 per color maximium, replace them with white if you need them. If you have enough whites, control yourself and resist the urge to buy more! What is enough whites? If you wear hose and or colored socks on occassion, 7 white socks are enough. If white is all you ever wear, then 14 is more than enough.. It will last you a week if you wear 2 pair a day, or two weeks if you wear a pair a day. If two weeks worth isn't enough, then that is another subject, for another day - Laundry!
I was at my girlfriend’s house last week and we were looking through an old trunk that was her grandmothers, and inside was a pair of old wool socks. First, I thought, gross... Then I noticed how many times they had been darned. These were very well worn socks. Clearly, she was a frugal woman who did not believe in waste or did not have the luxury of owning several pairs, let alone DOZENS. It left me feeling not only very fortunate, but a little embarrassed over my good fortune or ocassional decisions to "toss" vs. fix things, at the same time.
One pair of excessively darned socks is certainly extreme, but can we be a little more realistic about the amount of balled up pantyhose and socks a person really might NEED on hand? Perhaps if you live in a rural area, or have a hard to find size of pantyhose, you might need to store more than average. But with department stores and drug stores right down the street practically open 24/7 there is no need to fear you might have pantyhose fashion emergency and can't find another pair quickly. Or heaven forbid, put on another color or outfit until tomorrow! The general rule of thumb is; two of each color should MORE than suffice. If you wear them frequently, wash them right after you wear them, so they are ready to wear again. When they wear out, throw them away, and buy another pair. (Again, apply the one-in/one-out rule). As always, be honest, be reasonable, be SIMPLE.
The same sensible idea applies to socks. But is a much more prevalent problem. How many socks can one possibly wear in a week? If you have colored socks - stick to the two per color rule maximum also, BUT be reasonable about how many different colored socks you REALLY need. Is your dresser stuffed with purple or pink socks that you wear once a year with a certain outfit or costume? Would your feet be just as warm and comfy in another color? I question which choice might really be a bigger fashion faux pas, wearing the pink socks, or having to wear white instead? I'd have to see the outfit :) I recommend 4 basic colors (tan, black, blue, brown) and the rest in WHITE. This will reduce the amount of time trying to find that one sock that is missing. Try to buy the same style each time if possible, to keep them mix and match.
Occasionally there are some necessary specialty socks (peds for clogs, knee highs etc) which is fine. Again, limit the colors and the amount of each style. And if you must have a pair or more of socks for every HOLIDAY, store them with other infrequently used seasonal clothing in your closet vs. taking up valuable real estate in your dresser drawer. Quit digging through dozens and dozens of sock that you NEVER wear, trying to find the pair that you ALWAYS wear. The 80/20 rule applies here too. You most likely wear 20% of your socks, 80% of the time. They are your favs, be honest.
So quick, how many pairs do you think you have? Most think 7-12 pair. If I was a betting woman, I'd say it's closer to 15-30 and depending on the woman, probably more :).
Wear what you have. When they wear out, toss them. If they are colored, and you are down to your 2 per color maximium, replace them with white if you need them. If you have enough whites, control yourself and resist the urge to buy more! What is enough whites? If you wear hose and or colored socks on occassion, 7 white socks are enough. If white is all you ever wear, then 14 is more than enough.. It will last you a week if you wear 2 pair a day, or two weeks if you wear a pair a day. If two weeks worth isn't enough, then that is another subject, for another day - Laundry!
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