Decluttering With Babies: Small Steps That Make a Big Difference

My son is currently two and a half years old, and his latest trick is waddling his way downstairs in the morning, walking straight over to his biggest toy bin, and dumping it on the floor. My favorite is when he decides that was enough fun for the start of his day and just walks away to go do something else. As the parents of a toddler, my husband and I don't even blink at this anymore - nor do we feel compelled to go pick up his toys right away anymore, either. 

The messiness of having a baby around changes as they get bigger - and in turn, your cleanliness standards may need to change, too. When they're really small, it starts with the relentless bottles. pump parts, pacifiers and the million other things that appear on your countertop. Then the toys start to multiply - seemingly overnight. Before you know it, they've outgrown two entire sets of clothes, so you have to figure out where those are going to live, while you make room for the next two sizes up. And once they start walking, you start moving items from lower surfaces to higher surfaces. 

I’ve learned that I don’t have to overhaul your whole home every week. Decluttering with kids around is all about momentum over perfection - so here are a few methods we’ve adopted to help keep our home from feeling too cluttered.

Start With a Drawer.
Pick one drawer or one shelf per week—keep a donate bin nearby.

Rotate Toys.
Keep only a few toys out at a time and rotate weekly. Less clutter = more focused play.

Use Nap Time or After Bed.
Even 15 minutes of “stuff reduction” is a win.

Get Clear on What Stays.
If it doesn’t serve your current season or bring joy, then it goes. It helps not to hold onto “someday” items.