ML Interest Tag: kid

How I Get 3 Kids Out the Door by 7 a.m. Every Day

By Stephanie Gisler

“Either you have a pleasant morning or everyone gets to school on time.” 

This saying rings so true in our house. As a single working parent to three amazing humans, MOST days it is an uphill battle to keep everyone organized and out the door ON TIME.

My kids are 10, 7 and 4 in grades 5, 2 and preschool. We have two different school drop offs, carpool, multiple teachers, after-school clubs, tutors, counselors, sports/music lessons and a co-parenting schedule all to juggle each week—not to mention my own work schedule. I wake up at 4:30 a.m. and exercise; then I wake the kids up at 6 a.m., so we can leave the house by 7 a.m. to get to elementary school then preschool, then my office by 8:30 a.m. at the latest. Usually that means breakfast is to-go in the car.

The Tools

We use these ‘bento box’ st‌yle trays that we can pop in granola bars, milk, yogurt, sausages, rolls, etc and each person places it on their lap in the car.

Breakfasts choices are super easy: toasted bagels, pillsbury croissants, frozen waffles and pancakes, etc. We always keep Horizon boxed milk on hand for car-rides. Sometimes those squeeze fruit packs are great, too.

Lunches we use a mix or reusable snack and sandwich baggies and disposable snacks, boxed milk and juices. Kids usually do a pre-pack the night before ( fruit, carrots, snacks, etc) then a sandwich the morning-of.

Stashed in my car console are these awesome reusable antibacterial Norwex towels that kids use to wipe hands and they can absorb an entire can of soda (amazing!)—and we have wet wipes, too. And don’t forget a garbage bag in the van! I drive a Honda Odyssey so lots of room for “The Stuff,” plus cup holders galore.

We do keep a hand-held vacuum in the car and we keep these handy charcoal odor absorbing tubes spread around to keep things from turning into an absolute scary-van.

Finding Their Motivation

Even with all the prep and tools, my kids were just not getting out of bed on time. I would wake them up, then they would just lay there for 30 minutes until I got super angry. Meanwhile, I was stressed that they wouldn’t have time to pack their lunches or grab breakfast, so I ended up doing ALL of it for them. Which taught them that I would continue to do that, while they slept in. GRRRRR.

We had the pep talk. We had the reminder pep talk. Then the “threatening” pep talk. Then the drill-sergeant pep talk… then the crying pep talk… all by mom, the supposed leader of the family—yeah, it wasn’t working. It was all emotion-based on my end and they knew I was outnumbered. Kids are so intuitive!

I decided to change my strategy. “How can I teach them the consequence of being dependable?” I wondered. They needed to have a fear of letting down THE GROUP if they “forgot” or didn’t do their part. I decided to have the older two split the duties of 1) making lunches for everyone or 2) making breakfast for everyone

They would switch off daily to mix it up and could negotiate the schedule themselves. If someone was lazy, everyone would suffer. This seemed to do the trick for us and motivated the kids to get it in gear!

So, a few weeks in and it’s not perfect, but it takes WAY less pleading to get them up and moving. I just have to say one reminder: “Don’t forget you have lunch-duty or breakfast-duty. Let me know if I can help”—and they’re on it.

I hope you find what works to motivate your crew—and maybe you have gleaned a few tips and tricks from our crazy routine here! Best of luck and just remember to keep trying until you find something that works. Have grace with yourself and your family and know that you are doing better than you think you are.

This post originally appeared on 2ocmoms.wordpress.com.

I am a busy single mom to three amazing kids. My parenting philosophy has evolved many times over, but begins and ends with LOVE, including showing the behavior you want to see and just being kind. From divorce to traveling with kids and time management—I'm your gal to read! 

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How Do You Raise Responsible Kids? Give ‘Em Chores

By Plinkit Inc.

Most of us have great intentions when it comes to involving our kids in chores, and goodness knows we could use the help. But how do you know which chores are best for your kids and how do you implement a system that won’t result in more work for you? And how do you message the importance of chores to your child in a way that instills responsibility, discipline and teamwork? We’ve got a game plan!

“Teach them the skills they’ll need in real life, and give them enough leash to practice those skills on their own.” –Julie Lythcott-Haims, How to Raise an Adult

Parents, Learn First

  • How kids benefit from chores: There are so many benefits: responsibility, discipline, and an understanding that being part of a family or community means pitching-in to get things done – for the “betterment of the whole” – to name a few. Plus, the research is clear that children who do chores have a better chance of growing up to be successful adults.
  • When? We’ve found one effective way to implement a chore system is to use a weekly schedule. Assign different chores to different days of the week.
  • Which chores? Children as young as two are capable of chores, and are often very eager helpers. Leverage that enthusiasm, and build it in reluctant older children by focusing on their readiness for adult tasks. Refer to this chart to determine which chores might work for your child, based on age.

What to Do & How to Get Started

Emphasize that chores are exciting because they mean the child is ready to start learning how to be a grown-up, vs. characterizing them as a burden or a bore. Frame chores as jobs that have to be done and that are unpaid. You can add in other “money jobs” beyond chores if your child wants to earn some money. Keep allowance independent of chores. Read more about allowance here.

Make a Game Plan for Introducing Chores

  • Announce the plan at a family meeting: “Kids, we have some exciting news. We have noticed lately that you are really growing up and are able to do so many things—we think you’re ready to start with your own chores! Chores are jobs around our house that need to get done so that we have time to play together as a family. Now that you can do chores, you can practice to be a grown-up and you are helping our family at the same time.”

  • Present your child with a chore schedule. When designing your schedule, think about what’s realistic for your family. Things to consider:
    • What chores can you ensure will happen with minimal support from you?
    • What are chores that need to be done weekly? (We recommend starting small.)
    • What time of day is easiest for you to monitor chores? For example, grand visions of kids helping prep dinner, set and clear the table may not come to fruition given that this can be a challenging time of day, so consider using breakfast time instead.

Here’s an example schedule to kickstart things for a 4-5 year old. Keep it simple. Be consistent.

  • Monday – Strip bedding; put in laundry hamper
  • Tuesday – Tidy up bedroom and bathroom
  • Wednesday – Tidy up playroom and living room
  • Thursday – Gather all garbage; tidy up yard
  • Friday – Vacuum or sweep (kids love doing this!)
  • Saturday – Put clean laundry away

Inspired? Here’s a blank template for My Weekly Chores for you to individualize. More life skills here.

  • If your child is motivated by checking off tasks on a checklist, laminate your schedule and they can mark an item complete with a dry erase marker.
  • Expect to remind your kids of their daily tasks and cut everyone some slack if not everything gets done at the beginning (no one needs extra things to add to their mental checklist).
  • Praise your children for completing their chores, and point out the impact.
    • “Wow, you are working so hard at getting your chores done and I really appreciate how helpful you are to our family. It makes me so happy to see you learning how to be a grown-up, you can do so many things already!”
    • Celebrate small victories and keep your eye on the long-term prize: a self-sufficient, responsible child who recognizes the value of teamwork.

If Your Child Resists Doing Chores

  • Expect some level of initial resistance.
    • Kids are typically egocentric; they don’t usually appreciate how much work it takes to run a household, and may not inherently demonstrate interest in your need for help.
    • Chores also require some level of delayed gratification and a child may struggle to complete a job that is not immediately gratifying to them.
  • If your child resists chores, try implementing the rule “Must-Do’s before Want-To-Do’s” so that your child understands that if they want to do something (play, go on a scooter ride, have a story read to them, etc.), their Must-Do’s, which include chores, must be done first. Reassure them that they have time for both.
This post originally appeared on Plinkit.

Plinkit provides tools and techniques practiced by the best childhood educators for modern parents. Discover the science behind how children learn, simple parenting tips and new ways to play with your child. Play smarter at myplinkit.com.

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Does “Sesame Street” Make Kids Smarter? New Research Weighs In

by Shahrzad Warkentin

Did you grow up dreaming of sunny days chasing the clouds away? Then there’s a pretty good chance you were a straight-A student. A new study shows Sesame Street helps kids do better in school.

New research published in the American Economic Journal found that kids who had access to Sesame Street before the age of seven had improved academic performance. The impact was most significant in elementary school, especially among Black children and boys who grew up in poor counties. However, it had no real effect on college attendance, graduation rates or long-term career prospects.

It’s important to note that the findings were based on kids access to the show, not specifically that they watched it. The information came from census data on kids from 1980, 1990 and 2000. Access was determined by the strength of television signals in individual counties across the country.

“You can think about this as kids potentially having access as opposed to watching the show,” study author Melissa Kearney told the American Economic Association. “We don’t know who actually watched the show. We know that you probably could get it in your house or you probably couldn’t. And we also know that at the time, most of the kids who probably could get it were probably watching it.”

The researchers then assessed the kids’ academic and career success based on several factors, including what proportion of kids were enrolled in the appropriate grade for their age, drop out and graduation rates, college attendance and their employment, wage and poverty status.

“Our mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder knows no geographic boundaries,” Jeffrey D. Dunn, Sesame Workshop’s chief executive officer, said in a press release celebrating the show’s 50th anniversary. “We’re everywhere families are and we never stop innovating and growing. That’s what keeps us timeless.”

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: photo: Sesame Street via YouTube

 

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Kids Eating Too Many Cookies? Blame Social Media—Not Cookie Monster, Study Says

by Shahrzad Warkentin

Have your kids been snacking more than usual lately? Their screen time use could be to blame, as new research finds kids’ diets are influenced by social media. Read on to see how the two are linked.

Anna Coates, a doctoral student at the School of Psychology at the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom, conducted a study to determine how much a child’s diet could be affected by social media. Coates found that when kids viewed others eating, it had a major impact on their own eating habits.

The study involved 176 kids ages 9 to 11, who were divided into three groups. All the groups were shown real YouTube videos posted by popular vloggers either eating healthy foods, unhealthy foods or none at all. After watching, the kids each had 10 minutes to choose between healthy and unhealthy snack options.

Watching the vloggers eat healthy foods had no significant impact on the kids’ choices, but when the vloggers ate unhealthy foods the kids went on to consume 32 percent more calories from unhealthy snacks compared with the kids who viewed no food being eaten.

Research has long shown that marketing junk food to kids in traditional advertising can have an impact on diet, but not much research has been conducted about how social media influences diets until now. Coates says more research is still needed, but she believes restrictions should be put into place on new types of marketing, like social media.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

 

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This Subscription Toothbrush Service Wants to Make Brushing a Breeze for Kids

by Shahrzad Warkentin

An electric toothbrush can be a great tool to maintaining healthy teeth, but not if your brush is too old. Toothbrush maker quip disrupted the industry by introducing a new subscription service and now quip’s new electric toothbrush for kids is doing the same for those pint-sized pearly whites.

So what’s quip all about? It’s subscription service that provides customers with new brush heads and toothpaste for their electric toothbrushes on a regular basis—because as experts will tell you, you’re meant to swap out that brush every three months to make sure you’re getting your teeth clean.

With quip’s newest product offering for kids, this is the first American Dental Association-accepted kids electric toothbrush with a refill plan. While similar to the adult model, quip for kids has a smaller brush head, an added non-slip plastic grip and more color options from which to choose.

“We spent a year working with Kids and Pediatric dentists to work out what would make up the ideal kids brush. The dentists’ most common request was to create a brush that replicated the fundamental habit and attitude changing effect our adult brushes have had: encouraging and guiding an effective two minute, twice daily brushing routine,” said Simon Enever, CEO and Co-Founder of quip. “The most impactful finding during research was that kids would beam with pride when they were given a ‘grown-up’ electric brush, and parents were relieved to see this lasting excitement, rather than the short lived buzz a typical flashy kids brush usually had.”

You can get started with quip for kids for $25 for a brush head starter set with a flavored toothpaste subscription ($10 every three months) or $30 with a starter set and brush head subscription ($5 every three months). You can order your set here.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

All photos: Courtesy of quip

 

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Immersive Museums to Visit NOW: LMNL and Museum of 3D Illusions

by Kate Loweth

With all the rainy days we’ve had, now is the perfect time to take the kids to check out a new indoor space. These two new museums are not your every day paining-on-the-wall spot. You’ll get to fully immerse yourself in the exhibits themselves. Perfect for the younger set, LMNL and the Museum of 3D Illusions will open your eyes to look at the world like you never have before. Here’s the full scoop!

LMNL by Onedome

Explore this labyrinth of digital art where everything you do creates a new experience. The 10,000-square foot Market Street space invites audiences into a new experience at the intersection of art and technology.

Kids will love seeing how their own movements create changes in the art. 14 rooms provide underwater, mirrored and light experiences. Grab a spot in a chair in the chair installation room and see how your heartbeat creates art on the wall.

Timed tickets offer an experience with limited guests but going earlier in the day tends to offer a less crowded space. Spend as much time as you’d like experiencing each room and go back to your favorites. You aren’t required to visit the rooms in a certain order which is great for kids.  Perhaps one of the favorite rooms was the “Fluid Structures” exhibit where you can have a digital water battle with your friends.

The Details
LMNL by Onedome is an all-ages exhibit. Purchase your timed tickets online in advance and enjoy the non-alcohol cafe Elixart before your visit LMNL. Here you can fuel up with lattes, kombucha and gourmet raw snacks. Free lockers are available for storing your gear right before you enter LMNL and there’s a spot to park your stroller as well.

Tickets: $33/adults, $22/youth ages 11-17, $11/kids 4-10, under 4 are free.

1025 Market St.
San Francisco, CA
Online: onedome.global

Museum of 3D Illusions

Fisherman’s Wharf is home to this new museum where you are guaranteed to get plenty of Instagram snaps to share with your friends. Kids will love being able to step into the artwork and make themselves a part of it.

The museum is made up of rooms that are covered in 3D art. Take a look at the example photos framed on the wall next to each exhibit for ideas on how best to interact with each art piece, or just do your own thing!

Zombies busting through walls, giant bugs coming to life, stairways that lead to nowhere and more—there’s all sorts of amazing art pieces. There are even a handful of nods to San Francisco from the giant redwoods to the cable cars.

Those with cameras should look on the floor for the indicators that show the best spot to stand to get your photo. It makes a big difference in getting the right perspective to make the art come to life.

The Details
The Museum of 3D Illusions is located right near Hotel Zephyr on Jefferson Street. Use one of the free lockers as you enter to store your belongings (only phones/cameras can be taken in). It can get pretty crowded on weekends so try for a weekday to make the most of your time. You can progress through the rooms as fast or as slow as you like, there’s no time limit.

Tickets: $25/adults, $10/ages 6-12, 5 and under are free

55-61 Jefferson St.
San Francisco, CA
Online: sfillusions.com

—Kate Loweth

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New Kids On The Block School Us All on the History of Boy Bands & It’s Glorious

by Erica Loop

NKOTB is back—and they still totally have the right stuff! Calling all former (or current) ’80s and ’90s boy band fans: New Kids On the Block’s “Boys in the Band” video is a shout-out to the musical genre and will take you way back.

Whether you are a child of the ’80s or ’90s, NKOTB’s new track, video and Mixtape tour are can’t-miss musical events that will take you “step by step” back to your childhood dreams. And with the release of their new video for “Boys In the Band,” it looks like the once-boy, now-man band is still “hangin’ tough.”

Mocking their aging boy band image, the now (not-so) New (no-longer) Kids are back in the video as old men. Even though they’re not exactly geriatric IRL—the “kids” are in their ’40s and ’50s—the video starts with the band shuffling their way into a high school classroom, gray-haired, with walkers and canes.

The New Kids school the contemporary kids with their very own lesson in ’70’s, ’80s and ’90s boy band music. The video includes some pretty rad cameos and call-outs. Fellow boy band-er, ‘N Sync’s Lance Bass plays the role of teacher, Bell Biv DeVoe show up, as does former ’80s pop princess Debbie Gibson as she pays homage to the Pop Princess of the ’90s, Britney Spears. (Side note—Gibson, who’s now 48, totally slays the the Spears-like school scene.)

The video ends with a special dedication to none other than Maurice Starr, the man behind boy bands such as NKOTB and New Edition. If you need more boy band magic, New Kids On the Block kicks off their Mixtape tour this May! Look for special guest, such as Salt N Pepa, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson and Naughty by Nature to join them on the road.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: New Kids On the Block via YouTube

 

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5 Effective Ways to Help Preschoolers Problem Solve

by Jennifer Massoni Pardini
Partner Content

photo: Spin Master Entertainment

Have a preschooler with a problem or two to solve? Luckily, Nickelodeon’s Abby Hatcher (created and produced by Spin Master Entertainment) has arrived just in time. With Abby’s surefire mix of empathy for her Fuzzly friends and motivation to help them through any mishap, preschoolers can catch cute Fuzzlies along with Abby and catch on to inspiring ways to work through common challenges. Read on for five “fuzztacular” ways you and Abby Hatcher can help your preschooler build a critical life skill like problem solving, empathy and determination!

1. Help Them Understand Others
In this new show, a lot of focus is put on helping preschoolers manage their emotions (like many Fuzzlies learn to do), but empathy—one of Abby Hatcher’s strongest qualities—is all about understanding somebody else’s feelings, too.

•How Abby will help teach your kids empathy: She is determined to find out what each Fuzzly needs to feel included and useful around her family’s hotel. Abby’s mission isn’t always easy, as she first has to learn how each Fuzzly communicates. After all, we don’t all turn different colors depending on our emotions, like Bozzly! Throughout her adventures Abby consistently reveals how empathetic she truly is.

• What you can do: While kids need to understand right from wrong, that binary thinking can also cause conflict. Try redirecting that energy to better understanding another person’s point of view, as Abby does, and give your preschoolers the language to ask how a friend feels about something.

2. Help Them Be Motivated to Take Risks
As parents, we’re used to coming to the rescue when little ones need a hand learning how to walk or sharing a toy with a friend. Now that preschoolers have reached many self-care milestones (and likely have major opinions about them—hello, threenager!), stepping back so your kiddo can take the lead is a new, important step for any parent.

• How Abby will help teach your kids motivation and to take risks: At the first hint of a Fuzzly problem, Abby and her best pal Bozzly “GEAR UP” into Fuzzly Catcher mode. They’re ready for anything, and that’s a great feeling to give kids who might be intimidated to try something new.

• What you can do: Designate a “problem solving” cape like Bozzly’s your preschooler can don for a confidence boost, or special shoes like Abby’s Pogo-Springs that help her hop to it. If your little one is already eager to dive in, wait before offering a helping hand. If they do turn to you for help, show them how to regroup and jump back in.

photo: Spin Master Entertainment

 

3. Help Them Try and Try Again
If a Fuzzly is in need of her help, Abby Hatcher isn’t one to give up the first time her plan doesn’t quite work—or even the third.

• How Abby will help teach your kids persistence and determination: What’s useful for preschoolers to see is the way Abby adjusts her plan each time, which shows different approaches to one situation. Everyone might learn a little differently, too, and still arrive at the same result. Similarly, Abby is accepting of all Fuzzlies and their unique abilities.

• What you can do: Emphasize to your kiddo that Abby’s type of determination and critical thinking can serve them well as they learn things that take practice, like reading or riding a bike.

4. Help Them Team Up
From the get-go, Abby and Bozzly make a great team. Abby is quick to rescue Bozzly when he runs into trouble and Bozzly pulls a helpful gadget or gizmo from his pouch when Abby is in a bind. The buddy system is also a great approach for preschoolers, whose attention spans are expanding.

• How Abby will help teach your kids to team up: Abby’s loyalty to Bozzly is admirable and he reciprocates that allegiance. This dynamic duo exemplify the buddy system, which can be a great approach for preschoolers, whose attention spans and ideas of friendship are expanding and developing.

• What you can do: Teamwork opportunities abound with classmates, siblings, playgroups, as well as us parents when it comes to solving cool problems, too, like how to build the biggest fort! Make believe, after all, might be the most magical part of these preschool years. Help them use their big imaginations and team up like Abby does with Bozzly and her Fuzzly friends!

photo: Spin Master Entertainment

5. Help Them Find the Fun in Everything
While great role models like Abby are vital, we as parents remain a powerful presence for years to come.

• How Abby will help teach your kids to find the fun: Let kids in on your secrets to success, whether that’s sharing a problem you faced at work and how you resolved it or getting your partner on board to model best communication practices around the kids. And all of this should include an awesome attitude like Abby’s. She is all about finding the adventure with enthusiasm and optimism, no matter how tricky things get.

• What you can do: So, if you and your preschooler are having fun even when challenges arise, or “catching a hug” like Fuzzlies do when needed, then you are teaching another critical life skill: coping. And coping mechanisms help preschoolers and parents alike set out to solve problems, big or small.

BONUS:

Check out the trailer to this new show below:

photo: Spin Master Entertainment

Tune in weekdays to Nickelodeon to catch fun-filled original content your kids will love. Catch clips of Abby Hatcher here anytime!

—Jennifer Massoni Pardini

all photos courtesy of Spin Master Entertainment

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This Viral Video of a Police Officer Playing with Kids & Their Dolls Is Too Cute

by Shahrzad Warkentin

A Virginia police officer has arrested our hearts when he took some time out of his day to play dolls with kids. This viral video of a police officer proves you’re never too tough for play time.

Mom Iesha Roper-Boswell captured the now-viral video of South Hill Police Cpl. C.B. Fleming getting down on the sidewalk to play with local kids, including her own daughter and niece. Fleming had been responding to a report of a gas leak (that turned out to be a false alarm) when he decided to stop and spend some time with the kids.

“I was telling him that my daughter, my niece, and some of the other children here were afraid of cops,” Iesha Roper-Boswell, who recorded the video, told CNN affiliate WTVR. “So when he came and played with them, I captured that moment, not because I thought it would go viral, but it was amazing that my niece didn’t break out into tears.”

Roper-Boswell shared the video and pictures of Fleming playing dolls and coloring with the kids on Facebook where it promptly earned tons of love and praise.

“When I got into this job, I knew there was something different, other than just writing tickets and being the bad person all the time,” Fleming, a 15-year veteran of the force, told WTVR. “I figured if I could be that bright spot in someone’s day, then that’s all that mattered.”

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Utility_inc via Pixabay

 

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How to Stay Organized with Kids When You Live in a Small Place

By Kristin Van de Water

Photo: Kristin Van de Water

“Where can I put this, so nobody gets it?” my daughter asked, holding the half-finished art project she was working on as I pushed three kids and my husband out the door for 8 a.m. school drop-off.

“In your drawer,” I suggested, knowing my two-year-old wouldn’t venture into that off-limits territory while her older siblings were at school.

In our family, each kid has one drawer in their bedroom entirely to themselves, where they can store their most prized possessions. When you’re used to sharing a room with three siblings, getting a whole new drawer is like being gifted a mansion. Raising four kids in a two-bedroom apartment requires some ninja organizational skills plus one essential rule: everyone—and everything—needs a place to be.

Most of our apartment is communal. We share school supplies and spots at the table, bathrooms and bins of books, toys and technology. But to coexist peacefully, it’s crucial to give our kids one thing: a sliver of personal space.

Shortly after my youngest turned two, we traded our crib and toddler bed for a second set of bunkbeds. With the newly available floor space, I was determined to give my kids a storage area that was completely their own. I considered large cubed cubbies, a bookshelf, a desk, inboxes and treasure chests. 

We ultimately decided that getting a second dresser would be the most useful for storing their clothes, which just keep getting bigger each year! It also provided an extra drawer for each child to use as the kid version of a junk drawer. The great part about a drawer is that everything inside is out of sight rather than an eyesore.

This drawer is where they can store the special projects they are working on or toys they want to keep out of their siblings’ hands. Prizes from school carnivals, goody bag trinkets and old Valentines find their home in the drawers. My son parks a toy semi-truck, loaded with Pokemon cards, in the drawer under his bed. My older kids store their Bibles and chapter books in their drawers. My two-year-old tucks away some plastic cupcakes, GoldieBlox figurines and a book her sister made for her. My four-year-old uses her drawer for her piggy bank, knitting and an Else purse filled with the “special learning cards” she has completed. 

One day early on, I found an entire bunny tea party set up in my oldest daughter’s drawer, which now includes her unicorn necklace, Calico Critter puppies and latest doodles.

My kids love to incorporate items from various sets into their play simultaneously, so at the end of the day we find My Little Ponies set up in a scene using magnifying glasses from the Busytown game and eraser animals having a party in a house made of Legos and 8½” x 11” paper taped together.

When the 5 o’clock sweep comes around, we return all those gazillion pieces to their designated spots. Building sets in the shoe box, electronic toys in the TV cabinet, dress-up clothes in the wicker basket and so on.

In the past, after clean-up time, we’d still be left with random projects—special treasures that my kid wouldn’t want to get mixed up with everyone else’s stuff or scooped up with the recycling. Items that were priceless to one child at that moment, yet meaningless or even annoying to the rest of us, would end up loitering on our dining room table or kitchen windowsill indefinitely.

Now, thanks to something as simple as a catch-all drawer, my evenings in the living room and kitchen are free of kid-litter and, thus, way more peaceful.

We set a couple ground rules to make this system work:

No hiding someone else’s stuff. If another family member has any claims on an item, it belongs in our shared spaces, not your personal drawer. If the drawer can close, I will resist the urge to clean it out. 

No food—and certainly no half-eaten lollipops. 

No judgement. Whatever you choose to store in your drawer in fine with me. Just because I would throw out a crumpled-up paper airplane or the box a toy came in, it doesn’t mean those can’t be deemed special treasures.

If my kids want to be alone, they can climb into their beds. With the addition of the drawers, the few possessions they claim as their own have a home now too.

What space can you carve out for your kids?

Kristin Van de Water
Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Kristin Van de Water is a former journalist and teacher who relies on humor, faith, and her mom crew to get her through the day. Raising four kids in a two-bedroom NYC apartment, Kristin is always on the lookout for life hacks to save time, space, money, and her sanity.

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