We asked our readers to share their strategies for simplifying family life. Here, they offer 10 tips for getting rid of excess stuff, controlling clutter and helping kids track homework, as well as creative ways to coordinate chores, plan your dinners, and more.

CHALLENGE 1:

"I want my kids to help out more around the house."

SOLUTION:

Turn choosing chores into a game. "My kids used to have assigned rooms that they were responsible for cleaning, but that always led to arguments," says Kresta George. So last summer, the Heyburn, Idaho, mother of four came up with a new strategy. She wrote each of the daily chores on a craft stick and put the sticks in a cup along with a few blanks. "Every day we take turns drawing the sticks," she explains. "The kids like that their chores are totally random, and that there is always the possibility of drawing a blank stick and getting a freebie! I like that they can't complain to me about things not being fair, because I didn't assign the chores, and hey, I drew my sticks too. Obviously, the little ones don't do as good a job as the older ones, but since we get new chores every day, the house stays pretty clean -- and we stay pretty happy."