Keeping the house tidy, with kids at home can feel like a full-time job… probably because it is! Here are some of my best tips for managing the mess and not getting overwhelmed!

Building a Christian home doesn’t necessarily mean it must always be clean! But keeping the house tidy will help keep your mind clear and make life more manageable.

You know that scene in Snow White where she is dancing around the cottage as all the birds and animals help her clean? I feel like that is the ultimate mom dream.

Unfortunately, sometimes it feels more like a Cinderella story where you’re on your hands and knees scrubbing the floor and the cat walks across with muddy paws. Keeping the house tidy with people in it, especially kids, is like taking a shower and using blue Koolaid for shampoo. Everything ends up blue and sticky and there is no fairy godmother to wave her wand and clean it up.

That being said, I do believe in introducing “chores” to kids early on. I get E to help with laundry and putting things away. These are simple tasks that don’t require cleaning products or large amounts of water.

If I whip out the Mr. Clean spray, E follows me around going “ksh ksh” (imitating the sound the spray bottle makes). And if I set it down he grabs it and tries to do it himself. I’m all for exploring but not with cleaning products.

That’s why I started making my own cleaning products using vinegar so that I could safely clean with my kids in the room and not worry about them being exposed to toxins!

But if by some magic you do manage to get into a room alone to clean, inevitably there will be a mess in another room. It’s so much easier to clean when you don’t have people wandering around, getting into things.

Is keeping the house tidy possible? I don’t have all the answers but I have found a few ways to keep our house somewhat organized with kids at home!

Keeping the House Tidy (with Kids at Home)

1. Spend Time Everyday to Tidy Up

I know, I know, no one wants to clean everyday. But I’m not talking a full deep clean, just spend a few minutes cleaning the floors and putting things away.

I spend 30-60 minutes after E has gone to bed to tidy up. I do the basics, swiffering the floor, putting away dishes and straightening furniture. Then I choose one thing to tackle, toilets or sinks or laundry. I put my audiobook on and get to it. It doesn’t take very long and it means you don’t have to spend an entire weekend cleaning the house.

And if you do this everyday or almost everyday, you can take some nights off. If I’m really exhausted I do the bare minimum and plop myself on the couch for the night.

2. Implement the “Touch it Once” Rule

I will confess I’m still working on this in my house but it’s a great way to keep clutter from getting out of control. Essentially, the idea is that you only touch an item once.

For example, when you come in the door you take your jacket off and put it in the closet. Not on the bench or the floor, where it will have to be touched again to be put away. If you are using an iPad, it goes back where it belongs, not set down on a table or counter. Same for books, bags, toys, pens etc.

Half of the clutter in a house are things that have homes and just never make it back to them. They aren’t lost, they’re just in limbo! So be firm with your family and yourself about getting things where they belong as soon as they are done with them.

3. Get Yourself a Little Handheld Vacuum

I love my handheld vacuum. It’s one of my favourite things in the house. Okay maybe I’m exaggerating a little, but I’m pretty strict about how it gets used. Baby B used it once to suck up the dog’s water and I cried a little bit. After thorough drying it was fine, thank goodness!

We have the Bissel Pet Pro Hair Eraser vacuum because (shockingly) dog hair becomes like an accessory if you let it accumulate. It’s handy to have a way to vacuum the couches and dog bed without lugging out the central vac.

And with two little boys eating snacks, somehow the crumbs get everywhere!

We also have a Roomba, which is more of an investment than a handheld vacuum. I like our Roomba but it does require some supervision and from time to time gets stuck and has to be found. It’s also a great way to keep dog hair from getting out of control, especially during shedding season(s).

4. Get Into a Routine with Basic Tasks

There’s a reason your mom wanted you to make your bed everyday. It saved her from doing it (most importantly), it made your room look less messy and it was a good habit to get into! Making your bed is a good start to keeping your house tidy.

There are other things you can work into routine. Drying and putting away dishes. Wiping counters. Using a squeegee on shower doors. Hanging clothes up instead of piling them on a chair. Little things that take a few seconds to a few minutes but help keep your home tidy.

5. Involve Your Kids When Possible

Get some spray bottles from the dollar store and fill them with water so your kids can help you clean the tub or wipe windows.

Kids love to be part of the action so let them be involved in age-appropriate chores. Here are a few examples of things kids can do with supervision:

Age 1-3 – Putting away laundry (including towels), spraying water from a spray bottle, wiping cupboards/fridge/windows

Age 2-4 – (All of the above) Making their bed, sorting clothes, putting toys away, setting the table, hanging laundry on the line

Age 3-5 – (All of the above) Clearing the table, emptying lunch containers, yard work (gardening, raking, shovelling etc)

5. Don’t Panic

Your house doesn’t have to be perfect. No one is going to comment on how clean your baseboards are or check if your sock drawer is organized. You live there, even houses on Instagram and in magazines can’t be perfect forever. HGTV got nothing on toddlers.

So do what you can do. If you have to clean the shower while you’re taking a shower (because I’ve done it) so be it. If there are dog fluffs rolling down the hallways, so be it. If your toddler wants to swiffer for you, all the power to them. You can always finish tomorrow!

Keeping the House Tidy Is Possible (You Got This!)

Cleaning is never anyone’s first choice of activity but it is an important part of house maintenance. Until your kids are old enough to take on some of the tasks or at least won’t climb into the shower while you’re elbow deep in a toilet, you’ll need to be creative to get cleaning done.

Get yourself a good audiobook (I use Audible) or create an epic playlist and get to it. Remember a little bit goes a long way. You don’t have to clean your entire house in one day. Do a few small things everyday to stay on top of the mess!

And remember I won’t comment on your mess if you don’t comment on mine!