As the mother of three children under the age of 7, my house is a mess.

I marvel at the homes of my friends and relatives who seem to be able to keep your homes so tidy and clean it looks like a furniture showroom. I have told myself (and anyone that will listen) it's because I am either too busy to go following them around and picking up immediately after them or it doesn't bother me and I'd rather let them experience youth then stand over them making them scrub floors (obviously an exaggeration).

Here's the truth. I'm tired and it doesn't bother me enough to change how I am parenting. I get up, the kids get up, we all leave the house to go to work or school or preschool. We all return, they play while I cook dinner, we all hang out for 1 hour then they go to bed, then I go to bed. Did I mention that all starts at 5:00am and bedtime is 8:00pm. I'm usually asleep by 8:30pm.

It would seem that there isn't a lot of time for cleaning... or messing up the house for that matter. However, if you are a parent with three small children, you are aware that they don't need much time to pull out the Lego's and spread-em all over the living room floor. Or the floor puzzle.

I know, I know, I can hear my sister-in-law with the always tidy, and never messy house say, "Get them to clean it up before they come to the table".

I have finally found a solution that works for me... and works for the kids.

The Pile Method.

I start in the messiest room and I literally sweep EVERYTHING into a pile. Dolls, Puzzle pieces, dog hair, paper plates, whatever is under the couch, or table. I sweep across the rug, I sweep under everything and end up with a big pile of STUFF in the room. This stuff can be broken down into 3 basic categories

1. Clothes - if your kids are like mine, they are constantly taking their clothes off, or shoes off, or socks off.... and just dropping them where they are

2. Toys - like I explained, puzzle pieces, Lego's, littlest pet shop toys - houses - furniture

3. Garbage - empty paper cups, plates, used tissues, you know things that were on the coffee table that maybe fell onto the floor.

So, it takes about 5 minutes to sweep everything into a pile.

I give the kids 5 minutes to pick out the stuff that they want to keep and put it away.

I put everything else in the trash, then I sweep the rest into the garbage with the dust pan and it's done.

That's right.

I go from Incredibly messy, to incredibly clean in 15 minutes.

I then apply this to their bedroom, the dining room (where our kitchen table is).

PAINFULLY, I also apply this method to myself in my own room.

Here's the trick.

The trick is to really throw the stuff out. If the kids see that their toys are going in the trash, then they will be more likely to pick them up. You can't threaten and not follow-through.

Prepare yourself. Prepare yourself for your children's initial cavalier attitude towards expensive toys that you believe you would cherish. Prepare yourself for the (what you would believe) misplaced devotion to the doll you got from the dollar store. Prepare yourself. Just get rid of it.

My biggest battle with The Pile Method, was the waste of money. Here's the thing. Having the house cleaned up and straightened up and tidy.... is relaxing. The children are relaxed. I am relaxed and happy to be in that space.

I have been using the pile method for several months and my children's toys have been weeded out to the point where they are quick to clean up the toys in the pile, lest they end up in the garbage.

Ahhhhhh life is good.

Now is someone could just help me get the piles of laundry folded and put away..... sigh.......