so the other day i wrote a blog about saving money, and today i thought i would share the importance of being organized as a foster parent. these posts may seem trivial in comparison to the big issues of being a foster parent, but for me and my husband, we find that when we are financially and environmentally organized, we handle the big issues much better :)
it's especially important to be organized as a foster parent because at any moment of any day, you could be called with a placement. this placement could be any age, boy or girl. so things need to be as prepared as they can possibly be to make the transition smoother on everyone.
the easiest way to stay organized is to not have very much stuff! the idea of living simply was definitely not coined by yours truly, but i have so embraced it. no matter how many people, animals or relatives that are living in your home, i think everyone can live simply.
okay, so, i have a love/hate relationship with "things" (thinking about baby clothes, toys, home decor, clothes, etc). i love to accept anything people give me for free, but then i end up giving it to someone else in a fit of rage a month later. so it's hard for me not to keep a house full of every size of clothes, every toy for every age and so on. i haven't always been as clean and organized as i am now. i've read countless books on the subject and have learned so much from other people.
these are some practical tips that keep us organized and prepared:
- i accept only what i need in that moment. if someone says "hey i have all of these great toddler toys, do you want them?" i will say no, because today we don't have a toddler in our home. if in 2 weeks we get a call to take a 3 year old i will know who to go to if we need toys. however, we do have residual clothing and about 5 toys from our last placement. the clothing fits in a big paper bag, and the toys are in a small basket. if we never get to use them, we will give them to a foster family that has children that size and age. so there's a little bit of hoarding going on there. also, it reminds us of those sweet babies, and sometimes i just sneak in the bag of clothes to get a smell :)
- i keep only clothes that fit hanging in the closet. this goes for me, my husband and the baby. but the baby's closet is the hardest. i'll admit, she was 9 pounds before i could get rid of her preemie sleepers. it's just so sentimental, you know? and i keep thinking i can smash her into those footie pajamas just ooonnnneee more time. but it's amazing how many clothes parent's end up getting their kids, so many of them never even worn. in our home, if it's taking up space, you better be wearing it.
- i return borrowed items as soon as i'm done with them. we are so blessed to have been given 99.9% of baby j's wardrobe. but she outgrows things, i try to box them up, label who they go to, and give them back. we have very little (no) storage space in our home. bedroom closets are it, so we have to be picky about what can linger. i have a SMALL box of baby clothes that we have bought that we want to keep for our next child.
- i keep like with like. the simple but most important rule of organization. all my craft supplies fit in one area, all of my shoes fit in one area, all of my pots and pans in one drawer, all of my plates in one cabinet, all of the toys in one bin, etc. if it doesn't fit in the designated area, it needs to be tossed or you need to get rid of another thing to make it fit.
- one in one out rule. if i buy a shirt, i donate one that's in my closet. same goes for home decor. if i buy a nick-nick for the living room, then i've got to toss another nick-nack in my living room. if i buy a puppy, then i've got to....just kidding ;)
- we don't keep a lot of stuff in our attic. attics are great, neither of us had one until we moved into this house, and it's awesome. but i don't like the idea of attics being a giant "catch all". we keep holiday decorations and camping gear in the attic, and that's it. i don't like that garages become catch alls, too. i'm always confused when people can't fit their cars into their garage.
- maintain. it would be so nice if i could just organize my whole home and it would stay that way forever and ever amen. however, being organized takes maintenance. what's the point of spending 30 minutes organizing your linen closet when the next day you're just going to shove the towels you just laundered in there? if you're in the hall closet getting the windex, take a minute and make sure everything is where it's supposed to be. it takes five seconds to maintain what you've organized, and it's so worth it.
i hope these tips helped. in the spirit of being transparent, here are some things that me and my husband hoard uncontrollably:
- greeting cards. if you've ever in your life written me a card, i still have it. dating back to 8th grade.
- medical supplies/medicine. i die a little inside every time i open our bathroom closet. let's just say if you need any type of medicine, a gaping wound cleaned or if you need an IV started, you know where to go. this is completely my husbands fault.
thanks for reading!
chelsie
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