KIDS! We want them to have their own space and create good habits while they are young but we all know that in doing that we allow for them to hold on to items in their life. I know I still want my kids to feel like their space and stuff is protected in our home. So when it comes to the seasonal purge it can be difficult to watch them hold onto items that I would have no issues giving to the nearest Goodwill box. Letting go of the control that we have as mothers can be rather tricky when we are teaching our children about personal space and boundaries. So in saying that I wish you all well in your endeavors regarding this task and I hope that the tasks that I have to offer give you a better insight as to the easy "how" in the handle to this. As always feel free to give me a hollar for any inside tricks I may have to help guide you to a lighter life!
1) Say no. Sometimes.
I’m never going to tell my kids they can’t accept a goodie bag at a birthday party or a reward from their teacher. But in situations where I can control the junk flow, I try my best to say “no.” It’s less about eliminating the junk and more about teaching my kids that happiness and fun isn’t tied to “stuff.”Freebies can be turned down. The kids don’t need the balloon with the insurance company logo, or the rubber wristband at the ball game that’s 10 sizes too big. I also make a point to say “no” to junk when we’re already doing something that’s fun. If we’re going to a movie, restaurant, bowling alley, festival, show, or sporting event, I want to teach them that the experience itself is a reward. They don’t need a souvenir, too.
2)Teach them to make do with what they have.
The thought of decluttering and getting rid of things is terrifying when your kids know you don’t have the money to go out and buy new stuff if you ever end up "needing" what you just got rid of. But it doesn’t have to be such a terrifying thought. Most luxuries are disguised as necessities. You can teach them how to make do with what they have until you have the money to buy what they want. Two lessons involved with this act! Earn and respect what you have reduces clutter with increased responsibility. Not as much fun for the kids I am sure! However, if you are trying to create new and healthy habits for your lifestyle it is only a added incentive that your children will be creating the habits, too!
3)Use the hanger method to declutter clothes
Getting rid of clothes when you don’t have money to buy new ones can be hard to do when you have multiple children. I used to hate parting with my oldest son's clothes until I realized that my youngest son was barely even wearing a quarter of them, and the rest truly were just taking up space in our home. (And making it harder for him to decide what to wear every day.) Instead of looking at your kids closet and guessing which clothes they won't or don’t wear often, take the whole guessing game out of it.
Hang all of your kids clothes up on hangers, then turn ALL the hangers around so they are backwards in your closet. You’re going to need a lot of hangers for this decluttering challenge.
Now:
Each time that they wear a certain article of clothing, turn that hanger around so it is facing the right way, and leave it there.
After a year (or a season, if you have different clothes for each season), any clothes on hangers that are still facing backward can go.
You know that you haven’t worn those clothes in an entire year, so they really don’t need to be taking up space in your closet anymore.
4. Organize everything that is left.
The fact of the matter is, no matter how much stuff you get rid of, you’re going to need to keep some stuff behind. And, you’re going to need to organize the stuff that you do keep. No matter how much stuff you get rid of and how little stuff you keep in your house, you’re still going to have to organize the stuff you keep and create a place in your home for it. The bonus is that organization doesn’t have to be expensive. Many people want their homes to look Pinterest-worthy and just like the home out of that Home & Design magazine, and when you organize like that, it WILL be expensive.
But, if you’re decluttering on a budget, chances are you are organizing on a budget, too.
You can organize for cheap by using a couple of small baskets in various rooms of your house to keep items together in a neat and tidy way. I also like to keep a miscellaneous basket in the common areas of our house (the entryway and living room). These baskets collect items that don’t belong in that room, then at the end of the day I can walk around the house with the basket and put everything away where it does belong.
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