Marie Kondo Is Already Teaching Her Kids How To Tidy Up

On Netflix’s new series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, organizational expert Marie Kondo visits families and helps them declutter their homes. She developed her techniques before becoming a mom, but now that she has kids, Kondo is proving that her methods can still work in families with young children. Keeping tidy with kids isn't easy, so people are wondering, how many kids does Marie Kondo have and how does she make it work ?

In an interview with Time, Kondo revealed that she has two young daughters — Satsuki, 3, and Miko, 2. She told the outlet that becoming a parent made her shift her focus from her own happiness to that of her children. “After giving birth, I realized I’d been living my life thinking about what sparks joy for me,” said Kondo. “Now I’m thinking about what sparks joy for my child, for my family. Realizing how happy I can be when I’m spending time with my family has been one of the wonderful surprises.”

On Kondo’s Instagram page, you will find countless pictures of her adorable kids, with one picture of the toddlers perfectly folding their own towels. When speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Kondo said that she started teaching her kids how to tidy as soon as they could learn, and that older daughter was picking up and folding her clothes by the age of 2. “It’s never too early to learn how to tidy up,” she told the outlet. “You can let your children take on a challenge when they turn about 1 year old, after they learn how to walk.”

Kondo’s New York Times bestseller, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing was written in 2014, before she had kids. Many readers wondered if her tidying techniques would work in a household with young children, but Kondo has since proved that they can work.

In an interview with Town and Country, she said that while it may be a learning curve, families can teach their kids how to declutter and organize efficiently. “Tidying with children is a challenge, and I’ve had trial and errors with my two daughters,” said Kondo. “One thing I strive to do is to show by example. For instance, I make sure to fold the laundry in front of my daughters, even if they’re still young, so that they can see how much I am enjoying tidying. — For shared spaces, make sure to set up a designated spot for every item. Once that is set up, make it a rule to put things back in its designated place after use.”

In her new Netflix series, Kondo brings her techniques into the homes of families who are trying to declutter. Her inspirational words add a level of spirituality to the process, and her central advice is for people to keep only those things that spark joy and to discard the rest by saying “thank you” and letting go. She also demonstrates her unique folding techniques and explains different ways you can store your belongings so they look neat and tidy.

I have to admit, watching Tidying Up with Marie Kondo inspired me to tackle my own overstuffed closets, and seeing pictures of her little ones folding is making me reevaluate how I teach my kids to clean their room. At the end of the day, keeping your home tidy is a family effort, and seeing Kondo’s kids pitch in is a great example of how to make her methods work.

Tidying Up with Marie Kondo is currently streaming on Netflix.

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