Domestic Engineering: Taming Toy-Tornadoes

Some days my kids get overwhelmed and ask for my help cleaning up but I selfishly don’t.

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Other days I remember it’s not about my own agenda and I help them clean up.

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Every day provides opportunities to model Christ’s selfless service to my kids.

As we head into the new year, this post will conclude the Domestic Engineering Series. Today we are tackling the issue of kids’ toys.

I’ll be sharing four steps to help keep them from overrunning your house. Then we will conclude with a couple of unique exceptions.

Reality Check

I would like to say that I handle toy chaos well. I don't. One of my biggest struggles is being patient when our house is a mess of toys.

After playtime I want my kids to clean up right away with a good attitude. I believe this is what I should train them to do. But when they're overwhelmed, I also have an opportunity to be selfless and help them. Often I fail at doing this.

The following ideas have helped minimize toy-tornadoes. But they don’t address my heart attitude of selfishness. There are days I want to throw out all my kids' toys to end the regular messes. When this is my attitude, I’m valuing my own ease over blessing my kids.

While I hope these ideas will serve you in caring for your family, they won’t bring ultimate peace and joy. That can only come from the Lord.

Four Steps to Taming Toy-Tornadoes

Alright, now let's get practical. The easiest way to eliminate toy-tornadoes is to get rid of toys. I often use our container and drawers limits to help us reduce our toys. After that, I've found that rotating them really helps minimize the clutter.

Domestic Engineering: Maintaining the Mess Hall

Some days I respond impatiently when my kids spill food or interrupt my work in the kitchen.

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Other days I see those inconveniences as opportunities to show them grace and to train them.

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Every day my solid hope is Christ and one day feasting with him.

mess hall (noun)

A room or building where groups of people, especially soldiers, eat together.

- The Oxford Dictionary 

The rooms where food is prepared and consumed in massive quantities. Often, these rooms are strewn with crumbs, sticky liquids, and dirty dishes.

- The Heather Schultz Dictionary

Ever feel like keeping your kitchen clean is a constant battle? I do.

There's a direct correlation in my life between the smoothness of a day and the cleanliness of our eating areas. If my day has been tumultuous, you will find my kitchen in disarray.

Perfect days don't happen. I'm finite, sinful, and the effects of sin impact every area of life. But I have discovered several helpful ways to push back the consequences of the fall in my kitchen.

In this post, I'm going to share ten easy tips on how to keep your "mess halls" clean with your kids' help.