10 Tips to Conquer Kid Clutter
By Kerrie McLoughlin
843 words
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I get exhausted just thinking about how much clutter kids are
born with: clothes, shoes, diapers, wipes, bottles, toys, stuffed animals, paperwork
and on and on. And it only gets worse as they grow up and start to participate
in activities outside the home (think ballet shoes, softball equipment, Scout
projects, homework papers and such). Sure, you can tell your kid to clean his
room, but chances are he has too much and won’t even know where to start. Why
not give a few of these tips a try to help your household recover from clutter?
1. Start
by overhauling what your kids already have for about an hour a day so you don’t
get overwhelmed (toys, stuffed animals, shoes, clothes, books, videos). Separate
items into two or three piles or bags: throw away, give away (or sell at a
consignment store or in a garage sale), and (if applicable) save for a future
kid. Then group like items (e.g., shoes, leotards, sports equipment) so you can
quickly figure out what you are missing or have too much of. A friend of mine
with 4 boys says, “I found that my kids’ dressers were overflowing with
clothes, much of it never worn. I went through them and … only kept a few pairs
of shorts and pants and their 5 favorite shirts. It has made it much easier for
them to get dressed in the morning because without all the clothes they weren’t
wearing packed in there, they can choose their outfits quickly.”
2. Notify
family and friends that you are trying to reduce clutter. Grandma would
probably be thrilled to get the kids a membership to the local zoo, while
several people could pool money to pay for quite a few of your daughter’s
ballet lessons. This is also a great way to teach your kids that birthdays and
the December holidays are not just about what your kid can get out of the whole
deal.
Kerrie McLoughlin is
the homeschooling mom of 5 and you can catch up with her at TheKerrieShow.com.
