It’s no secret, homes don’t take care of themselves. Whether we like it or not, it takes work. The good news is that if we take small steps every day, it won’t pile up into an overwhelming task. This is the first article in the series: 5 Daily Habits to Keep Your Home Under Control.
For many, it’s hard to see anything except the polar opposites of perfect and disaster. Especially with the pressure we tend to put on ourselves from picture-perfect homes on social media. Instead, let yourself embrace better. And start with just 5 minutes. Your goal is not to make your home look the best it ever has or meet some kind of societal or family expecatation. The goal is to aim for better.
Here are some of my favorites ways to embrace the power of a 5-minute pickup:
Everyone pick up ________ things.
First is my most-used method. My favorite time to do this is right before dinner. If our house is feeling really messy, I’ll ask my kids to pick up X amount of things and put them away before they sit down for dinner. The number of items is an arbitrary amount. I literally just throw out a number depending on how cluttered it feels. The goal isn’t to have them pick up every single thing. It’s just to make it better.
This works with young children and teenagers alike, because they know they are done once they’ve reached that number of items, and it usually only takes them about 3 minutes. They also know that the sooner they get started, the easier things they can choose to pick up, leaving the harder things for the latecomers.
Speaking of latecomers, it’s a standing rule in our house that if you miss the dinner blessing because you chose not to come when called, you get to pick up 25 things before dinner. (It helps me be a little less frustrated at their lack of response.)
The floor is lava.
Second up is a fun children’s game. Ask Google, Siri, or Alexa to play “The Floor is Lava” song. Tell your kids it’s time to clean up, but whenever the Floor is Lava, they have to jump up on a chair, couch, or bed until it’s safe again. My youngest kids love this and sometimes it’s the only way to motivate them to clean up their toys. And yes, you do get to play along with them.
Stack the habit.
Third is habit stacking, which is adding a new habit to an existing habit. Pick something you already do daily, such as reading a book, eating a sweet treat, or watching a favorite show. Commit to yourself that before you indulge, you’re going to set a timer for 5 minutes and pick up as much as you can. Habit stacking is a proven method for success.
Loose time.
Lastly, just like we don’t know what to do with our loose change anymore, it can be hard to know what to do with loose time. You know, when you have just a few minutes before your next commitment, but not long enough to really get started with anything? Use that few minutes to pick some things up. Just do it. It really does make a difference.
Try some of these methods and notice what happens. Aim for once a day for the next week, anything beyond that is bonus. You want to know something even better? The more people you can have join you, the more that gets picked up, and the less overwhelming your house will feel.
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