Anatomy of a Family-Size Mess

When we were building our house after our fire, we wanted it to be a haven for family and friends, too. We planned a modern farmhouse with an open floor plan. We envisioned a long harvest table where there would always be room for the five of us and plenty more. It was a happy thought that carried us through a hard and stressful time.

Here’s the thing. Vertical surfaces are a bit of a challenge for some of us Hodgsons. We are a mixed bag; a couple of us are Naturally Organized and several of us are decidedly not.

Our table is the first thing you see when you walk in our front door, and I knew it would be a target for all sorts of messes. Boy, was I right.


Welcome!

To be honest, in the beginning I didn’t fight it. I wasn’t delighted or thrilled, but I was busy figuring out organizational systems involving our entire family in other areas of the house.


Before me moved in, I made a solemn vow to keep our long island clear of anything nonfood related. It might get messy when I was cooking, but every night I put everything away and washed down all the counters.

Unfortunately none of the rest of the family took the vow, and I had to police that island like a hawk. The Not Naturally Organized members of my family were drawn to it immediately, and even my Naturally Organized loved ones thought it was a good spot to toss mail or books or gloves on. Not on my watch, people! Not. On. My. Watch.


From the beginning we all had a handle on the living room. It’s neat, and I have been careful to keep it clutter free. It contains furniture, lamps and books. Dusting, sweeping and some light cleaning are the most that needs to be done here.

I allowed one end of our dining table to be a dumping ground while we established other habits and routines and, as strange as it sounds, I was studying the mess.


A mess reveals the need for systems. Systems are organizational strategies, the nuts and bolts of “A place for everything and everything in its place.” A system establishes each place.

What systems do my family members need to establish? This loaded table, like any crime scene, tells the story: a place for library books, a place for purchased items that need to be returned, a place for receipts. Some systems we had, but they weren’t working because the habits surrounding the systems weren’t being kept.

We have a handy mudroom, where all of us have plenty of hooks to hang our bags and coats on. One particularly messy child has a large bin in which he can toss his backpack and library bag. There is also a nearby study, where each of us has a basket for mail. Just around the corner is a large pantry with floor-to-ceiling shelves. And yet the backpack, book bag, hat, shopping bag, clipboard and miscellaneous papers in this photo show that we aren’t taking advantage of any of these.


Everyone loves before and afters, but getting from one to the other — especially if you’re part of a family— takes time, patience and a willingness to try again. Many of us are somewhere in the middle and trying to find our way through.

My family is learning to work together, and day by day we are creating the haven we dreamed about.

How about you? What systems does your family have in place? What habits do you need to establish? Please share your tips and photos of your solutions in the Comments.

More:
Three Magic Words for a Clean Home and a Better Life

How to Build Your Housekeeping Muscle

URL: Anatomy of a Family-Size Mess http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-22541.html