Too often as moms, we can feel like life is just an endless string of laundry, dishes, and meals, rather than something enjoyable, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to feel that way anymore. I want to enjoy slow mornings with my kids and not feel like I have to rush around constantly. For me, I feel like the way to achieve this is through decluttering and organizing, not just physical things but some of the mental clutter too, and I wanted to share how I am doing that.
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Get rid of things you don’t use.
Ever since my husband and I got married, I have been a big proponent of only keeping what you love and will actually use. Right after we got married, we moved two hours away, and we had tons of wedding gifts along with household items we already owned. We were excited because we could afford a two-bedroom apartment, and we would have room for all of our new stuff. But after several months, I realized that if I was keeping kitchen stuff in our guest bedroom closet and literally never using them, it probably wasn’t really serving me there. And with going to school full-time and working full time most weeks, I just couldn’t handle the management and upkeep of all the things in our home. I went through our apartment ruthlessly selling and decluttering things, and I didn’t regret it. Since then, we’ve moved many more times and have added three children to the mix, but I still try to keep inventory low. I find that it makes things go so much smoother, for me and the kids. When there are not as many things to have to worry about cleaning up, it’s not only less stressful for me, but it’s not so overwhelming for the kids to pitch in and help either. I think one of the most helpful things to ask yourself when you are trying to declutter is “Would I want to move this to another house?” If the answer is no, it’s probably not something you need in your current house. If you’re looking for resources on dealing with kid’s stuff, I highly recommend the YouTube Channel The Minimal Mom and the book Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne and Lisa M. Ross. The Minimal Mom also has great resources on getting rid of sentimental items, which I know can be hard for all of us. And if you’re looking for what to do with the stuff you’re getting rid of, you can find an article on secondhand stores to donate to here or a list of options beyond the thrift store here.
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Find a home for things that are important to you.
Now that you’re left with the things that are truly important to you, make sure they have a home! So often, things can just float around our house because we’re never really designated where they need to go. Kids art or schoolwork, sentimental items, kids’ “treasures,” and so many other things can fit into this category. The first step is identifying what the item is, and then you can figure out a solution. For example, in our home, kids’ artwork was all over the place at one point. We do crafts at the library story time once a week and both of our daughters are artistic and creative, so there was lots of it. We created a place to hang artwork in our dining room. Each girl has a string that they can clip art to with a clothespin, and once the string gets full, they have to decide if they want to move it to their memory bin (a great solution for those sentimental items you’re not sure what to do with) or throw it away.
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Don’t try to do it all.
There is such a big weight on our shoulders as moms. We are often the ones responsible for things in the home, the majority of the childcare (especially when they’re little), and many of us are trying to work too. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for hobbies, and even if we absolutely enjoy our role as the mother and our work, we still need time that is just ours and not someone else’s. To do this, we have to understand that we can’t do it all, all at once. I knew when we had two children, one with frequent medical appointments due to a hip issue, I could not continue to work full time and manage all the things I was managing. My husband and I made the decision that I would step back from work, focusing on smaller freelance projects, so I could continue taking care of the house and the kids. It was hard, and it was not without sacrifice, but it was worth it in my opinion for my mental health and the time I gained with my children. Now, this is just an example, and I’m not suggesting it’s right for your family. But if you’re working full time and can’t or don’t want to leave, could you pay for cleaning or meals to take some of the burden off of you? Or offload some of those tasks to someone else in your household? Take some time today if you can find it to write down your top 3-5 priorities as a person. Not a mom or wife, but just your life as a whole. Try to focus on those and cut out as much of the rest (or simplify it) as you can.
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Say no.
Another thing that I think goes along with not trying to do it all is learning to say no. I don’t know about you, but I am such a people pleaser that I have an extremely hard time saying no to things. I agree to do it, and then regret it because I really didn’t have the time and capacity to take it on. Let’s make 2026 the year we stop doing that, shall we?
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Plan your year out in advance.
The same way you looked at what you prioritized in your life as a whole, take a minute to think about what you want to prioritize this year. Is there a special family vacation that you really want to make happen? An anniversary you don’t want to let sneak up on you this year? A goal you want to be actively working towards? I find it’s helpful to take these things into account and go ahead and look at the year as a whole. If there’s a vacation, I might go ahead and try to find a date that works for everyone and pencil it in my planner or add it in my phone. If there’s an anniversary or birthday, could I do the same and maybe even create a checklist for the week or two leading up to that special date, so I don’t leave it all until the last minute. And then with goals, priorities, or intentions, try to think about your day and where those fit in. Can you schedule them in or set a reminder on your phone to make sure it happens?
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Automate meals.
If you are the one who cooks the majority of the time in your family, you know how stressful and time consuming the planning, and the shopping, and the cooking, and the cleanup can be. It feels never ending, and it takes up so much time in your brain. There are lots of meal plans out there that can help, but if you’re looking for one, Tifton Moms has launched a weekly meal plan that includes five dinner ideas and two or three breakfast ideas that can be prepped ahead to make your morning run a little smoother. The meal plan includes a printable shopping list with the ingredients you’ll need for that week, and some space for you to write anything else you might need.
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Develop a routine or schedule for housework.
In the same way that meals can take up a lot of space in your brain, so can housework. I personally really struggle with housework because between homeschooling, working part-time from home, taking care of three children, and cooking dinner almost every night, it can feel like I don’t have the time or energy. And for me, that results in a lot of what you might call mental clutter. Every time I walk into a bathroom that really needs deep cleaning, I can’t help but notice all the things I haven’t cleaned and start to feel guilty. And when your brain can find messages like that all around your home, you are bombarded with all the things you haven’t done but should and all the guilt that is associated with that constantly. While this is an area I definitely still struggle with, these are things I do to help:
- Kids aged 3 and up get age-appropriate chores. We are all a family, and families work together.
- Everyone has an after dinner “job.” Mine is doing the dishes; my husband’s is sweeping/vacuuming the hall, living, and dining room; my 12-year old’s is wiping off the counters, sweeping the kitchen, and taking out the trash if needed; and my 4-year-old wipes off the table and feeds the dog. Everyone knows exactly what they need to do, so they don’t rely on me to have to tell them or do it all myself.
- My husband and I have divided up the chores where I do the reoccurring things (laundry, dishes, meals, etc.), and he tackles the more deep cleaning projects especially in high traffic areas. This doesn’t work for every couple or family, but it’s what works for us, and it helps us know exactly what we’re responsible for.
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Tifton Moms is a resource dedicated to the moms and families of Tifton, Georgia and beyond to help them find the information they need about events in Tifton and Southwest Georgia, resources in Tifton and beyond, educational tips, and so much more. We are passionate about all things parenting and our community, and we want to connect you to relevant resources, local businesses, can’t miss events, and each other! Find more helpful articles at https://tiftonmoms.com/blog/.
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