HOW TO: Deal with toddler messes

I need to preface this article with this - I am not necessarily a clean person. I like things “tidy,” but I’m not one of those moms that sterilize everything. My daughter put a dirty sock in her mouth this morning and I completely ignored it because well, it wasn’t a knife or a candle or anything that could physically harm her in that moment. However, I really like to keep things picked up around the house so my head is clear - does that make sense?! Clear space, clear mind is kind of how I work. So, if you want to hear about how I deal with toddler messes, keep on reading!

First off, I rarely say no to my daughter MAKING a mess. I honestly think part of being a kid is making those crazy messes, rolling in the dirt, and painting all over your face. I don’t want to take the fun out of her life just because I hate messes. However, I’ve taught her that messes are okay if they are cleaned up. I taught her this at a very young age because I wanted her to understand that when a person makes a mess, they clean it up. So, typically, after she makes a mess, she immediately asks me if she should clean it up.

Second, I have a spot for (ALMOST) everything. I have a corner in our living room that holds the toys she plays with every day. We have an easel given to her by her Gigi and her Pops, her favorite dolls given to her by her Grandma and Pa, and some odds ’n ends that she loves to play with. Then, I have a space in her closet that holds some extra toys like paint or puzzles or books that don’t get used every single day. In this space I also have all of her dress up clothes, dance stuff, and her hair “pretties.”Finally, she has a play room that holds her bigger items like sports stuff, a trampoline, etc.

Next, I do not buy my daughter ALL OF THE THINGS. Sure, she has plenty of toys - probably more toys than a little girl needs. However, I don’t go over board because, quite honestly, it makes my house a mess. When she was a baby, she had more STUFF than I knew what to do with. So, now that she’s a toddler, we keep that stuff to a minimum. She has toys that she uses and actually plays with, and then the toys that she never touches I get rid of.

That brings me to my next piece - I get rid of stuff. I hoard make-up, I hoard clothing, and I hoard coffee mugs. BUT, I do not hoard toys and stuff for aubs. What I’ll do is keep some toys out in our living room that she will play with for about a month. Then, when she acts board of them, I rotate in some stuff that was in her closet. That rotation keeps her going for quite a while! Once I notice a toy does not get touched when it was in the wide open for a solid month, I ask her if she wants it anymore. I promise you that most of the time, she tells me she does not want it!

There you have it! I’m not perfect, but I like to think that my cleaning methods work for us, so maybe it’ll work for you!

Xo, J