Organizing Tips and Tricks for Life with Little Kids

I have always loved to organize.  When I was a teenager, I used to combat stress by cleaning and organizing my walk-in-closet.  I guess it's how I'm hard-wired.  Now that I'm an adult, I still love to organize, but I have a lot more real estate and more people to think about.  I always ask myself, "Will this make my life easier, make my kids more independent,  or make our family happier in some way?"  I'm always looking for simple solutions to accomplish those goals.

If you have little kids and are looking for some organization strategies of your own, here are four things to think about:

Think about height.
Little people are... well... little!  They can't - and shouldn't - be expected to thrive in an adult-sized house all the time.  Of course, you can have step stools all over your home, but how much easier would it be to just bring things to the kids' level?  In our house, we've done that in a few key areas:

The Bathroom:

Instead of hoping that kids will fold and rehang their towels on a towel bar, we moved the towel bar over the toilet for guests to use and gave each of the kids their own hook at an age-appropriate level.  (I specifically chose to have the bead board go high enough to make the towels fit on it and not puddle on the floor.)

We also removed stress by having custom towels made with built-in, embroidered hangers, so the towels don't keep falling on the floor.

The Kitchen:

We special ordered sliding drawers for a low cabinet close to the kitchen table, giving the kids independence in getting cups, bowls, and plates.  It was expensive, but hear me say that it was worth. every. penny.

The Closet:

Command hooks are your friend.  Your children aren't going to be able to hang things on hangers high up in closets, but they can be expected to hang up coats or bags on hooks at their own level.

Think about where you use things.

Keep things close to where you actually use them.  If you always get a glass out of the cupboard and pour a drink, don't keep the glasses across the room from your refrigerator.  The same goes for kid and baby items.

All of our bedrooms are upstairs, and I have no interest in trekking upstairs every time I need to change a diaper.  Instead, I set up a diapering cupboard in our family room, and probably 80% of our diaper changes occur right here on the floor (on a changing mat, of course).  I have been changing diapers in front of this cupboard - in multiple houses - for six and a half years now and my whole extended family knows just where to find spare wipes or clean diapers when they come visit.

Think about reality.
I wish my stairs wouldn't always have stuff on them, but they just do.  It's reality in a house with five people.  Instead of denying it, I decided to embrace it and buy stair baskets.  We have one for each kid and one for Jim and me together.

(Someday I will actually print and laminate the name labels for these baskets!)

Another reality I have embraced is that my kids do not outgrow their clothes all in one night.  They gradually outgrow them one item - or several items(!) - at a time, and I don't want to keep hanging them back up and forgetting that they are too small.

In each kid's closet I have a large Tupperware container.  When someone outgrows something I fold it and move it straight into their container.  When the container is full, I label it with the clothing size, put it in storage, and start a new container.

Think about routines.
Sometimes having places for things make no difference if you don't train your family to properly use them.  In our house, we have lots of routines.

I have a few routines just for me that help me to stay sane.  One is my laundry routine.  I don't always do things the same way, but what I have found works best for me is when I put a load of laundry in right before bed, move it to the dryer first thing in the morning (I'm talking maybe seven or eight hours in the washing machine... certainly not enough time for mildew to grow), and fold it as soon as possible.  Sometimes I don't actually get to put it away until after dinner, but at least it's clean and wrinkle-free.  If I do a load this way every day it takes minimal time and keeps me from doing ten loads on weekends.

Speaking of laundry and routines, I have a great system in Brennan's room for his clothes.  I bought one of these hanging closet things, and I put his clothes in it for six days at a time.  He knows he should always take from the top and work his way down.  I thought about labeling each one with a day of the week and doubling up weekends in the last one, but so far it hasn't been necessary.

If we have a special event or soccer practice, I put the uniform/swimming trunks, etc. into the right slot along with his clothes, and it helps to remind him that things are coming up.  The best part of this system is Brennan doesn't come in my bedroom when I'm bleary-eyed to inform me that he has no clean underwear or to ask me, "What matches my blue shark shirt?"  He can just get dressed with no fuss and no problem.

I am also trying to get better about packing lunches in advance.  I'm bad about this, but I think that when dinner is cleaned up and the kids are in bed, the last thing I want to do is make another mess or prepare another meal.  Anyway, when I can get motivated, I sometimes make several lunches at one time.  I use these awesome Ziploc containers and stack them in the refrigerator.  They fit in the kids' lunch boxes, and the compartments individually seal, so things don't get soggy!  If there is something I can't add until the morning of, I put a note on the container.

So, I promised a little sneak peek into my organization tricks, and now you've seen a few of my favorites.  I want to give a little disclaimer and say that I don't think a single thing I do is original.  I don't think I have brilliant, creative, one-of-a-kind strategies, but then again, does anyone?  I mean, don't we all just kind of take the things that work for us?   Anyhow, I can't give credit to everyone whose ideas I have stolen because half the time I don't know where I have gotten them, but I don't have some crazy notion that I'm just so smart.  I'm only sharing this stuff in the hopes that it will help someone else's life to be a more efficient or a little less stressful.  Let me know if you adopt any of these strategies in your home!!

Unexpected Long Weekend

I am home today with a sick kiddo... and so it begins.  Again.  Poor Brennan has had monthly fevers since he was two years old, mostly because he cannot keep his hands out of his mouth.  I feel like he is just as oral as he was when he was a young toddler.  Last year he missed ten days of school, and I got a letter from the school about his attendance.  It was heart-breaking, mostly because I can't change anything.  His oral tendencies are completely subconscious, so harping on him doesn't make any difference at all.

The good news is that today is Friday, so B will definitely be back in school on Monday.  And so today I will do what I can to keep everyone happy until Daddy gets home.  Right now, that involves Caillou and computer games until breakfast.  And so, while everyone gets their daily allotment of screen time, I blog.

Yesterday was my second day having Cora in preschool for five hours.  It was awesome.  Honestly, I felt giddy, being able to run errands with just one child.  And when I got home and Seth took a nap, I dove into an organizing project I have been itching to do for a while.

It is no secret that I get pleasure out of being organized and efficient.  This is especially true in my home.  My house is never completely clean or picked up, (I do have three kids!!) but I do have lots of systems in place to make my life simpler and help everyone stay on track.  My mother-in-law comments every time she comes to visit that I have a new system in place, and she is always learning new tricks from spending time in my home.  She said she loves it because she always knows where to find things and how to step in and help me.  She told me I need to post some of my organizational strategies because they just don't come naturally to everyone.  I thought this sounded like a good idea, so next week I am going to post photos and tips on organization for life with little kids.  If they are obvious, forgive me.  But if they are helpful to even one person, I'm glad to share.

In the mean time, I'll share some photos of yesterday's achievements.  The closets in our house have been driving me crazy for some time.  I picked up a few plastic shelving units at Home Depot yesterday, and voila!  Instant organization.

Brennan's closet before:

... and after:

Seth's closet before:

...and after:

I'll talk about some of the things in the kids' closets during next week's post.  Until then, I'll leave you with some photos.

Brennan and Cora were both supposed to bring family pictures to school, and we realized we hadn't taken one since we were in the hospital when Seth was born.  We threw up a black piece of fabric, set the timer on the camera, and took a few impromptu pictures after church (Jim had been home with the sick baby, so he isn't as dressed up as the rest of us).

Look who is sitting up?!  Oh, wait!  That's a picture of Brennan!  Well, it's awfully hard to tell them apart.  Thank goodness for dates on digital pictures because they are nearly identical at this age.  Check out Seth!!

Have a great weekend!

Words of the Month

So, I realized that I have known for a week and have yet to share on my blog...

We're having another BOY!

We had our ultrasound last Monday, and everything looked perfect.  (This is not a shock, except that I fell, face-forward, three days before the ultrasound and had quite the scare!)  The kids went with us and we all found out the sex together.  It was pure joy.  Brennan's eyes and mouth got super big when he found out it was a boy, and then he buried his head in Jim.  He was so excited.  I was shocked.  I had thought it was a boy all along, but I had started second-guessing myself in the last few weeks and thinking it was another girl.  Deep down, I really knew, so I don't know why I second-guessed.  I haven't been able to come up with a decent girl name to save my life, and with each child, we've had a hard time coming up with a name for the wrong sex.

In keeping with our tradition, baby boy's name will be kept a secret until he arrives in early April, but since we don't have a name yet, we're still open to suggestions.  Here are the "rules:" :-)

1.)  The name can't be in the top 100 list of baby names from 2010.
2.)  It has to have a decent meaning.
3.)  We want something unique but not weird.
4.)  I would prefer that it not start with the letter B or C.  (I'd love to use a D so I can have my kids in alphabetical order, but it isn't a requirement.  Yes, I'm sick.)

Okay, use the comment form at the end of the post for your suggestions!  I'm counting on you!

In other news, my friends Kylie, Hope, and I helped to decorate a Christmas tree for a friend who was dealing with some stuff and wasn't really in the Christmas mood.  Her six-year-old daughter really wanted the tree up, so the three of us put it up and decorated it while they were at school / work and took some mischievous pictures while we were at it.

We hung the photos all over their house in conspicuous locations for them to find when they came home (in the refrigerator, inside the lid of the trash can, amongst the nativity set...).

Many thanks to Hope for her use of the props so we could infuse a little joy into everyone's lives!  (Hope is a natural at that, as she radiates joy all the time!)

You may have thought the props looked like something I would make, and although I'd like to take credit for them, I can't.  I can, however, take credit for this ribbon shirt:

I saw a similar one on Pinterest and just had to make one for Cora.  I'm so in love with it, I'll probably make one for next year, too!  :-)  

Laughter and great baby news bring joy, and so does some adult time out.  This past Saturday we went the legendary Lampo Christmas Party, and it did not fail to disappoint.  It was nice to put on fancy jewelry and clothes (thanks, Rachel and Brooke!) and get spoiled with good food, entertainment, and gifts.

So far the words for the month are JOY and BOY.  :-)  What a good way to start December!

Thoughts on Parenting

When I was growing up, my mom had a book called "Parenting Isn't for Cowards" on the bookshelf in our family room.  As a teenager I looked at that book and thought about how she had to be courageous to stand her ground with me.

I didn't understand the half of it.

Parenting is the hardest thing in the whole. wide. world.  There are days I cry from the weight of it all.  The thing about parenting is, no matter how hard we try, we can't get it just right.  We mess up.  We hurt our kids.  We do things that we know are wrong.  We do things we don't know are wrong.

And all of that is so difficult for this perfectionist to accept.

I've got a degree in education, and I consider myself an expert in that department.  I know that children need to be exposed to a certain number of books before they become readers, and I know the importance of recognizing and capitalizing on teachable moments.

I'm also a research fanatic, so I know all kinds of things about child development.  I know that we need to sit at the table with our children when they eat meals so we can teach them that food is a social experience.  I know that kids need a certain number of fruits and vegetables and whole grains daily.  I know that "screen time" has a ton of detrimental effects.  But what I do is a different story.

So...

When I am in a hurry and my kids are eating alone while I fix my hair, I feel guilty.

When my kids reject all fruits and vegetables and only want goldfish and bread products, I feel guilty.

When I choose to let the kids watch television (after having let them already watch a reasonable amount that morning) just so I can have a conversation with another adult, I feel guilty.

I know that feeling guilty is stupid.  I know that everything is about balance and doing your best and maintaining your sanity, but in my heart, I just see failure when I do the opposite of what I know.  I want to give my kids my very, very best, and anything less hurts.  Even though letting them watch television so I can be a mentally healthy mom is sometimes the best choice, I just see research and statistics and scold myself.  Even though I sit with my children for most of their meals, I see the times that I'm off working on my computer or folding laundry while they eat alone, and I beat myself up.

And don't get me started on my fear of judgment.

I'll never forget when Brennan was two years old and we went on a play date with friends.  I brought a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat, which was one of the only things he would eat those days, and I had stopped and bought a small bag of Cheetos to share with him, which was a really big deal for our special trip to the park.  When we sat down to eat with the other kids, and they proceeded to take out chick peas, quinoa, black beans, cooked carrots, and other amazingly healthy foods, my heart sank.  Then, when the moms looked over at Brennan's food, I wanted to crawl under the table.  Brennan would never eat any of those foods the other kids had.  He still won't.  He would honestly go hungry and have his blood sugar drop and have a total, complete meltdown before he would even try any of those foods.  I know from experience.  That doesn't mean I give him Cheetos all the time.  I try to give him healthy things he will eat (which are so limited), and constantly encourage him (usually unsuccessfully) to try new things.

Other, well-meaning moms tell me to just give him what we are having and let him go hungry.  My pediatrician disagrees.  And all of that is beside the point.  I'm doing my best and making intentional choices for my kids.  And I still feel like a failure.  I put that pressure on myself.

I've been wondering whether I make other moms feel that same sense of failure.  I am a research junky, so I have lots of facts to share.  I am a perfectionist, so I know lots of best practices.  But at the end of the day, I'm just another parent who messes up and falls short.  When friends ask me for advice, I tell them what works for me or what I have learned, which may make me sound like I know it all.  But I so don't.  I know nothing.

Except grace.

Last week I shared with Jim that I needed to give Brennan more grace to be five years old and stop expecting perfection from him (sense a theme, here?).  I decided to write the word "GRACE" on our chalkboard to remind me to give him a break.  The irony is, the word has been up there more for me than for him.  Every time I feel like a failure, a hypocrite, or a crummy mom, I see that word and I'm reminded that God knows my heart and will make my children who HE wants them to be.  I'm reminded that He doesn't expect me to be perfect and actually gave my children to me knowing that I wouldn't be perfect.  He will cover all of my sins and imperfections.

I still hate that there will be consequences to my failures because I am human and there is sin in this world.  I can't go back and change Adam and Eve's decisions, and it stinks because I love my kids.  I love them so much it hurts, and I don't want it to be so tough.

But I guess that's sort of how God feels about us.  It's a good thing He's our heavenly father.  He is perfect.  He isn't a coward.  The buck stops somewhere and there is a perfect standard.  Thank goodness my kids can grow up and learn about being a perfect parent from someone.

Start Spreading the News...

Last week we took a trip to New York City.

Okay, not really... but we pretended to, along with a hundred other local kids!

Last week was Vacation Bible School, and our theme was New York City.

I volunteered to head up crafts to kids age 4 - 5th grade, and it was very rewarding.

The work really started a few months ago as I decided on the crafts and made lists of all of our supplies.

Then, the week before VBS, a group of awesome women from my church got together and helped prep the crafts for a few hours.

I cannot imagine having done it without them.  I would have been cutting skylines for two weeks and seeing foam stickers in my sleep!

At VBS, the kids made skylines...

... and Father's Day cards...

... and cloth napkins, among other things.

The napkins were my favorite craft.  We gave each child a cloth napkin and fabric markers to decorate napkins for local Meals on Wheels recipients.

I wasn't sure how the kids would do with such an open-ended craft.  I worried that maybe they'd color two or three quick things and quit, but they didn't.  All of the kids took the whole craft time on Thursday to work on their napkin, and many of them spent part or all of their craft time on Friday finishing.  They really put their hearts into it!

I know those people will be blessed by the kids' labors of love.

I pray that the kids were equally blessed by their time at VBS and that the Holy Spirit will be at work on each of their precious hearts.