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| Telling Santa Christmas wishes. |
Here are some additional tips that are being employed in my household (see also last week's post) as we approach the holiday season.
1) Talk to Your Kids
For most kids, more is more. However, as parents or guardians, we know that a clean uncluttered environment is important to our kids' physical and mental well being.
My children are quite young so we keep it simple. For example: "We need to let go of some stuff you no longer use to make room for new things." I hate to admit it, but we have also mentioned Santa in our conversations.
2) Involve the Kids
Now that your children are aware of the fact that they cannot keep outgrown clothing or toys they no longer play with, involve them in the process in age appropriate ways.
Because some items are sentimental to me too, I like to pick out things that I feel are ready to leave the home and give my kids a choice of what they want to sell or give away. They enjoy giving things to younger extended family members or earning some of the proceeds from the toys we sell.
3) Set Clear Limits
Only you can decide how much is too much in your home. Setting clear limits (for both your kids and yourself) is a great way to keep clutter from taking over.
Most of us do well with some sort of container to limit our possessions. For example: Only own as many books as will fit in your bookcase or as many clothes as fit in your closet or dresser. Even very young children can understand that the toy box is full and there is not room for anything else.
Sometimes kid clutter (and adult clutter) can be overwhelming. If you need help with the clutter in your life, please contact Carolyn to schedule a complementary telephone consultation.
Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. To receive a free copy of Carolyn's "Secrets of a Simply Organized Life"and a monthly subscription to the e-newsletter "Your Simply Organized Life" sign up here.