Marie Kondo actually got lots of folks excited about clearing clutter with her book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” and her Netflix series that followed. Her KonMari method teaches that it’s easy to clean up by getting rid of things that don’t “spark joy.” Now she’s written a children’s book, “Kiki and Jax: The Life-Changing Magic of Friendship,” which teaches kids tidying up is important because it ultimately gives them more time to play.
Kondo says kids will find tidying up more enjoyable if parents also find it fun and she suggests these tips for tidying up with little ones in real life:
- Set an example- Kids learn by example, so start with finishing your own tidying. When you find something that no longer sparks joy for you, get the kids involved in the process of thanking the item before letting it go.
- Narrate as you tidy- Tell your children what you’re doing and try to convey that tidying up is part of maintaining a comfortable home. If they see you doing it with a smile, they’ll see it as a positive everyday activity, not something to dread or avoid.
- Give everything a home- Make sure your kids understand where their toys belong and let them help you put things away so they develop an appreciation of what they have.
- Make tidying playful- Start when kiddos are young and show them that tidying up is what we do after playing.
- Respect space limitations- It’s easy for your house to become overtaken by kids’ belongings, so recognize that space is limited and things won’t always look exactly how you want them to. And that’s okay!
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