Clutter is a major source of stress in my family. My husband is a neat, organized minimalist, but in the past few years, he’s had his world turned upside down by three not so tidy ladies: his wife and two daughters. I’ll admit, our home could use a few (million) fewer tutus, tiaras and tap shoes.
So I picked up Marie Kondo’s popular new book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” Maybe she could indeed change our lives—or least prevent a few trip-and-falls in our living room.
Well, I’ll give Kondo’s book this: it’s a great read, if you like comedy. I laughed many times, such as when she suggested storing shampoo and soap in a cabinet after every use instead of leaving them in the shower stall like a normal person. When I’m clutching a squirmy baby, while trying to corral a stubborn preschooler at bath time, I most certainly do not have a spare hand for extracting products from a cabinet.
That’s when I realized, Marie Kondo is many things—an organizing expert, best-selling author, lecturer and blogger.
But she is not a mom.
At least not yet.
Reportedly pregnant with her first child, Marie Kondo is about to find out how the other half lives, and I can’t help but wonder if motherhood will change her views on organizing. Here are 7 principles I think Kondo should revisit when she becomes a mom:
1. Place every item of clothing in the house on the floor
Kondo says the best way to evaluate your wardrobe is with every last item laid out on the floor. Can you imagine pulling this trick off with kids in the house? Mine would build a fort out of the T-shirts, turn the socks into puppets and wear my undies on their heads before I could possibly get through sorting the clothes.
2. Dispose of everything that does not spark joy
I love the idea of only keeping possessions that bring happiness, but that goes right out the window when you’re a parent. The miniature potty and stepstools junking up every bathroom in my house drive me crazy, but they are necessary to raising little ones. Ditto the many board games, Legos and noisy electronics. While Kondo’s book covers quite a few categories of clutter, from papers to mementos, she never once mentions toys.
Continue reading at mom.me…