Toy rotation just means having a limited number of toys for your children to play with at one time. This creates less overwhelm for kids. Have you ever had too many choices and just shut down? Our children feel the same way. When there are too many toys around, they get overwhelmed and can’t choose.
When thinking about the nursery, consider what you’ll be doing where. You want to make sure diapers and wipes are within reach when you’re changing the baby (and have extras on hand because no one wants to be stuck without a wipe!). Where will you be feeding the baby? Make sure to have a table nearby for water or to place the bottle down when needed. Getting everything set up before the baby arrives, if possible, will help when the baby is here and you’re not sleeping.
Kids’ rooms can be tough, especially toddlers. They are constantly growing and clothes sizes are changing. The key to a kid’s clothing is to work with that change. When organizing a kid’s closet and dresser, you want to have systems for bringing in new clothes and getting rid of outgrown clothes. Many of these tips will work for older kids as well. They are still growing out of clothing, just not as quickly.
The part of my day that used to take the longest was making dinner. I thought that I had to spend time following a recipe that involved lots of chopping and putting ingredients together. Since having kids, I have made dinners so much easier. I normally have about 25 minutes of a tv show to get dinner ready and on the table without going into too much screen time for my kids. Now, I typically finish what I need to do in less time because I have developed a plan that works well for our family.
The most important part for toy organization is finding a system that works for you and your family can grow into. We have a combination of the Kallax system as well as smaller containers for items. With a four year old and a two year old, we are transitioning into toys with smaller items and more pieces. The smaller containers keep everything together, which little brother can spend time in the cube bins finding toys that are age appropriate for him!
Getting your children in the habit of cleaning up is teaching them a life lesson as well as making your day a lot easier. When I don’t follow through and have them clean up before lunch or before dinner, I always regret it. Then, I have to use my childless time to clean up their mess!
Studies show that your productivity, health, mood, and even your sleep habits are deeply affected by your physical surroundings. But if you’re like me, you probably don’t need a study to tell you that more clutter = more stress.
Your home is your sanctuary. Let’s work together to restore it to a place you love to be in… and build habits that help you keep it that way.