- I don’t try to hide the fact that we have kids, so our house is filled with their toys and art.
- We prioritize accessibility and creativity over organized, matching decor — even in our living room.
- Entertaining requires more prep work and I adjust the level of tidying I do to my guests.
Some might say our house is cluttered — and I might even agree with them on certain days. Once we had a contractor in our home jokingly ask if we were running a daycare. My kids were playing in the living room; we had the giant plastic roller coaster out, and I wasn’t trying to hide the fact that we have kids. The effort of cleaning up a pile of Lincoln Logs that would only appear back on the floor again repeatedly wasn’t worth it to me.
We have incorporated children’s books and toys into our living space ever since our eldest child was born, and now that they are 3 and 5, the chaos remains. Now it’s just a mixture of Legos and play food instead of stacking cups and play mats. Our decorating aesthetic can easily be described as “I have kids.” I don’t regret living this way, after all, my kids always have something to do at their fingertips.
We embrace fun and vibrancy
I’m sometimes jealous of the families who own toys that perfectly match their furniture or who keep out only a small toy bin of color sorted toys, but I know that’s not for us. We’ve chosen to embrace the fun and vibrancy that comes along with toys and stuffed animals. In our house, there is always an assortment of activities, books, and toys in the living room and crafts happening at the kitchen table.
I’ve seen families have separate playrooms, but toys always wind up strewn about and mixed, and someone has to clean it up at the end of the day. We simply keep everything in our shared space so we have easy access to it and to each other.
Our bounce house is currently set up in our dining room. My husband occasionally works from home, out of his basement office, and having the bounce house on the main level makes it accessible even if he’s working. And no, since they’re using it frequently, I don’t routinely roll it up into the storage bag, unless we’re doing toy rotation or having guests.
When children help clean up, it will never be a perfectly clean visual. The families with pristinely organized toys? Let’s be honest, an adult probably picked them up, and I’m not using all of my free time on the futile attempt to make my house look child-free.
Courtesy of Anne James
I don’t think upscale children’s organization systems are worth the cost
Sure, it looks beautifully curated when someone has matching baskets or play furniture that coordinates with their own decor. But I’m not buying expensive storage for our house. I wanted a cute storage tower for the small space next to our play kitchen, but at $80, I passed. Instead, we’re using a fabric storage bin to store the play food and accessories. I’d rather make a couple trips to the kids play gym or go to a fun event instead of buying the more expensive storage tower.
The kids help decorate our home
Our kids painted ceramics, sun catchers, ornaments, and more have found homes on our walls. We also encourage them to help us decorate for the holidays. For Memorial Day, my son was thrilled to stick patriotic pinwheels randomly throughout our lawn. For Christmas, we have small trees in each of the kids’ rooms, and inevitably the ornaments wind up goofily (but lovingly) spread throughout the branches. And sometimes they “decorate” the floor by spilling flour when we’re baking and play “ice skating.”
By embracing the chaos and disorganization, I’m encouraging their creativity and giving them space to explore the world around them.
Entertaining involves more prep work
We still entertain, but it’s definitely more thought out, and I adjust the level of cleaning we do to the event. I tidy more before parties or for friends who have spotless houses; I’ll clean less for a play date (unless it involves extra baby proofing). We entertain about the same amount as before kids, but it’s more prep work beforehand. I tend to put away things we keep out day-to-day, such as the splat mat (a waterproof, washable floor mat — it’s much easier than treating carpet stains) and panini maker (for almost daily quesadillas), but the plastic picnic table, toy box, play kitchen, and similar items remain as part of our decor.
Courtesy of Anne James
We’re embracing the stage we’re at
My kids will only be little once; I’ll have plenty of time once they’re older to have a more curated decorating aesthetic and less clutter. Sometimes a friend might have to help wipe the paint off of our kitchen table before game night, but putting my feet in my children’s shoes even for a moment, is exhilarating. Feeling the excitement of filling the fort with balloons or tossing every stuffed animal they own into our bounce house is priceless. I see creativity and joy — the work of children.
