Simplifying When You Have Kids

I try to clean out toys regularly, and find new homes for them ( pass on to friends who WANT them, charities, MIL and my mothers house ) Cook meals ahead of time when you can, or earlier in the day so you can be less stressful at dinner time... try to lump errands together and get on a schedule for them, and then of course sometimes you just have to let things go every now and then and realize that the kitchen wont be spotless, or you can clean up toys when they are in bed. It is hard if you are also working, and have multiple children, but you find what works for you eventually and just go with the flow :) good luck!

I once read that you should throw away 10 things per day. I try very hard to do that. (or donate--my trunk is full right now!)
Really, I doubt it is the "stuff" in your house that is making you "cluttered and stressful" it may be your routine, time management, priorities, etc.
www.flylady.net

Oh I read this wonderful book, wish I could remember the name, but it helped alot. The key is to find a home for everything, I mean everything. It suggests getting 3 garbage bags or even bins. Write on each one (1) Trash (2) Charity (3) Keep. Once you sort thru the clothes, papers, pantry, etc, then from the "Keep" bag, get a home for all the items, file things appropriately - Use photo albums, CDs, plastic bins, etc. Once the stuff is in the charity bag, take it one time to charity and the the trash bag, just put it out without going back to check if it is really good to throw away! Hope that helps

PS: The trick to getting started is to clear everything from the area, and only put back in that spot what you NEED. So for those toys, scoop all of them and decide what is age appropriate for now and get rid of the rest...charity, trash or keep...

Go through the endless boxes of toys with your kids( if they are old enough) and clean them out. Send anything they have not played with in the last 6 months to a year away. My youngest had a really hard time with this until I told him they were going to kids that dont have as much as him he went with to the shelter to donate it was fantastic to see his face. Take what is left and put in Rubbermaid boxes on shelves label them and don't make them too heavy they cant carry them so they can take them out and put them back. Do the same with your closets, cabinets, drawers anything you haven't used, worn, needed in the past 6 months to a year get rid of. We do the errand loop. Write them all down Saturday morning start farthest from you house work your way back take the kids stop for lunch or treats during instead of turning on the radio or a movie play I spy or just talk about their week. Your errands are done you hang out with the kids all is well with the world.

Just purge.... stuff.
I just did that the other day and got rid of like 15 garbage bags full of 'stuff.' AND bagged some additional stuff for donation.

I have 2 kids. 4 and 8 years old.

As for me and errands, I keep it to things/stores that are in my area. So I don't have to drive across town a long ways... just to pick up one item. Practical and less gas cost etc. and less time spent in traffic.
I also do errands in the morning... I make lists... I consolidate... .and then get what i need from my list. The stores I need to go to for errands, opens REAL early in the mornings... like 7:00am or 24 hour grocery stores. So I can get things done real early, which I like.
My kids are better in the mornings... less fussy/tired. So it is better timing.

For me, I try to get things done.. in the mornings... that is chores/cooking/errands/kids activities, etc. Then my kids nap in the afternoon after lunch.

I ALSO, if I need to run errands to pick up certain things, I call the store ahead of time, to see IF they have it or if it is on sale. That cuts down on driving time or my time, and not wasting my time. I HATE going to a store to get something, and THEN finding out they are out of stock or it is not on sale.

If you have a 'routine' to things, daily... then your kids know that too. And it helps. Not EVERY single minute, has to be spent playing with them. My kids, when I am doing chores, do theirs too, or study or play together, THEN we have our time and activities. And also incorporating the family's errands/chores into that. It is life.

Kids, also learn by seeing you do these things and how to be a part of the family.. and helping too.

Me this morning:
I wake up at about 6:00am

1) cooked dinner already
2) did laundry
3) washed dishes
4) made breakfast and fed kids
5) made coffee
6) called 3 stores to see if they have what I want per my 'errands' list for today and if it is on sale
7) figured out my budget for today
8) planned lunch for my kids today and prepped it
9) played with my kids and did a puzzle and worked on a workbook with my son.
10) did some computer trouble shooting
11) and came on here to MamaPedia.... for 'my' fun.
NOW... we are going to do errands soon... so we can come back home BY lunch time. Then come home, eat lunch, and my kids nap. They know that.
For me, since the time I have woken up at 6:00am... this has all taken me.... 3.5 hours. Thus far.
I time everything... and also am a FAST mover... I do everything real fast... and efficiently.... so I can fit in things.

all the best,
Susan

I sympathize with you. do your kids play with all there toys? If not well talk to them about getting rid of some to people/kids that dont have any. Give away to charities or goodwill, and reward them for the good deed they have done. Maybe take them out for icecream or something. Every year before xmas i tell my children about kids less fortunate than them and if they give away some toys santa will bring them more new toys. Belive me they start filling up those boxes of toys they dont use or want.With there cloths we give cousins hand me downs that they can use and the rest goes to goodwill, or will have a garage sale. If its anything you can part with , and you dont need it get rid of it, or youll always have clutter belive me you'll feel much better after. Your ife will be so much easier and clean;]]

I go through my kids toys and clothes twice a year. Anything they haven't played with in the past year or anything that is broken or missing parts- gets tossed. It was harder for me to get rid of the kids toys at first because I had a lot of emotional attachment to them! -so beware of that! We now try not to get toys for our kids for birthdays(we do a trip to the zoo or movies or something like that instead for birthdays) and I prefer to get activity type gifts for Christmas's- like science kits, crafts, games, or outside toys(my daughter go roller blades and my son got a bb gun). They still have toys that they play with- mainly leggos and my daughter has dolls.
We only keep the clothes that will fit nicely in the drawers and closet. I also go through mine and my husband's clothes and get rid of ones that haven't been worn in a year or that are wearing out. It really helps to weed out things like that. And, since we have almost 6 kids and a pretty small space to live in- I won't keep anything that doesnt' have a place in the house. That means when we get something new, I either make a place for where it goes, or I get rid of something else to have the space for it.
Also, going through papers like bills and mail once a week and throwing everything you don't need away- really helps!
Good luck! it will take a while before you see much of a difference- but it will be worth it!
~C.