Keeping a Clean, Organized House when You Have Small Children

I am blessed to be the mother to an energetic 13-month-old daughter. While I love having her around and wouldn't change things for the world, it can be difficult and frustrating trying to keep up with the housework with a toddler in the house. Kids have a way of making messes faster than we can clean them up, and it can be frustrating. While having kids around probably means that you're not going to have a perfect, "Martha Stewart"-clean house, you also don't have to live in constant clutter. Here are four simple tips to keeping your house looking presentable and feeling comfortable.

Make a gameplan

Know ahead of time what you have to do, and stick to it. If your kids are old enough that you are able to stick to a daily or weekly routine, that may be your best option. With unpredictable babies and toddlers, though, it's not always possible to follow the same routine every day. I have developed a habit of waking in the morning, assessing my daughter's mood (as well as my own) and writing out a list for the day of things that need to be done. I list them in order of importance, with the most important tasks first, so that if I don't get to everything on the list, at least I can get the big things done. Sometimes I'm only able to do one or two things on my list -- some days I can finish the entire list and then move on to something else. But having a gameplan every day helps keep me focused and motivated, and prevents me from becoming overwhelmed.

Don't fall behind

In every house, there are certain tasks that need to be done regularly -- laundry, dishes, vacuuming, and so on. Always keep these tasks in mind so that they don't get out of control. I've found that if I let the laundry slip for just a day or two, it becomes nearly unmanageable and I need to spend an entire day catching up. That "catch-up" day means that I have to neglect other household responsibilities for the day, which causes them to pile up more. The more out of control a task becomes, the harder it is to find the motivation to get it done. Stay on top of the everyday chores to keep them from getting out of hand.

Get your child involved