6 Tips for Controlling the Clutter When You’re a New Mom
When you welcome a new baby into your life, you also open the doors to what can be a flood of baby gear . . . and clutter!
If you were challenged by your pre-parenthood clutter, things are not about to get easier. But help is at hand!
Today, I’m delighted to welcome Jo Ebisujima to our Awesome Tips for New Moms series. Jo is the founder of My Organized Chaos. She loves helping moms control the clutter in their homes.
House on The Hill by Nomi Melul Ohad
6 Tips for Controlling the Clutter When You’re a New Mom
Bringing a new member into the family is an exciting prospect but it’s also unbelievable how much ‘stuff’ these little people need.
There are so many baby products on the market, that apparently you and your new babe can’t live without, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with clutter.
When I was a new mom, we lived in a tiny apartment and we just didn’t have the space for any added clutter. We didn’t have a nursery, baby changing table or even space for a crib. Our baby ended up sleeping with us, on a futon, Japanese style. I later learned that this was in line with Montessori philosophy, which I later delved into much deeper.
So, how do you cope with all the clutter?
1. Start with a good clear out
If you’re pregnant, that ‘nesting’ time is a perfect excuse to remove anything that you no longer need, use or that’s just adding to the mess. See it as a good reason to really have a good clear out. Do it systematically, one shelf or cupboard at a time. If your baby has already arrived then assign a shelf or cupboard for the day, don’t try and take on the whole room in one day, it won’t get finished and you’ll get discouraged and feel like a failure. Baby steps (excuse the pun) is the way forward.
2. Ask before you buy
It’s hard to know exactly what equipment you’ll need and use, so before you buy anything, ask around. Ask friends who have similar ideals, ask family members and also ask what they bought and never used. We survived just fine without a changing table and crib.
We only used a baby bath for a month and then got rid of it, which was great because it was a pain to have in the tiny apartment.
3. Set up a system
This especially applies for clothes. Babies do grow quickly so make sure that all the clothes that fit them now are at the front of the cupboard or drawer. There’s nothing more annoying than discovering a brand new outfit at the back of the cupboard that your little one will no longer fit into.
As they grow out of an outfit, wash it and then either pack it away for the next child or if you’re not planning on having any more children, pass it on to someone who can make good use of it. Of course, you’ll have a favorite outfit or two that you’ll want to hold onto. This is the time to find a nice box to keep all your keepsakes in.
4. The Keepsake box
Have one specific box for all your child’s keepsakes. If you have more than one child, then have a box for each child. Keep it somewhere reasonably accessible so that you can easily add items to it as time goes by.
5. Train them young
I’m a BIG believer of getting kids trained young. These days we tend to molly-coddle kids and do far too much for them. Getting them started at a young age increases their independence and leads them to be more accepting of helping around the home when they get older – no need for chore charts and sticker rewards. If you set up your child’s room in such a way that they can do things by themselves it will save you a lot of time and hassle. Once they get to toddler age, you can ask them to put away their clothes and toys, and you know what? Toddlers LOVE helping mommy. Instill it as a habit and you’ll be saving yourself a whole load of heartache further down the line.
Jo Ebisujima is the founder of My Organized Chaos. She helps busy moms to organize their family and home so that they have more time for the fun stuff.Find out more about Jo and her great work at: http://www.my-organized-chaos.com/
