How to Run a House While Raising Kids

When you and your life partner or spouse decide to start a family together, you probably do not realize the incredible changes one or two children are going to make to your home. It means that you are going to have to find a way to learn how to balance a career that you love but is 40+ hours a week, as well as being there for your kids, and giving them a home they can grow up in. However, running a household, holding down a career, and raising your kids is not at all simple, and when it comes to learning how to manage it all, it can be incredibly overwhelming. It is a nearly impossible task to keep a house clean with one or more kids in the house. There are probably legos everywhere, stains, laundry, and you probably need a good carpet cleaning, but life is just more enjoyable and far less stressful if the house is clean and well organized—it can even help parents sleep better! The question then is, how are you supposed to run a house with kids underfoot, and not completely lose your mind, or feel like you are fighting a losing battle? Below are a few little known tips and tricks that will help you keep your home clean and under control when you are also running around non-stop raising your kids.

1.) Decide that having a clean house is a top priority

Once you get into your mind that your house being clean is a must, then you will start getting into the habit of not going to bed until your house is clean. It is actually much simpler than it sounds! All you need to do is set a timer for 10-15 minutes every night, and go through the house doing a quick pick-up. This gets rid of the clutter on the floor, and just makes you feel better when you wake up to a house that is tidy every morning.

2.) Don't let your kids bring every toy they have into the living room

This one sounds almost mean, like you do not want your kids to play at all, but this is simply not true. Instead of letting them get every toy out of their toy box and drag them into the living room, only allow them to bring a few of their favorites out at a time, and keep the rest of the toys contained in their bedroom. This creates a nice compromise, so it does not look like your house is a tornado zone full of toys everywhere, but it is evident that kids live in your home, and they are comfortable and enjoy playing in the home. You can also buy a decorative storage basket for your living room, so that they can throw their favorite toys in the basket at the end of the night, and get them out of the way without the storage unit sticking out and looking out of place in your living room. Where there are kids, there are toys, so compromise will help you keep your sanity, and remind your kids that they can feel comfortable to play at home as well.

3.) Strap that baby to you

Having a new baby means that you are carrying around a tiny human in your arms all the time, which means that your hands aren't free to clean up the house, or chase and play with your other kids. Find a baby wrap that you love, and plop your baby in there! This way baby is strapped on securely, and is happily on you, and you still have your hands free to get things done around the house!

4.) Get better at multitasking

When you have a few minutes to get one chore done, plan to go ahead and do two things instead of one. For instance, if you have wood floors and you break out the vacuum, go ahead and mop when you are done while you are at it! It only adds a few more minutes to your time, but can be the difference in making your home look and smell better than it would if you just did the one. Or, if you are folding clean clothes, go ahead and get them put up, and put in a new load. It is all about making the most of your time, and learning how to get multiple things done at once instead of just one thing at a time! This is what keeps your house clean and tidy, and ready should anyone show up unexpectedly!