Hello fellow disorganized people! What did she say? Did she say that she is disorganized and she works with a professional organizing company?
Yes, I am naturally disorganized, BUT I have learned a few things along the way to help me be not so disorganized (notice I didn't say TOTALLY organized).
It is the choices I make each day and each hour to put things away or find a new way of doing things so that my home is peaceful for my family. I have my natural tendencies working against me and that means I just have to work harder to have that peacefulness--but it is so worth it. It may take some extra effort to get to where you want to be, but you'll be glad you did.
I will answer some of your burning questions that you may have about organizing your home and family. Email me at andi@allsquaredaway.com and your question may be featured in my monthly column.
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Q: Dear Andi,
My girls (ages 4 & 7) have many items that have small parts and I am very concerned about the choking hazard that this presents to my 8 month old. I need ideas as to how to corral these types of things that are still accessible to them but up and away from the baby. Can you help? ~Marcie M., Morgantown, WV
A: Dear Marcie,
This is an issue many families face. You don't want to "punish" your older child for liking Barbies or Legos, yet, if you have a baby crawling around it is an accident waiting to happen. Please take any suggestions and adapt them to your situation.
1. Look for some new containers that are a little more difficult for a baby to get into (yet easy enough for the girls to manipulate).
2. Confine all of the small choking hazard toys to one area/room/cabinet in the home. Perhaps you can keep all of the toys with small pieces confined to the girls' bedroom and stored up high on a shelf. Set some guidelines such as; a) they can only play with them in their room with the door closed, b) they have to ask permission first, c) they must clean up, and d) put the toys away again.
3. Have those toys as "baby naptime only" toys. Those particular toys are more special and will be easier to only get out when the baby is napping. As a mommy myself, that may buy you a little time to rest or clean a bathroom or something else that a mommy never has time to do!
4. If they have lots of toys anyway, try rotating those toys to put in storage for a year or so when the baby is older and then even the child will be better able to care for those toys. It will seem like a "new" toy and you can even collect more things along the way to make it special.
