Tidy Spaces

Children’s toys have a tendency to scatter. At any given time, there are usually at least a few toys or children’s books in every room! It can be a little nerve-wracking when you can not find one single room with everything neatly in place!

To take care of the abundance of “little messes,” we have implemented a routine that we call “Tidy Spaces.” Each of the children over the age of three or four is given areas of the house which they are responsible for keeping neat. They keep their tidy spaces clear of things like toys, books, baseball cards and board game pieces. They are responsible to clean up their tidy spaces several times a day: before breakfast, before dinner, before bedtime, and whenever else Iron Man or I deem it necessary. When the house is getting out of sorts, all I have to do is announce that it’s time to do tidy spaces. This simple reminder is so much easier than calling out a 10-minute list of commands several times a day, reassessing the needs and duties each time.

By the way, each child will clean up messes that their brothers and sisters have made. Sometimes we need to remind them not to complain, because other people are cleaning up after them, too!