We were lucky to catch up with Tyler Moore recently and have shared our conversation below.
Tyler , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?
We launched Tidy Dad in 2019, inspired by the buzz around Marie Kondo’s Netflix show *Tidying Up with Marie Kondo*. Parents in our NYC community were intrigued by Kondo’s strategies but questioned their practicality with kids. As “Tidy Dad” I set out to prove that living in a small space with children is possible – routines and systems for tidying, organizing, and cleaning help!.
Writing has always been a passion of mine, so after starting on Instagram, I began blogging at thetidydad.com about our journey to declutter both our home and my professional life. That led to a contributing writing position at Apartment Therapy where I pitched story ideas and worked with an editor to contribute bi-monthly articles for “Cubby at Home.” Decluttering is a mental, physical, and emotional process, and themes related to that practice were woven throughtout my writing. Several years later I’m now exploring those further in my forthcoming book *Tidy Up Your Life*, published by Penguin Random House.
Tyler , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
As a New York City teacher with a background in journalism, I understand the demands of balancing work, family, and personal life. I draw from both professions to share practical, realistic strategies for tidying, organizing, and cleaning. Just like in the classroom, where I break down complex concepts into engaging lessons, in my forthcoming book I simplify the process of managing your home so it’s less overwhelming and more achievable.
I know what it’s like to juggle lots of things at one time—I’m in the thick of it too. As a full-time teacher and a father of three young daughters, I use the same strategies that I write about to keep our household running smoothly(ish). I’ve added ish to that sentence because as I like to say, “life happens, messes happen.” My approach centers on breaking down the mental load, offering metacognitive strategies that help manage both work and home life more effectively.
In my book, Tidy Up Your Life, I share actionable insights to help you navigate the constant questions swirling around time, energy, and space. Physical and mental clutter often go hand in hand, and I’ve discovered how a ‘just enough’ philosophy can help you manage the beautiful chaos of life. This book is designed to be a guide, offering tools and strategies I use daily to find balance and peace in a busy world.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
The turning point in my journey as Tidy Dad came during a mental health crisis when my two oldest daughters were just two years and seven months old. Overwhelmed and feeling like I had lost control of my life, I believed the chaos was the result of choices I had made. A few years earlier, I had accepted a promotion, moving from teacher to administrator, but the added responsibilities quickly took a toll on my family life and home, leaving me feeling disconnected and out of balance.
After three years of therapy and countless decluttering sessions at home, I finally understood why I had made those decisions. My wife and I intentionally built a life in New York City that felt like “just enough”—not perfect, but balanced, manageable, and centered around what was important to us. Our definition of “just enough” isn’t the same as everyone else’s and that’s okay.
In Tidy Up Your Life, I invite readers on a similar journey to declutter both their minds and their physical spaces. We all have choices in how we use our time, energy, and resources, and this book offers practical guidance to help you navigate the messiness of life with clarity and intention. My goal is to provide a roadmap for finding that balance, just as I did.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
My book, Tidy Up Your Life, set to be published on January 7, 2025, represents more than 2 ½ years of hard work and dedication. It’s a project into which I’ve poured immense time, energy, and focus, and I’m proud of both where I started and how I finished. Writing a book is no small feat, but as I embarked on this journey, I leaned on strategies I had once taught my students—keeping a writer’s notebook, using journaling techniques, and organizing my thoughts with Post-its. My notebook became my anchor, where I mapped out each chapter by hand and categorized my ideas. Week after week, I returned to those notes for inspiration as I pieced together the sections of the book.
As a teacher, it’s been especially rewarding to share this writing process with my students. It’s a way to show them firsthand how writing can be a powerful tool for self-expression and personal transformation. We’ve all read books where certain characters or ideas stick with us, and it’s incredible to think that those words began as moments of inspiration for the author.
Writing Tidy Up Your Life has been a deeply personal journey of tidying up my own life, and through it, I hope to inspire readers to take that same journey of reflection and transformation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thetidydad.com
- Instagram: @tidydad
- Facebook: The Tidy Dad
- Book: Tidy Up Your Life
