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When I organize, the next

day it’s back to a mess.

Help!

I live in Brampton in Ontario, my question is...I find if I organize, the next day it's back to a mess. Everything seems hard to do after getting messy. I don't know how to keep it going steady, as even my children are not keeping things in their place. I wish you were in Canada. Would like to meet with you and get a personal touch on organizing. --Reader in Brampton, Ontario, Canada Response from Maria Gracia Dear Reader in Canada, Thanks so much for your note. Next time I’m in Canada, I’ll announce it in my newsletter. Would love to meet you in person! Organizing and cleaning are both ongoing projects. I wish I could tell you it can be done once, and then it’s done forever. Oh, if it only worked that way! But there are measures you can take to ensure the efforts you do put in are not sabotaged within seconds. Be sure you (and your significant other if you are married) are setting a good example together. Always put things away when they’re not in use. Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink. Keep up with your filing. You get the idea…kids learn first by example and it’s up to the adults to set the stage. Give the kids checklists so they know what is expected of them on a daily basis…wipe up any toothpaste drips, bring your dirty clothes to the laundry room, pick up and put away your toys, etc. Add to the list as needed. Make a big deal out of it when the kids DO keep things clean so they’re more enticed to do so. Also, make rules in your house...like “only one toy out at a time,” or when they’re done eating, they rinse their bowls and place them in the dishwasher. Kindly enforce them to do things like this without fail, and they’ll get into the habit of doing so. You’re not being mean, but helping them be responsible. Kids need constant reminders and encouragement. They forget easily and many will try their best to make sure you forget to remind them. After all, they’d rather be kids…even though we want them to have adult minds and adult habits when it comes to organizing and keeping things tidy. Finally, the more things you have in your home, the more difficult it is to keep it all organized. Simplify. Trust me, most people own at least 50% more than what they truly need. Go on a declutter mission…and it will be much easier to keep things clean longer. Hope this helps a bit! Maria Gracia Back to Ask Maria Index