The beginning of the year is a great opportunity to get rid of unwanted toys that don’t bring joy or clothes that don’t fit anymore.
Here are some ideas on decluttering your home AND getting the kids involved so they learn a thing or two about home organization.
And NO, you don’t have to call the crew from “The Home edit”. YOU GOT THIS!
- Set realistic goals. One room at a time. It is frustrating to everyone when the goal is to declutter the whole house in a day
- Have 3 big cardboard boxes ready to go and label them with: STAY, MAYBE, and GO. While you sort out, ask your kids what they would like to do with toys or clothes and throw them in the labeled boxes. “STAY” goes back in the kid’s room in an organized and labeled spot, “GO” is to donate or friends, and “MAYBE” is being closed and labeled with the current date. You can store that box in the garage or the basement. If after 6 months your kid doesn’t ask for anything from the box it can be donated without even opening it again.
- Label everything. Every toy, game, and book… should have a designated spot in your kid’s room. When the kids are older and able to read, label all boxes and shelves, so they remember where everything goes. When you own a Label maker now is the time to use it. Older kids can print the labels themselves and have fun with them.
- Listen to your kids: Only keep clothes and toys that they truly love. Uncomfortable and unwanted clothes will die in the closet and take away space for other stuff. The wool sweater from Grandma or the cute but uncomfortable shoes from Aunt Jenny need to go if they say so.
- New “old” toys. Most kids get overwhelmed with too many toys and cannot decide what to play with. Sometimes they start throwing them or ripping books out of confusion. You don’t have to get rid of half the toys, but put them in a box and hide them somewhere. After 3 months you exchange them with the existing toys, younger kids think of it as a completely new toy. Repeat every 3 months.
- Make it fun. Cleaning and organizing is always more fun with a great playlist playing in the background or even some disco lights flying around. You might also integrate games like, “Who can sharpen the most pencils in ten minutes” or “The first one to organize one bookshelf by color gets an extra scoop of ice cream after dinner”! Most parents know best how to motivate their kids to help. Use it!
- Embrace Minimalism. Quality over Quantity. When the next birthday comes up ask family members to put the money together and get a high-quality wooden toy instead of three different “cheap” plastic toys. Less is more and will help your kids to be more creative with what they have.
Decluttering doesn’t have to be a daunting task but can be fun even with younger kids. The reward is a clean room and clarity on what is actually in all those boxes. And with these tips, your next organizing adventure will be a breeze.
Have you been decluttering this year? Let us know in the comments!
