Why I Ruthlessly Declutter My Kid’s Things.
As I was purging half the Valentine’s Day goodie bag junk today while my kids were out of the house, I was reminded of a conversation I recently had with a group of moms. They asked me how I deal with the constant influx of toys and stuff that comes with having young kids. My response: I’m ruthless. I regularly toss toys and artwork. Sometimes daily, but at least every 2-4 weeks. I don’t feel bad about it either. Do I want my kids to grown up constantly overstimulated by stuff everywhere? Or do I want them to feel relaxed at home, use their imagination, and learn to let go of things periodically? The latter, obviously, but that doesn’t mean I feel bad if I throw out or donate stuff they *might* remember or later want. Usually, they never notice or mention it. My oldest occasionally asks for something that’s been edited out. My response? It varies, but here are some examples:
“We can’t keep everything we find or are given; we would be overflowing one day”
“You seemed like you no longer played with it, so I donated it to kids that don’t have very many toys.”
“You have SO many toys and you seem too old for that toy, so I gave it to your cousin. You can play with it next time you visit him.”
“I took a picture (usually with art) because we can’t save everything we make. Do you want to see it?”
“The dog chewed it, so I threw it out.”
I see my ruthless decluttering as beneficial in two ways:
I am teaching my boys lifelong skills so they don’t become emotionally attached to allll their stuff and end up drowning it in. Being able to purge and keep your belongings minimal directly relates to your stress levels as an adult.
I am keeping myself and everyone in my home happier and less stressed by having less. Too many things is overstimulating for everyone, especially moms. We are all happier if we have an easy to maintain home.
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