Expect the mess. Embrace the fun.

I spent 5 years homeschooling all of my children, the most recent being with a 9 year old, 7 year old, 2 year old, and a baby. We found a rhythm and method that suited us, but my house felt in a constant state of MESS. Clean up was always followed by a new mess. Mess, then mess, then another mess, followed by more mess, with cleaning sprees between.

Then my older children were able to attend a local school for the year that really suited them. School started. A week went by. The mess was manageable. A month later I was wondering what happened. Still at home with my then 3 year old and toddler, I was discovering this— the less little people, the less mess. Granted my two kids could still make a spectacular mess. But there is a reality to the footprint each child leaves in the home— whether it be a literal footprint of mud and smashed raisins, or the noise imprint of extra humming, or the crumb imprint left on my kitchen floor— the more, the messier.

Cleaning is a beautiful thing. Order is important to health, peace, harmony, and beauty. We must strive to create homes that offer functionality and honoring of one another. Yet for the sake of clean home I often sacrifice all the things a clean home offers- peace, harmony, beauty, honor. I scream “clean up this mess!” so I can have a peaceful home. I interrupt harmonious play and peace for visual order.

We can have both peace and cleanliness, but we must expect the mess. Without a little mess there will never be muffins baking in the oven, an original painting on your refrigerator, or memories of reading in a fort.

Neil deGrasse Tyson shared a brilliant thought that has stuck with me- want scientifically literate children? Get out of their way. Tyson encourages parents to let children explore, try new things, and yes- make a MESS. If we want creative kids— kids who will grow up to be engineers, scientists, explorers, artists, and innovators finding new solutions, then we need to allow them to make a mess. The mess is where creation takes place.

So if youʻre looking for cleaning hack, these are my favorites for families. Just don’t let clean determine your identity, or whether you can have peace.

Cleaning Hacks for Kids at Home

These are my favorite cleaning hacks that have saved my sanity and given me freedom to EMBRACE THE FUN! Hopefully these help you maintain a beautiful, ordered home that still allows you to enjoy your children in the midst of play.

Make a Mess— clean it up before you make a new mess

Simply put, if you make a mess, clean it up. The kids can go bonkers with science experiments because they will help you clean it up. The kids can play with the pots and pans because they will load them in the dishwasher at the end. If they forget (because they will), help them backtrack and clean up the first mess… before continuing with their current mess. Because if you want your kids to be creative and have fun, they will make a mess. Guaranteed. 

Have an explosion room

Most people call this room a playroom, but it really is an explosion room. I have met several parents that allow their kids to have a space that is nearly a constant mess. This is where all the toys are free to dangle, pile, hide, and blockade the space at all times. If you have a space in your house where you can create this, it can be a true stress relief for parents. It eliminates a lot of toys from messing the rest of the house, and provides a space where the kids can just get playing without tip-toeing around you. 

7 Minute Cleanup

Everyone in the house takes 7 minutes to tidy up the house. You can even set a timer. Everyone drops everything that they are doing and starts cleaning! Youʻll be amazed at what a difference just 7 minutes can do. It can also be helpful to do a quick delegation- Robert, you take the Kitchen. Sarah, you do the living room. Billy, you put away the toys. Once the timer goes off, everyone can go back to doing whatever they wish. 

I found this helps keep the house in order when little forgotten messes start to accumulate. I also find that the time short limit really helps the kids keep a great attitude. They know the task has an end, and itʻs not too far off, so they can work joyfully without complaining. 

Snack Hack 

My kids love to snack. They also find ways to drop food and smash it into my rugs. The constant access to food without limitations has created problems for me. Choose a dish and allow your child to choose three snacks for the day. These are their snacks for the whole day. They will still get the standar three meals a day, but they canʻt go looting the refrigerator or cupboards throughout the day, because their snacks have already been chosen.

Give away, Throw Away, Store Away

Many families have an endless supply of toys. Children easily get distracted and move on to the next thing. Limiting their toys really helps contain their messes. Get a bin or two, and store sets of toys in them. Make sure the toys you leave have some favorites, and the toys you store have some favorites. Then one day, bring out the stored bin. Suddenly the kids have new toys! Donʻt forget to pack away the toys they were playing with and store them for another surprise toy unveiling in a few months.

As for our toys and things, simplicity can breed creativity too. Ask yourself- do I love this, need this, and use this? If not, give it away, or throw it away. The less things we have, the less we have to clean and worry about.

Create No-Mess Spaces

I need this hack in my life. Currently there are collections of junk on nearly every surface in my living room. If it is a clear space, like a counter, mantle, top of a bookshelf, or a table, people will find a good reason to leave junk on it. By creating no-mess spaces you can eliminate a sense of constant clutter. If someone leaves a mess on a no-mess surface, declare a person to clean up the mess (hopefully the person who was most responsible). They must put everything in its proper place. 

A Place for Everything, Everything in its Place

Many moms and parents around the world would probably tell me “Duh. This is so basic, Jolie.” But for whatever reason this was not basic for me. By recognizing that my things were lacking homes I have been able to identify the problems of many messes in my house.

Just say that phrase— place for everything, everything in its place— and you will begin to see the things that are missing places, and things that are in the wrong places. The cure for clutter becomes evident. Lacking an organizational mind, this has helped me identify what actually needs organization in order for my things to have a place.

Kids are notorious for not knowing where something goes and therefore not putting it in the right spot. Guess how they learn? By cleaning. If you are always doing all the cleaning, your kids wonʻt know where these places are. I have a friend who will never let her children load the dishwasher because her kids wonʻt do it right. Well, they will never learn if they are never given the chance to learn. Let them be creative, but also let them take responsibility for their creativity.

No Mess, No Fun

There is a proverb that says “Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; but increase comes by the strength of an ox.” In other words, want a perfect home 24/7? Don’t live there. We want homes full of life, experiences, play, and joy! So let loose, and let messes happen. We can always clean up afterwards.