First, a quick note: my toddler learned to say “No” today. Crap.
Speaking of crap…. where does all this stuff come from? Not the literal crap. I mean, the mounds and mounds of “stuff” we accumulate in a life time. I’ve spent the last few weeks cleaning out the closets, drawers, nooks and crannies of my house. I feel like my home is a Thomas’ English Muffin!
Everywhere I look, there’s more stuff. What’s that mantra about getting rid of it if you haven’t used it in a year? Yeah… I’ve been finding things with decade old dates on them.
What’s worse, I think my children are doing this now too. I may have written a while back about my nine-year old daughter’s bedroom. It’s like an episode of “Hoarders.” There is so much stuff in there, when I told her to clean it, she couldn’t fathom where to start. Do you pick up the clothes first? Or, do you start with the trash? Maybe you begin with toys… It was all too much. In the end, after making her “help” me, I waited for her to go to school and I did a clean sweep. I threw away all those annoying little Happy Meal toys that seem to multiply when you’re not looking. And, she was keeping scraps of paper. Things she had drawn on once or twice. She had them all over. I think there may have been sentimental value, somehow, to them. They’re trash now.
Don’t tell my kids, but I plan on doing this to all the rooms of the house. I am going on a One Woman Hunt for all things small and trashable. I’m also going to clear out the big stuff and the medium stuff too! If they don’t play with it, it’s going to find a new home.
I have friends that bring out their toys in rotation, so their kids don’t get bored with them and leave them around all over the house. Seems like a smart idea.
What ways do you keep the clutter under control? And, while we’re at it, how can I keep my toddler’s new use of the word “No” under control too? And where does all the crap go? I’m fond of the Salvation Army. Thoughts?
Mom Land 