IS IT POSSIBLE TO BALANCE CLUTTER AND KIDS?
Together kids and clutter can make you crazy! At first, it seems so cute. I remember having my first child and going into the toy store. I wanted to buy ALL the things that he needed (aka I wanted!). That really brought out the kid in me. So, I bought things. And then I bought more. Until one day, I looked around and started to feel like I was IN the toy store. It was surrounding me. So, I then gave up our Florida room, to be a playroom. That worked for a while until eventually, that room became so cluttered that it was overwhelming. Also, there was my son’s bedroom, and toys scattered about through the house. Add a second child, and I was in over my head. I knew that I had to minimalize and declutter.
HOW TO TURN THIS CLUTTER PROBLEM AROUND
As I started to embrace organization with children, it was a process. Like many people with children, I had to see this for what it was…. MESSY. I had to realize that my children did not need every new and shiny toy to be happy. If I was being honest, I saw that lots of the things I bought maybe things that I wanted as a child but did not have. Also, I had to realize that with children, I could not go to the other extreme and become totally clutter-free. It turns out that kids do not love it when you gather up all their toys and move them out. So there had to be a compromise. Over the years, I have come up with methods that help to keep the clutter down while letting the kids enjoy the toys that they have.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF HAVING LESS CLUTTER WITH KIDS
It allows for them to enjoy what they have
I discovered with having less, they played with what they did have more. When you have an overload of toys and stuff, things get lost, and they literally forget that they have. So, when you clear out all the extra clutter, they will find all kinds of new treasures. I have seen this first hand, and it is refreshing to watch them pull out toys that were previously not played with.
It is better for the entire family’s health
What do I mean by that in regards to kids and clutter? Less clutter promotes a calmer environment, for both parents and children. This can reduce anxiousness, make the entire family more relaxed, and less overwhelmed. An organized and orderly environment can just make people feel calm and happy. I find that personally waking up with less stuff, and seeing things in order just makes me feel at peace. And the less you have to keep up with, the easier it is to keep orderly.
Turn clutter into cash
This is a great benefit of reducing your clutter. You can sell the excess items and bring in extra cash. I have a wonderful method that I used to turn the outgrown toys and clothes into something even better. I participate in a twice a year non-profit consignment sale. It is an excellent sale because all proceeds go to different charities. I normally include 200 items of clothing, toys, or books. I volunteer at the sale and keep 80% of the profits. And when I get a check for those profits, I then deposit those funds into my children’s 529 college savings plans. Turning old clutter into college savings, what could be better? Don’t want to do a sale? No problem! There are so many ways to make money turning clutter into cash. This article by Washington Post will show you lots of different ways to get started.
Now that we know the benefits of decluttering with kids, how to you get them on board? There are a few things you can do.
STEPS TO GET KIDS ON BOARD WITH DECLUTTERING
Make it a game
One way to bring get the clean up going is to make it a game. Set up bins for things to be put away and add a box for donate. Have a contest of how many items you can get in those bins. Add another dimension and see how fast you can go! Reward them at the end in some way to let them know that keeping their space tidy is important.
Explain why it is important
Let you children know why donating is important. This was an important step in our family of turning the clutter problem around. There were times when I was ready to get rid of certain toys, but my children were not. I did not want to get rid of things that they were not ready to part with, so we started conversations about clutter. I explained that most things are temporary, and we use them until they are not useful to us any longer. Once we get to that point, we pass them on to other deserving children who would enjoy the toys so much, and sometimes were not able to afford them. These talks really let the child feel like they are doing something goo by parting with the toy (and they really are).
Establish limits
Having limits is a huge help in organization and keeping clutter under control. When an item comes in, and item goes out. Use this method for all things including toys, clothing, books, and just about anything. If you establish this early on, it will keep your household orderly. In addition, this also reduces arguments because if everyone knows the rule and follows the rule then there is no reason to argue about it.
Everything must have a place
This is so important to organization in general, for everything to have a place. This takes time to set up, but once you do, it is great! It is so easy to tidy up because all items just go back to their place. Start a little at a time, and when you put something away, make sure that it has a practical place. It really is as simple as that.
Make purging part of the regular chores
Parents have different ideas and viewpoints on chores. I can only speak to mine personally, but you will get the idea. In my home, my children have daily chores that they are expected to do. They also have other jobs that they can choose, to earn a few extra bucks, but these are not required. While we do not have a set day or time, in addition to the regular chores we will sometimes declare a “10-minute pickup”, where everyone picks up and puts away whatever is out. This helps to keep things tidy, reduce clutter, and takes just a few minutes.
Let them have choices
The final step to making clutter reduction with kids a success, is to let you child have choices. I feel that this is important in making them feel seen and heard. Basically, when it is time to get rid of say three items, I let them choose those three items. In addition, we will discuss how great it will be when a new child receives this toy, and it gives them a good feeling of putting the item in that donate box. I never try to force my choice on the child because this can create hard feelings.
Look for inspiration
Now I will tell you that I am not any kind of an expert on organization. So what do I do? Follow the experts! One of my favorite experts for organization inspiration is Cas from Clutterbug (I am a bee!). In this following video, she gives so many great ideas for organizing children’s toys. Take a look and see if it inspires you too!
HAVING AN ORGANIZED AND TIDY FAMILY SPACE IS POSSIBLE
Trying to balance kids and clutter is difficult, but it does not really have to be. Make sure that everything has a place, let your child have some choices, and have fun with it by making decluttering a game. Keep the conversation going on why it is important not to keep too many items and make putting items away a part of the daily routine. All these together will give your family a much more organized living space and give a calm, beautiful space to keep the family from feeling anxious or overwhelmed. Will it be perfect? Absolutely not, it is kids and life after all. But with a little effort, these methods will make a big difference in your household!
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GET STARTED WITH DECLUTTERING YOUR KID’S SPACES TODAY!
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Mrs. Accountable
Nthabiseng says
Great post. The buy everything trap is real. I have one basket of toys and that’s it and a play area that she can play her little heart out.
cbrooks0312@comcast.net says
THat is a great idea to have one place for the toys where you can keep them in check. I agree that the buy everything trap is a crazy struggle!
Dee | Grammy's Grid says
Oh, gosh. Don’t you just hate clutter, clutter of any kind? Thanks so much for linking up with me at the Unlimited Link Party 28. Pinned!
cbrooks0312@comcast.net says
Thank you for taking a look at my post! The Grammys Grid party is the best and I love finding all of the hidden treasures in there.