Trying to keep your house clean is no easy task, especially if you are raising children. Children are notorious for making messes and not cleaning up after themselves.

However, if you encourage your children to help out and learn to respect their home, your job will become easier.

Children should be given age-appropriate chores to help them learn how to be responsible while they do their part in keeping the home they live in clutter-free and clean.

A clean home not only looks nicer, it can also keep your family healthier. Amazon Cleaning in Atlanta points out that:

"Dust and dirt are breeding grounds for bacteria and germs, and can exacerbate asthma and other health problems as well as increase the likelihood of greater complications such as mold, mildew, and even household pests such as stinkbugs, springtails, and odorous house ants." 

Your children’s health, happiness, and well-being is your top priority as a parent. Below are a few suggestions on how to do keep your house clean.

Minimize Clutter 

There is nothing that makes a house look messier than clutter. We are all prone to creating clutter, both adults and children. Don’t you have at least one junk drawer in your home? How many piles do you have in different rooms of mail or papers you plan on getting to at some point?

A simple way to reduce clutter is to use bins and baskets. Your children have lots of toys they play with but what do they do with them when they are done? Do they leave them on the floor for you to pick up after them?

Why not put a toy basket in the corner of their bedroom or any other room where they play? Even if your children are small, they can be taught to put their toys into a basket when they are finished with them.

Another option is to purchase plastic rolling bins with drawers for different types of toys. For example, label one drawer "cars" and let your children know that when they are finished playing, they should put all the cars into that drawer.

If you are raising daughters, you can have one set of rolling bins for all their Barbie toys. One drawer can be labeled "dolls", another one "clothes" and even one for "accessories". Not only will this quickly clean up their messes when they are done playing, it can help them learn good organizational skills. When they want to play with their dolls again, they will know exactly where to find everything.

Set Up Rules and Designated Playing Areas 

Do your children play in all areas of your house without picking up after themselves? There's an easy fix for that. Tell your children that they must clean up one room before they move onto the next.

Those bins and baskets will come in handy to make this easier for them. You might want to use a reward system for younger children each time they follow your rules.

Put Everything Back Where it Belongs 

This advice is not just for your children but also for yourself. How many times have you not been able to find your car keys? If you put them back in the same place every time you are finished using them, you will know exactly where they are the next time you need them.

Not only will this tip help reduce clutter and help keep your house clean, it will reduce the time you have to spend searching for things you need.

Don't fall victim to the mindset that you will take care of putting your stuff away later. That's how messes accumulate and how we lose things.

Not only should you teach your children to put things away where they belong, you should follow your own advice. Who wants to trip over a pair of shoes in the middle of a room while rushing to get somewhere? If you had put them away when you took them off, you could have avoided tripping.

It literally only takes a few seconds to put things back where they belong. Put your dishes in the dishwasher so they don't pile up in your sink. Dirty laundry belongs in a laundry basket and not on the floor. Children can easily follow this same rule.

By following the above suggestions, your home will be less messy, less cluttered, and cleaner. Don't forget to take your own advice and be a role model for your children.