We all strive to have a neat and well-organized home. However, if your family doesn't share your desires and is unwilling to cooperate, achieving this feat can be a pipe dream. Needless to say, finding ways to get your family on board with your organizing plans is vital.
And while it may seem far-fetched, it actually isn't. Regardless of what the personality of your family members is, with a bit of patience and the right approach, they will be onboard in no time.
Tips for Getting Your Family Onboard with Organizing Your Home
There are several benefits to living in an organized home, including:
Better physical and mental health
Simplicity in finding various items
Simplicity in cleaning your home
Income generation - the process of organizing your home, you and your family come across items that you no longer need that you can sell to earn extra cash.
Despite these benefits, convincing your family members to get on board with organizing your home can be a tall order. Below are a few tips that can help you convince them:
1. Lead By Example
Let's face it: It can be difficult to deviate from your habits just because someone told you to do so. For instance, if someone told you to stop eating a given snack, the chances are that you wouldn't instantly stop doing so. However, if they led by example and stopped indulging in that given snack, the chances are that you would be more receptive to follow suit.
The same goes for organizing your home. If you pressure your family members into being more organized, they will likely resist. Instead, you should try leading by example. Picture your space and work towards decluttering it. Once your family members notice your efforts in making your home tidy and more organized, they will most likely feel inspired to do the same.
That said, organizing communal areas will make it much easier for you to onboard your family into organizing your home. If you are not making any effort to organize your home, it will be challenging to convince your family to do so.
2. Set Organization Goals Together
We all like to see progress. The best way of determining how much progress we've made is by comparing our efforts with our set goals. Setting goals and achieving them gives us a feeling of fulfillment.
Engage your family in finding decluttering goals that benefit everyone. For instance, if your goal is to earn extra money, you could convince your family to gather the items they aren't using so you can put them up for sale in a yard sale or a garage sale. You may also convince them to donate the items they aren't using to charity.
Another goal you could set is to sell some of your belongings and move to a smaller place. Inconvenient as it may seem, downsizing is a great way to get organized. With less stuff, you and your family will have an easier time organizing your home.
3. Be Respectful of Everyone's Belongings
When organizing your home, ensure that you respect everyone's belongings lest you encounter resistance. Don't be pushy—be patient with your family member's spaces and belongings. You will find it challenging to get them on board if you insist on abruptly getting rid of the things they hold dear.
Create dedicated spaces for every member of your family where they can keep things that are valuable to them.
Never forget this. Just because you think a given item is of no importance and should be tossed away, doesn't mean that your loved ones feel the same way. Give them time to get rid of their belongings that they may not need rather than forcing them to do so
4. Involve All Your Family Members By Giving Everyone a Responsibility
You reside in your home as a team, so everyone should put some weight on the organization process. This means you should assign everyone a specific task and let them undertake it to the best of their abilities without meddling too much.
Doing this will make everyone feel useful and included, making the organization process smoother.
That said, you should exercise patience for everyone to get accustomed to the new arrangement, especially your kids. Show them that you appreciate their effort in helping make your home more organized rather than pointing out their mistakes every now and then. Such an approach will make them develop a positive attitude towards the new order instead of repulsing it.
5. Take Small Steps First and Offer Help When Need Be
Don't expect miracles. Start small. Your family may need time to detach themselves from various items. And so, you need to respect their process. This means explaining the benefits of decluttering and organization and giving them time to do it independently.
Also, ensure that you look for any signs that your family needs help with the organization. Your kids, spouse, or other family members may be unwilling to admit it when they need assistance. So be on the lookout for any signs of struggle and help them whenever necessary.
Hire a Professional Organizer to Help
Most people think that organizing a home is as simple as throwing away the things they don't need and then cleaning up. Well, that's not the case. Organizing a home not only involves decluttering and cleaning but also requires that you strategically place every item such that it can be easily located.
A professional home organizer can help you toward this end. A good home organizer will consider what matters to you and your family, the size of your space, the amount of clutter you have, how your home is currently organized, and so much more.
Their job is to organize your home in a way that suits you and your family members in the shortest time possible to help you avoid the burnout and fatigue that comes with this task.
If you are looking to get your home organized by professional organizers, they’re are many options out there that can handle all different types of organizational projects. Some of our favorites include:
Professional Organizers BR - Olivia Parks
KonMari - Marie Kondo
Professional Organizers can make your home a clutter-free sanctuary where you are in control and help keep it that way. Whether you are looking to get your home’s organization project started or looking to have it fully completed, professional organizers can help you and your family reach your home organization goals.