It happened gradually.  The taking over of our house by our kids.

It started with the baby swing and pack n play in the living room so I could get to my infants faster,  and ended with no spot in this entire house that did not have a toy, book, or reminder that the kids had taken over our house!

So, this weekend, after realizing this… we moved our kids out of our house.

Well – not really out of house, per say.  But out of our main living area.  The kitchen, living room, and “play area” are now clear of toys and the new recipients of more adult decor.

Thing is, my husband and I realized that not only are our kids taking over our days and nights, they are taking over our house!  There are toys everywhere and I am spending so much time picking up toys from every nook and cranny that I never actually get to clean anything!

Plus, with all of this stuff everywhere, it just feels so chaotic and like we do not have a place to be without the children and their things being right underfoot.

So – we sat the kids down and told them they had to move out… of the living room.  We told that that if their toys can not fit in their bedrooms or in the 3rd bay of the garage  – which is their playroom – then their toys needed to be donated.

They seemed ok with it, really.

Until we started unloading the entertainment center of blocks, puzzles, Mickey Mouse Play Houses, Melissa and Doug food sets, and other miscellaneous things that they just had to have!

Sure, most of it got moved into their rooms or the playroom, but some got thrown in a plastic bag to be removed from our home.  Through the, “Mommeee… that’s miiineeee!”s, we got it done.

But when I started to remove their myriad of baby and school pictures from the walls to make room for actual artwork, I think we hurt their feelings.  But, really, it was too much.  There were pictures of them everywhere!  So, we moved them to the hallway and the girls relaxed!

After an entire day of “dekidding” the main living area, my husband and I plopped down on our huge leather chairs and ottomans that had been stuck in the garage and surveyed our work.

It was a nice.  We still have our family pictures and our girls newborn picture, but we also have some nice artwork that we both love and – amazingly, no clutter.

Last night when we sat to watch a show, we were amazed at the different feeling in the house.  It no longer felt that this chaotic, child run, play ground that had no personality.  It suddenly felt like ‘our house’ again!

I don’t know how we let the kids take over.  But they certainly did.  But with toys in their rooms, a playroom, a toy box in the back yard, and even arts and crafts in the office, we now know that they have plenty.  They do not need the rest of the house too!

And I now have less to clean.  Which gives me more time for them!

I think everyone should “de kid ” their main living areas!  If not for the pure joy of having a place where adults can sit and truly relax, but for the added bonus of having a space in your house that remains fairly clean of toys and clutter.

We did it and are now very happy that we took our house back from our kids!