Tips for Keeping Your Home - and Life - Organized

I am a teacher; my wife is a teacher. Our "day job" is filled with children, clutter, and chaos. By the time we get home from work, we need a break. There are times however when it seems that I leave one crazy classroom only to arrive home to another. We have had to force the issue of organization and clutter control at home. The last things we want to do is view home as work, or treat our own children like students.

Even if your day job isn't as hectic as ours, chances are you could benefit from some organization and coordination at home. The following steps are not only great at keeping things organized at home, but also they help to teach your kids responsibility and ownership.

Place toy bins within reach of young children. Your child cannot pick up for themselves if they cannot reach the toy box. Make sure to have a set in every room the child plays in so that he can be reminded in every room to clean up.

Place coat hooks low on the wall or on the back of the door used most often by your family. Hangers and coat hooks are often out of reach. You should expect a child, even at an early age, to be responsible for hanging up her own coat or bag. This will not be possible if it is out of reach

Assign each school-age child a bin or "cubby" for homework, papers that need to go back to school, and school supplies. Schools do this for a reason - it works. A visual in box works for a child because they can see what they need to take care of and be responsible for. If a student's belongings are allowed to "pile up." Things will be lost along with her sense of responsibility.

Keep a master calendar. Hang this in a central location, such as the kitchen, and use it to jot down all appointments, chores, activities, and celebrations. Color code the calendar so that even young children can know what days they are responsible for doing things, or what days dad or mom might be gone.

Rotate toys. Store extra toys in a closet, basement, or attic. Children grow tired of items quickly. If you rotate the toys, you can spend less time and money on their entertainment. Your spaces can stay organized as well because you will have less clutter.

Keep small toys in a see-through hanging bags. These are great for plastic dolls, cars, or building blocks. Being see through, the kids will know exactly what is in a bag without having to dump the whole thing out.

String a clothesline high on a wall to display artwork.Whenever new art is created, ALWAYS hang it up. When a new piece is posted, an old piece must be removed and thrown away.

If you are struggling to "keep it together" at home, you are not alone. If the guilt of neglecting your kids to clean house is killing you, it's not just you. Streamlining your home and delegating as much as possible to your family members do more than help you stay organized. It will help to instill the values and dedication to stay organized in your children. With luck, when they are adults, they won't feel like you do. Good luck!