Clearing the Family"s Holiday Clutter
This time of year can bring great tidings of comfort and joy with a little planning, time, and family teamwork to clear the growing amount of clutter in the main rooms of your home.
You heard right...
clutter! New items coming in, means some of the old aren't needed anymore and need to be moved on to their next life.
I call it the circle of stuff.
One of the challenges parents face is how to keep their children's stuff from taking over.
Holiday gift giving can make things worse unless you gain control.
No need for your family to suffer holiday overload with too much stuff and too little space.
Yes, there is something parents can do to curb the amount of clutter that often multiples around Christmas time.
Set a time and date for de-cluttering, mark it down on the calendar and let your family know a few days in advance.
Usually an hour will initially work for everyone.
Some of you have children on break which is always a bonus.
As CEO of your home, you are in control.
With the stress of the holidays, this is the perfect time to delegate age appropriate responsibilities for the upkeep of the spaces they work and play in.
Not only are you wisely taking control, you are empowering those involved, by believing they can accomplish this.
Supply everyone with 4 bags/containers.
Label each with masking tape.
One for each of these main categories: 1.
Garbage 2.
Giveaway 3.
Elsewhere in the house 4.
Needs to be Returned/Repaired Remember, PROGRESS, NOT Perfection is what you are striving for.
Set the mood, put on some up-beat music to keep everyone moving and grooving.
Next, set the timer for 10 minutes to collect all the garbage in their assigned space; designate the following 10 minutes to collect items that belong elsewhere in the house.
After the hour, do a quick check of the garbage and then pitch it.
Put the items to be returned/repaired in the car; once out of the house, there is a 90% chance they'll get back to where they should go.
Don't forget to schedule 15 minutes for everyone to pitch in and separate the items that go elsewhere in the house.
Once separated, assign everyone a room to put things back where they belong.
In the spirit of Christmas giving, this is a great time for children to go through their belongings and donate what they no longer need or use to groups, neighbors, or friends who will now use and enjoy them.
You receive a less cluttered home and space for the new holiday gifts.
Plus, the children experience the importance of giving.
It's a win-win for everyone.
The last step is the reward for a job done with true effort (i.
e.
a pizza outing, movie, what ever non-materialistic activity you all would enjoy).
Do this after your de-clutter time so everyone sees that when you all work together, you have time to have fun together.
And everyone has a feeling of accomplishment as well.
Sticking to your time frame and following up with a reward will set a positive, rather than boring, feel to the project.
The next time the de-cluttering need arises, (which might be needed again soon) you may just find some more willing participants.
As always, Happy Organizing!
You heard right...
clutter! New items coming in, means some of the old aren't needed anymore and need to be moved on to their next life.
I call it the circle of stuff.
One of the challenges parents face is how to keep their children's stuff from taking over.
Holiday gift giving can make things worse unless you gain control.
No need for your family to suffer holiday overload with too much stuff and too little space.
Yes, there is something parents can do to curb the amount of clutter that often multiples around Christmas time.
Set a time and date for de-cluttering, mark it down on the calendar and let your family know a few days in advance.
Usually an hour will initially work for everyone.
Some of you have children on break which is always a bonus.
As CEO of your home, you are in control.
With the stress of the holidays, this is the perfect time to delegate age appropriate responsibilities for the upkeep of the spaces they work and play in.
Not only are you wisely taking control, you are empowering those involved, by believing they can accomplish this.
Supply everyone with 4 bags/containers.
Label each with masking tape.
One for each of these main categories: 1.
Garbage 2.
Giveaway 3.
Elsewhere in the house 4.
Needs to be Returned/Repaired Remember, PROGRESS, NOT Perfection is what you are striving for.
Set the mood, put on some up-beat music to keep everyone moving and grooving.
Next, set the timer for 10 minutes to collect all the garbage in their assigned space; designate the following 10 minutes to collect items that belong elsewhere in the house.
After the hour, do a quick check of the garbage and then pitch it.
Put the items to be returned/repaired in the car; once out of the house, there is a 90% chance they'll get back to where they should go.
Don't forget to schedule 15 minutes for everyone to pitch in and separate the items that go elsewhere in the house.
Once separated, assign everyone a room to put things back where they belong.
In the spirit of Christmas giving, this is a great time for children to go through their belongings and donate what they no longer need or use to groups, neighbors, or friends who will now use and enjoy them.
You receive a less cluttered home and space for the new holiday gifts.
Plus, the children experience the importance of giving.
It's a win-win for everyone.
The last step is the reward for a job done with true effort (i.
e.
a pizza outing, movie, what ever non-materialistic activity you all would enjoy).
Do this after your de-clutter time so everyone sees that when you all work together, you have time to have fun together.
And everyone has a feeling of accomplishment as well.
Sticking to your time frame and following up with a reward will set a positive, rather than boring, feel to the project.
The next time the de-cluttering need arises, (which might be needed again soon) you may just find some more willing participants.
As always, Happy Organizing!
