Pinterest LinkedIn Facebook Instagram YouTube

10 Ten-Minute Tasks for Organizing Tiny Tots

10 Ten Minute Tasks for Organizing Tiny Tots | organizedartistry.com #organizingkids #organizingbaby #getorganized

As a Professional Organizer, mom of two, and former first grade teacher, I have spent much time organizing kids.

Guess which age range has the most stuff that needs organizing?

The smallest of children! For little people, they sure have a lot of things to organize!

And because they’re ‘tiny tots,’ (a name I adopted from my son’s former preschool class) they’re not as independent as a teen, tween, or even eight year old would be.

If you’re responsible for one or more of those tiny tots, you’re probably very busy. And tired. Mmmmm…more like exhausted.  You have very little time or energy to keep their lives organized. When you have tiny tots, it’s rare that you have more than ten minutes to spare–especially if you have more than one child!

In the interest of saving you time, money, space, and stress (and your sanity?!?), here are 10 ten-minute tasks to tackle for organizing your teeniest of tiny tots:

10 Ten-Minute Tasks

Purge photos from your smartphone. I KNOW you have a ton of pics of your tiny tots on your phone. I did, too (and still do…)! Take ten minutes a week to delete any blurry, red-eye, duplicate photos. You don’t want to run out of digital space and not be able to capture future milestones and adorable moments.

Gather and carve out a small space (a lower cabinet, drawer, or basket) for kid-friendly dishes, bowls, and cups. Taking ten minutes to set this up will save you hours in the future. Creating a space for a child to retrieve a bowl or cup by themselves (and put it back after being washed) encourages independence and teaches them beginner organizing skills.

Organize food storage containers. Purge out containers with missing lids or those that have gone through the dishwasher one too many times. With a little direction, some children as young as two or three can help match lids to bottoms and group similar-shaped containers together.
*This task is especially important if you pack your child a lunch every day for day care or preschool.

Before heading to the market or placing an online order, take inventory of baby food, formula, and diapers. Depending upon how many kids you have, this should take you less than ten minutes but save you a lot of time, energy, and grief.

Scan your kid’s play area for sticky, broken, or infrequently used toys and take a few moments to wash them, repair or toss them, or donate them.

Using strips of low-tack blue tape, create ‘parking spots’ in your play space or garage for large toy trucks, doll carriages, or ride-on toys. This designates a ‘home’ for these bigger toys and just like you park your car in a lot, on the street, or in a driveway your child will park their toy in these designated spots. And if they don’t, you can play a game I like to call, ‘Mommy Meter Maid…’

(For some of my other toy organizing ideas for your tiny tots, read more here.)

Create a ‘home’ for your kid’s favorite bedtime books. When bedtime isn’t going as smoothly as you’d like, at least you’ll know where their ‘sleepy-time stories’ are!

Grab diapers, cream, wipes, and a mat and set up a ‘satellite’ diaper changing station in an area you spend the most time in with your tiny tots. Doing this will save you time from having to run to your changing table, from having to clean up a blowout (you know what I’m talking about…), and then having to do some messy laundry.
*Spend less than ten minutes a week refilling both diaper changing stations with more ‘supplies.’

Similarly, use a ten minute pocket of time to take note of and re-stock the contents of your tiny tot’s diaper bag. Jot down a checklist of must-have and nice-to-have items and keep it in the pocket of the bag for reference–a real time and brain-space saver! It’s important to have a diaper bag prepared for when you want to leave the house, when you have to leave the house, or in an emergency situation.

Take ten minutes to brainstorm more ideas for organizing your tiny tots in under ten minutes. I would say, “Take ten minutes on Pinterest to to look up more kid organizing ideas but let’s be honest–who can be on Pinterest for only ten minutes?!? So, instead please–take ten minutes to yourself. Organizing your tiny tots is important but so is self-care. And if Pinterest is part of your self-care routine–take at least fifteen if you’re able to…

Little kids are unpredictable–be realistic with your ten minutes. If you have a task you think will only take ten minutes but it really takes more, split the task in two parts and tackle them at different times of the day. And if you don’t have ten minutes one day, you’ll have it tomorrow or over the weekend. Keep these tasks as simple as possible and enlist help from a friend, family member, or kid-loving teenager.

Put these 10 ten-minute tasks into practice to make parenting ever-so-slightly easier. You’re on your way to modeling and teaching your tiny tot the how-to’s and benefits of being organized.

 

Want to stay current and connected to Organized Artistry? Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Goodreads!

Subscribe to the Organized Artistry Newsletter! | organizedartistry.com

Share this post!

Categories: Kitchen, Organzing Kids, Pinterest, Time

12 responses to “10 Ten-Minute Tasks for Organizing Tiny Tots”

  1. You bring me back to those little kid days. Life was so different and FULL. Some days it was a challenge to shower. But with the awesome list of ‘tiny tasks’ at the ready, even the busiest parent can find 10 minutes today or another day to do one of these things. And any one of them will provide stress reduction. Love your sense of humor too.

    One of the things I learned to do, was to NOT constantly pick-up after my kids. It made them and me nuts. Instead, I designated one or two times during the day, when I’d get things ‘back’ to their homes. Those were typically a a midday nap time and then at night. It made it easier to keep things organized and feel less chaotic. And because I did it regularly, it was quick…possibly a 10-minute task.

    • Stacey Agin Murray says:

      I agree that constantly picking up after tiny tots doesn’t work–it’s like trying to shovel snow in a blizzard. Your idea of organizing and resetting twice a day is doable and attainable (at least when the parent has gotten some sleep). Thanks for that helpful idea!

  2. Great list! I remember doing these 10-minute tasks to keep my kids stuff in order. It creates a more calm environment for the parent and the child.

    • Stacey Agin Murray says:

      I remember doing some of these 10-minute tasks, too. Completing these tasks created a little slice of sanity in an already exhausting and sometimes chaotic time in my early-parenthood life!

  3. Oh my! I’m always in awe how much parents of little ones have to do, and your post reinforced that feeling. Anything to make things easier for them gets a thumbs up in my book!

    • Stacey Agin Murray says:

      It’s all about making organizing tasks simple and manageable for parents of tiny tots! Enough of their energy and brain power goes towards, as a friend of mine likes to say, ‘keeping them alive.’ Gotta make the rest of the job of ‘parent’ as easy as possible!

  4. These are fabulous tips, Stacey! I love that you mention having children match lids to containers. My other favorite tip is making a list of the must haves and the good to haves for your diaper bag. It’s so much easier to check when you have a list to refer to – as you say – to save brain space.

    I am a former first grade teacher also. Children can do so much and truly love the responsibility of doing things on their own. It’s important to give them guidelines and direction. Then let them learn these terrific organizing skills which will serve them well as they get older.

    • Stacey Agin Murray says:

      The kids in my first grade classroom LOVED having jobs. In fact, I had to make up thirty different jobs for the thirty students and we would pick names out of a hat every Monday to change jobs for the week. Preschool teachers know, too that children as small as 2.5 or 3 can learn to put things away where they belong, sort by category or color, and take care of their belongings. Early-taught organizing skills benefit everyone in the future!

  5. Seana Turner says:

    Reading this reminds me of how exhausting the days with tiny tots are! Great idea to set up a satellite diaper changing area. Running up and down stairs for each diaper change is exhausting. I keep telling anyone who will listen that cars should have a “fold out” diaper station in the back that has a washable surface and place to store the diapers and wipes. Seems like a “no brainer” for family cars, but so far, no traction.

    • Stacey Agin Murray says:

      I remember my friend telling me that she used the back of her SUV as an on-the-go diaper changing station. When I had ‘tiny tots’ I used that tip, too (except in cold weather!). I think you’re on to something. Maybe a pitch to Subaru? They make lots of family-friendly cars. And the ‘washable’ part–very important!

  6. Julie Bestry says:

    These are all so creative, but I’m pretty sure my favorite is the parking lot and Mommy Meter Maid plan! With tiny humans, you have to take your opportunities in small batches, but you’ve made it not just easier, but fun!

    • Stacey Agin Murray says:

      I think ‘Mommy Meter Maid’ was one of my favorites, too! But that blue tape trick works–it worked with my own kids and I recently recommended the idea to a dad of three boys. He said it worked like a charm. No more huge dump trucks and ride on toys in the middle of his living room!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

What area of YOUR life needs organizing?

Contact Stacey to Get Started!
NAPO Member NAPO Golden Circle NAPO Specialist Residential Organizing NAPO Household Management NAPO Life Transitions Bergen Health and Life 2015 Virtual Organizing Services
Top