Is this even possible? For every stage? Yes! It is. Let me take you there: with some tips and a little planning, guaranteed you can have your living room back.
Let's face it, even though if you have a playroom or large kids' bedrooms, kids want to be where you are! That means toys, baby swings, drawings, crayons, school papers, backpacks all around you.
I love to see my kids playing in the living room or drawing at the dinner table but after playing for a while (usually short), they have a common tendency to get distracted with something else and... just leave.
Well, some storage (and daily loving education) can solve the mess.
#1 Drawers, saving the day
Zero dollars. What storage space do you have in your living room, dining room, and kitchen that can be used for kids' stuff?
I have a dresser in the entryway at home. A dresser! It was a Craigslist find, with an interesting backstory. I did some painting and DIY on it, and I love it. It is super functional.
Almost every drawer there has a purpose for the kids:
Plug-in for electronic devices- Yes, a drawer with an outlet. It hides most electronic devices at home while charging (if you are interested in doing this at home, you can check out "How to install an outlet in a drawer").
School papers- Whatever they bring from school goes into that drawer or is discarded.
Art supplies- Drawing and printer papers, watercolors, markers, sticker books, you name it.
Extra table cloths and formal silverware (not-kid related)
Maybe you can make some room in the kitchen for any of these things? Think about drawers at home that can be repurposed.
Perhaps a console in your dining room or build in cabinets can do the trick.
Notice that we all love open storage, but all these options have doors. While open storage gives a sense of depth to the room, cabinets and drawers will solve storage better.
Image Credits: theeverygirl.com | meredithroddaydesign.com | hydrangeatreehouse.com
#2 Baskets + under benches
This combo is a winner. Think out of the box since 'under the bench' is not for shoes only.
I used to store school papers and backpacks under an entryway bench.
Images Credit: blesserhouse.com | Wit & Delight
#3 Closet mudroom
You don't have a mudroom? Neither did I, so I altered the entryway closet into a mudroom closet.
It is like heaven, with a door!
All coats, backpacks, gloves, hats, scarves, and even Amazon packages go in there. We close the door, and everything is conveniently right there, and we don't see it. Win-win!
If you are interested in doing something similar at home, you can check out the blog post about this DIY weekend project.
#4 Baby items
The smaller are the kids, the bigger are the items they need. I'm talking about baby chairs, swings, bouncers, walkers, and activity centers. All of these are absolutely essential when you have a baby. Most of them are sometimes the only help you can get! So, when buying these, try to get something gender-neutral, in earthy colors.
A modern white baby chair will probably blend much better in a modern dining room than a chubby elephant patterned pink chair.
Image Credits: kelleynan.com | poppyseedplay.com | thetot.com
#5 Big toys
While they can play with any toy anywhere, store big toys (as big castles, rockers, or an infant table) in their rooms or playroom when they are done.
Lots of plushies? Use a play tent for storing them!
#6 Make them organize
When they ask for the next thing (a snack, electronics time or to help you cook)... 'Sure! But first, let's organize all this room, and then you can do that!' Point them specifically what to take and where to store it, until they can do it by themselves.
#7 Declutter
If they have half of their toys, there will be half of the mess around.
Declutter is the best option to reduce the number of toys around the house (and actually this applies to everything)
How to take some toys away without much drama? If the kids are old enough, put the toys in a bag with them. Tell them that you all are going to store those toys that they are not using that much, for a rainy or a snow day. Show them that you are storing their toys safely. If there are many rainy and snowy days, and those toys are not asked about, after a while, you can start a conversation about donating them.
Choose your battles
Where should I start? Don't rush yourself, even better, plan it.
Think about what of all the mess around bothers you more. If you could pick just one thing, what that would be? And start with just that one!
Little by little, if your house feels 'better than before' we have already won.
See you at your ideal lifestyle,
