Marie Kondo’s folding methods have transformed messy drawers and wardrobes across the planet, and almost everyone’s familiar with the idea of only keeping items that spark joy. With millions of books sold, a Netflix series and an online shop, Marie Kondo is synonymous with clutter-free spaces, storage and organisation.
‘Kondo-ing’ has even become a verb. When we spoke to the tidying expert about her latest book, Kurashi at Home (opens in new tab) she shared an insight into her home life that will be a small comfort to parents of young children.
(Image credit: Kurashi at Home is available now)
In her new book, Marie explains that ‘karushi’ can be translated as the ideal way to spend one’s time. When speaking to her about things she finds difficult to organise, she said she has ‘given up’ on keeping things tidy all the time.
‘What I struggle with right now? My children are little, I’ve got three of them, and so it’s the children’s mess and not having time to tidy,’ Marie shares. ‘And the way that I’ve dealt with that is to just give up on expecting it to be tidy all the time,’ she says.
‘So, recently, what I’ve been doing is just leaving the mess during the day, turning a blind eye to that, and just doing a big tidy once the children go to bed.’
(Image credit: Marie Kondo, Kurashi at Home)
Busy parents can relax a little in the knowledge that the world’s most famous figurehead of tidiness faces the same challenges as everybody else. Marie’s comments also highlight that our own expectations around how our homes should look can be an unnecessary pressure.
If your living room resembles a mini Legoland despite post-bedtime tidying sessions, we’d recommend trying out some different toy storage ideas, having a relaxed approach like Marie, and remembering that the big plastic toy phase is not forever.
Trying to tidy up throughout the day can also be counter-productive, so follow Marie Kondo’s lead and just let it happen rather than having to get toys back out repeatedly. If you are lucky enough to have the space, playroom ideas can help contain the sea of toys, providing a dedicated area for kids to play.
(Image credit: Kurashi at Hoe is available now)
Hey, if Marie Kondo can embrace the mess, so can we.
Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life by Marie Kondo is available now.
Discussion about this post