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DE-JUNKING/UNCLUTTERING THE HOUSE
November 22, 2008
I have been going through the process of DE-JUNKING and UN-CLUTTERING my house since summer. It's tedious work but it feels great to have completed at least some of the task.
This house has been my home for nearly 30 years so I had, and still have in some rooms, a lot of junk and clutter. In a couple of kitchen cabinets there were some gadgets that not only hadn't I used since I moved here but I had no idea what they were for! Out they went. I did little bits at a time so I wouldn't get bored or too far behind in my work and I always put on some good music to lift my spirits out of the dust.
Children need help in de-junking and un-cluttering their toys and room. They can get really frustrated if they can't find the toy or tee they want but kids are not born with organizational skills. You have to teach them.
Before the holidays is a good time. Set aside a Saturday to play the Get Rid of Clutter Game with the kids. Show them how to sort and store things, explain how you will go together to give outgrown clothes and toys away to a charity and then get ice cream, teach the difference between junk like a toy truck missing its wheels and useful articles like a puzzle with all its pieces, work together on the useful art of putting things that go together like underwear and socks near each other in the dresser.
Allow a child to hold on to an occasional toy or article of clothing that is no longer useful but has sentimental value. I kept a ratty old stuffed dog I loved, whose long-lost button eyes had been replaced by my mother with brown embroidery thread, until my twin grandchildren were born, Towser still lives in their house and, barring total disintegration, will be passed on to the next generation.
We all function better if we remove at least most of the clutter from our houses. I'm working on files now discarding things like warranties on appliances that are no longer around. Hopefully I'll be done by the 2009 holiday season!
Written by Dr Marilyn Heins. Dr.Heins is a pediatrician and parenting columnist residing in Tucson Arizona. For more information visit www.ParentKidsRight.com.
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