Children are a joy to have and the source of a huge amount of happiness but, it's fair to say, keeping on top of their mess can be a nightmare. When you're living with kids it's hard to shake the nagging feeling that you'll never again achieve the calm and order that you had before they came along. Not to mention the resigned acceptance that nice things will get broken and that plastic toys will win out. It all goes with the territory.
From the preparing for a baby stage to surviving the terrible twos and on up through the school years... we know what its like to live with kids. And, with that said, we have helpful tips to help stay on top of the mess and even good suggestions that will stop you spending on things you don't need. We've bundled up the ways that we can help into three categories just to try to make things easier.
1. Preparing for a baby: the buying frenzy:
The scenario: You're having a baby and you want everything to be just right. You don't mind spending a bit of money on new stuff but everything you look at seems somehow irresistible and everyone is giving you conflicting information about the stuff that you won't be able to live without. You aren't yet resenting the expense of children and the temptation is to spend, spend, spend! STOP!... How we can help: The baby market is an oversaturated industry that's constantly trying to sell you something new. But it's all new to you and you're likely to think that you need more kit than you really do. Whether it's a one off session to discuss and help you get the stuff that really will make your life easier, or help identifying whether the products you want can be bought for less (e.g. through eBay or outlet stores), we can help to ensure that a year down the line you don't look back and regret hundreds of pound of unnecessary spending!
2. Coping with kids chaos.
The scenario: You spend all your time tidying up after your children and it stops you enjoying family time spent at home. There are too many toys in the house, the kids seem to particularly like the small rubbish items that you long to throw out and you think you'll go crazy if you're given any more soft toys. STOP! BREATH!...
We can meet with you during school/nursery hours to help you sort through the toys and work out what to keep and what to give away. If items can be sold on eBay we can help with this (see our eBay case study). We can also suggest clever storage ideas to help you house the toys more efficiently and can advise ways to change your room-layout that should make your life easier. (Generally, where possible, it helps to separate the area that you want to relax in from your kids play zone.). Remember, it's important to do this when your children are not at home so that they don't hijack the effort.
3. Keep It Or Bin It!: Get rid of things that have had their day.
The scenario: Your children's needs and the things they like change constantly. If you're not on top of this, your home can very quickly become cluttered with clothes, toys, books and even food that is no-longer needed, not to mention furniture (cots, high chairs) and travel equipment (buggies, scooters, bikes...). Unless you've got a lot of space in your home there is no point in hanging on to this stuff.
How we can help: We can sort through these things and help you to determine what to keep and what to get rid of. We can list items on eBay for you, we can take items to charity shops and we can even do trips to the dump. Remember, a clutter free home is a happy home!
I asked Rachel to help me sort out my children's room one morning; she did such a wonderful job I asked her to sort out downstairs and upstairs too. Working with Rachel is great fun. She is thoughtful and immensely creative. I never imagined sorting out my old rubbish could be so enjoyable. Highly highly recommended. Sara Bredemear - SE24