How can I stay organized with three children under three years of age? They all have different personalities and make messes. I feel like all I do is clean, only to see it messed up five minutes later. I'm a stay at home mom. My husband thinks I stick to schedules too much, but his advice doesn't help. Do you have any ideas about keeping everything tidy?

Three under three is certainly going to put you in the position of cleaning all the time. While organization is a good goal, applying it will be very different at home than in an office — or a home without children. Keeping everything tidy is not a reasonable goal and you'd do well not to put that kind of pressure on yourself. With three toddlers, you'll maintain more of your sanity if your goal is to keep up with them.

I had two under two. Now I have three in college. The "mess" doesn't go away, it just changes shape and geographical location.

Keeping a schedule (this happens at this time, that happens at that time) can be daunting with three little ones. A routine (this happens after this — regardless of the time — and then we do that) might be more accommodating for everyone, especially you.

Mornings can start when everyone wakes, not necessarily at 8AM. We eat, we clean up, we watch a program, we play outside, we snack, we play outside some more, we eat lunch. This doesn't have to happen by the clock to go smoothly and successfully.

Do remember, "Stay at Home Mom" doesn't mean you have to stay at home. Check into your local resources for playgroups and parks. Network with other moms about scheduling playgroups and exchanging babysitting.

Children cannot mess up what they can't reach, see, or know is there. Keep breakables and other valuables up and away. If necessary, put them out of sight completely. While it may seem like you'll never see your things again, the reality is that the days are long and the years are short. This means you'll be bringing your things down and back into view before you know it.

Safety devices work in theory. In practice, small children are geniuses. Block outlets, unused radiators, and cords with furniture. All lower kitchen cabinets should be childproofed with one exception. Here you would keep plastics the children can play with.

Cooking around kids is dangerous. To get around this, cook in advance (when they're sleeping) and reheat later, tell your husband to keep the kids occupied while you cook, and/or create meals out of raw fruit and raw vegetables or make sandwiches.

Keep a minimum of toys available. A child with too many choices (more than five toys) can be become an overwhelmed child. A child with a toy that contains more than five pieces can also become overwhelmed. Simple blocks go a lot further than a box of action figures.