THE SEVEN KEYS OF THE MARIE KONDO METHOD TO TEACH CHILDREN TO TIDY UP AT HOME

We have just begun a new year, and among our purposes is to get rid of those things that we no longer use and reorganize our home. But ... will we be able to do it? Where do we take time to put each object in its place as mothers? How to keep order with children at home?

It is not impossible if we follow some of the advice of the organization's guru, the Japanese Marie Kondo. She is also the mother of two girls and she began to look for order in her life as a child, so we can apply some of your keys to teach children to tidy up at home.

The KonMari method

Feng Shui is an ancient philosophy that teaches how to achieve harmony by organizing our home in a certain way. With this same premise, the Japanese Marie Kondo started as an order consultant 11 years ago and created the KonMari method.

We tell you some of his tricks to get order in your house and be even a little happier. And don't forget to involve children in homework: it is a part of their education, rewarding for the whole family.

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1. Save only what makes you happy

As the author assures in her book 'The magic of order':

“We should surround ourselves only with what brings us happiness. For some people it will be a lot of things. For others, only a handful. I don't think there should be any competition in our hearts between things and people. If we value the objects that matter to us and treat them well, they will last longer and give us more pleasure; and we will even learn to be more kind and generous with people. ”

How to put it into practice and instill it in children? It's about picking up every item or item we have and wondering if it really makes us happy. If the answer is no, you have to say goodbye.

In your closet, you have to ask the opinion of the children to get rid of the clothes they don't wear if they are not very small. When it comes to their toys, we will leave only the toys they usually play with, the ones they really love. As advice, you can save some to rotate them when they get tired of them.

You have to help them decide what they stay with and what they can get rid of. If you are old, we decide together, helping you when in doubt. According to Marie Kondo's method, in just five seconds you have to be able to decide what to keep and what to eliminate. When in doubt, you don't need it. Anyway, being children we can be something more flexible and allow time to remember and tell you that evokes every doll, every chrome, every drawing ...

2. Sort by categories

Marie Kondo's advice is organize by categories and not by spaces or rooms. Recommend starting with clothes (the easiest to classify) and ordering the closet and drawers. Then, it will be the turn of books, toys, ornaments ... And finally the objects with sentimental value (such as his drawings, school notes, memories ...).

Similarly, when asking them to pick up, it is preferable that they do so by categories. Instead of telling them to order their room, it will be easier for them if we ask them to order their toys or their clothes, for example.

3. First of all, simplicity

Try to save all objects of the same category in the same place and sort them by owner or by type of object. Minimalism to the maximum exponent. Few things, organized and in sight.

Imagine the time you will save every day if you have all your things organized and in sight: extracurricular and sports equipment, school and reading books, construction pieces ...

This trick will be useful throughout your life, even when studying, to structure the different subjects.

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4. Fold clothes vertically

More clothes will enter your closet and help to promote your autonomy when dressing if you have all the clothes in sight. Marie Kondo proposes to fold them vertically, forming small rectangles with them until they remain standing, as the video shows below. You can practice with the kids this method of dubbing to organize the closet.

To avoid wasting space, you can fasten the buttons and close the pants zippers. At first, you will have to do it yourself, but little by little it will be learning and a sure day that surprises you.

A trick: backpacks and bags will occupy less if you put them inside each other.

5. Take advantage of the space

You will gain peace if you eliminate in each room of home all those furniture and decorative objects that do not bring you happiness.

Of course you have to apply the story also in the bedroom of the kids! Sit with them in their room and go looking at each object together. Make him think about how long he hasn't played that stuffed animal or doesn't play with that doll. Explain that it is good leave room for new things that are about to arrive and that if you have too many things in your room, it will cost you more to decide when choosing what to play with. He will understand that many things in the middle will bother him, can make him stumble and steal space to move and play.

6. Everything in sight

For Marie Kondo it is essential that in a simple glance you can see everything we have. Better everything in sight, that is neat and easy to locate the first. Placing your books and even your clothes at the height of the children will give you greater autonomy when it comes to keeping and organizing your things or dressing better.

You can, for example, place a low shelf or choose a closet 'for children'. If it is embedded, an idea is to place a bar at the bottom for your clothes and then remove it when it grows.

They love the racks at their height to hang their coat and backpack, and so you won't have to worry about being left lying on the floor or hanging in any way on the chairs or the sofa.

7. Avoid storage solutions

We will not deny it now. Parents love shelves and carts with wheels that include plastic baskets, cloth or drawers where everything fits. And, according to Marie Kondo, therein lies the problem: there goes everything we do not know where to put to 'collect' and we end up mixing everything and not knowing exactly what it contains.

She bets on using shoe boxes to classify and store objects, since they are ideal for their size, durability and ease of use. The rolls of toilet paper are also perfect, according to the Japanese, to store underwear or store cables.

To continue learning

If you have been wanting to learn more about order and you like the philosophy of this Japanese professional, you can follow her in her program To order with Marie Kondo !, available on Netflix, where she helps her clients to order their houses, to while helping them achieve happiness.

And if your thing is reading, we invite you to read his books:

The magic of order. Tools for ordering your home and your life !: 13.20 euros.
Happiness after order (The magic of order 2): 15.10 euros.
The magic of everyday life. Daily (Body and mind): 11.30 euros.
The magic of order. An illustrated novel. It tells the graphic story of Chiaki, a woman who transforms her home, her work and her love life using the advice of Marie Kondo: 13.20 euros: //www.amazon.es/dp/8403518943.

Photos | iStock