by Kristin Urbauer

Created on: December 08, 2009

Children, as the saying often goes, are a blessing. However, they are also closely akin to a natural disaster when it comes to keeping a home clean and organized. To keep your home from looking like something that should be condemned, follow these tips for cleaning and organization in a home with small children underfoot.

Tip #1: Limit the number of toys.

 It’s wonderful that we live in a place and a time in history when our children are so abundantly blessed. Never before have children had so many material possessions. However, more is definitely not better when it comes to keeping your home organized and clean. If your children have too many toys for their own good (or for yours) consider storing half of them in plastic bins in the garage or a closet. You can switch them out every few months, giving your children fresh toys to play with and giving you a fighting chance of keeping up with the little tykes.

Tip #2: Carefully choose the toys your children can reach without your help.

Keep messy things put up and away so little ones don't get into them without your knowledge. If Suzy has an artistic streak, great! But that doesn't mean she has to have 24/7 access to her art supplies. The same goes for impossibly small Lego blocks and any other toys with tiny or disastrously messy components to them. Putting such toys in a place where children must ask for them means that you will at least be aware of when they are being played with, giving you the opportunity to choose appropriate places for such play to take place.

Tip #3: Teach your children.

Making beds, putting away toys, taking out the trash and feeding pets are all chores that young children can accomplish. You can also have small children help with the laundry, dishes and setting the table. Learning to help with cleaning, organizing and daily care in the home will teach young children important lessons about responsibility and caring for their home and environment. As they grow older, your children will become more of a help to you, making house cleaning a much easier task to complete.

Tip #4: Always have something in your hands.

No matter what room you're leaving or where you are heading, pick something up and take it with you to return to its proper place on your way. This doesn't seem like it would make much difference, but done consistently it will make a good dent in the picking up that needs to be done at the end of the day.

Tip #5: Keep up with the basics.

This means not letting the general

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