This time of year, family life can get a little messy. School schedules and sports activities mix with work commitments, and before long the house is as cluttered as the calendar. With these tips, you can make small changes to help you get organized and stay that way.Tips for Maintaining an Organized Home![]() (Family Features) This time of year, family life can get a little messy. School schedules and sports activities mix with work commitments, and before long the house is as cluttered as the calendar. Fall is the perfect time of year to recommit to an organized household so you can keep the chaos contained. With these tips, you can make small changes to help you get organized and stay that way. Embrace routines. The idea of dedicating large chunks of time to organizing and tidying the house can be overwhelming. However, making time to clean as you progress through the day can help control clutter and keep the time commitment more manageable. Commit to cleaning up the kitchen after dinner each night. Set expectations for kids to pick up their rooms before bed. Before long, routines become productive habits that make a visible difference. Purge the excess. Over time, nearly everyone collects too much stuff, and clutter is often more an indication of too much volume than poor organization. Items are purchased to replace outdated things, but the old pieces sometimes don’t actually get discarded. Getting control of your clutter starts with eliminating the things you no longer want or need. A good strategy is to create piles of items: keep, sell, donate and discard. Create a drop zone. In most homes, the entryway is a catchall for family belongings that get shed with each pass through the door. It’s convenient to have shoes, coats, backpacks and other essentials ready to grab as you head out, so instead of fighting the inevitable jumble, find a way to organize it. A stylish drop zone using ClosetMaid’s Space Creations organizers is a solution that attractively contains all those essentials. The line includes a range shelving kits, complementing drawers, baskets, rods and more so you can customize the storage unit to your exact space and needs. Avoid junk piles. Nearly every home has at least one junk pile, drawer or even room. In most cases, the reason is that the contents are a mish-mash of items that don’t really have any place else to go. Make a point to identify ways to create order, whether it’s adding drawer inserts to contain all the odds and ends or buying a standing file to capture bills and mail. Be mindful about use. When you’re on a mission to eliminate excess clutter, it can be tempting to go overboard putting things away. It’s important to be realistic about where you store the things you need and err on the side of keeping the things you use regularly within reach. This may mean getting creative about how you organize or even adding new storage containers or furniture, but remember being organized is only helpful if it’s also practical. Find more ideas for better home organization this busy season at ClosetMaid.com. ClosetMaid
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It’s time to get your household organized for another school year and all that comes with it. Whether your child is headed off to kindergarten or going away to college, these useful tips can help make the transition back to the regimented school year easier and get your busy household organized for the upcoming season.Making the Back-to-School Transition Easy![]() (Family Features) It’s time to get your household organized for another school year and all that comes with it. Whether your child is headed off to kindergarten or going away to college, these useful tips can help make the transition back to the regimented school year easier and get your busy household organized for the upcoming season. ![]() Kindergarten
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By implementing some of these simple tips, you and your kids can look and feel your best, setting up a seamless, stress-free transition back to the school year. Find more information at all-laundry.com. Photos courtesy of Getty Images ‘all
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Loving, loyal, and always looking to have a good time, a dog is a great companion and a great way to teach your kids about responsibility. Part of that responsibility, however, is in getting both your dog and your children adjusted to each other. To help you out, we've put together a few basic tips on how to help your dog bond with your children.
Involve Children in Their Care One of the best ways to get your dog to trust someone is by having that person care for them. Even if only once a week, having your kids take charge of something like feeding routines builds trust in your dog, teaching it to associate good things with the person providing the care. According to the Sequoia Humane Society, it's also a fine way to teach your kids about responsibility. In this case, neglecting their duties has a real consequence for a creature they're fond of. Teach Children When to Leave Them Alone As important as play and care are in bonding a dog to people, it's equally important for those people to learn when to leave a dog alone. Something many children struggle with is the idea that dogs have their own wants and needs. The dog may not always be ready to play, especially if it is older. According to Dolman Law, children should give the dog space when the dog is eating or sleeping, sometimes even when it is playing with a toy. Additionally, if a dog has gone off somewhere on its own and moves away when approached, it likely wants to rest and isn't in the mood for human interaction. Reinforce Good Behavior According to Victoria Stilwell, positive reinforcement does wonders in setting a pattern. This is true for both the dog and the kids. Reinforcing good behavior from both of them makes for an easy way to get them to play well together. If a dog gets treats and fun out of behaving well with children, they'll continue to do so. Likewise, kids who are told they're doing well and given a treat of their own will handle dogs with consideration. It's a simple way to reinforce good behavior all around. A dog can fulfill a family, but there's a lot of responsibility involved in properly adapting the family to the dog. If you're considering getting a new pet, try these three techniques for helping your dog bond with your kids. Before you know it, your dog will feel like part of the family. Want more tips and tricks for your family pet? Check out more of our articles here!
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