Decluttering With Kids

In a world filled with an abundance of toys, clothes, and various gadgets, maintaining a clutter-free home can seem like an insurmountable task, especially when you have kids. However, the benefits of a clutter-free living space extend beyond aesthetics; it can positively impact your family’s well-being and create a more harmonious environment. In this blog post, we’ll explore practical tips and strategies for decluttering with kids, making the process both manageable and rewarding.

Welcome to my Year Long Thorough Declutter Series. We declutter 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Each day we do a daily task based on the room we are working on. Today, our task is to start decluttering your clutter in your living room. If you prefer watching videos, check out my youtube channel here. Today, we’ll look at some tips for decluttering any toys, games, and puzzles in your living room.

The best way to develop a new habit is by slowly and daily application. We will begin a new daily declutter habit starting with the 2nd bathroom. In the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series, we will declutter 30 minutes a day, five days a week on weekdays. Sign up to receive daily encouragement and motivation.

Plus, you’ll learn your specific daily task to work toward completing the goal of a Year Long Thorough Declutter where you will declutter every space and learn how to start to purge your house. Are you ready to finally get organized? If so, will you join us? Leave a comment below to subscribe.

If you are new to the blog, welcome! I blog about cleaning, decluttering, and organizing. You can find my free printables to help you get organized in the drop down menu under the Printables category.

Currently we are working on how to unclutter the Living Room. The daily task for today, Dec. 29, 2023, is to begin to declutter the toys, games, and puzzles in your living room. Remember, we are focusing on just the living room area, so don’t declutter your whole house. We will cover each room separately.

Decluttering With Kids: A Practical Guide to Simplifying Family Life

Lead by Example: Begin your decluttering with kids journey by setting an example for your children. Demonstrate the importance of simplifying and organizing by tackling your own belongings first. Kids are more likely to embrace the idea of decluttering when they see their parents actively participating in the process.
Involve the Kids: Turn decluttering into a family affair by involving your children in the decision-making process. Encourage them to assess their toys, books, and clothes, helping them understand the value of letting go of items they no longer use or need. This collaborative approach fosters a sense of responsibility and ownership.
Create a System: Establish a clear decluttering system to streamline the process. Consider categorizing items into three groups: keep, donate/sell, and discard. This systematic approach makes it easier for both parents and children to make decisions about each item.
Set Realistic Goals: Break down the decluttering process into manageable tasks and set realistic goals. Tackling one room or area at a time can prevent overwhelm and allow for steady progress. Celebrate small victories along the way to keep motivation high.
Rotate Toys: A great way for decluttering with kids is to minimize what they see daily by rotating toys. My mother in law actually first suggested this idea to me, and it’s brilliant. If your children have an abundance of toys, consider implementing a toy rotation system. Store some toys out of sight and periodically swap them with the ones currently in use. This not only reduces clutter but also makes old toys feel new and exciting again.
Teach Mindful Consumption: Use the decluttering process as an opportunity to teach your children about mindful consumption. Discuss the impact of excessive materialism and the benefits of living with only what is necessary. Encourage thoughtful consideration before acquiring new items.
Create Designated Spaces: Assign specific spaces for different activities and items. Establish a designated area for toys, books, and clothes. Having dedicated spaces not only helps in organization but also makes it easier for kids to understand where things belong.
Implement a Regular Maintenance Routine: Maintaining a clutter-free home requires ongoing effort. Establish a regular routine for decluttering and organizing to prevent the accumulation of unnecessary items. Consistency is key to sustaining a simplified living environment.
Donate and Recycle: Teach your children the importance of giving back by donating items that are still in good condition. Engage them in the process of selecting charities or organizations to support. Additionally, emphasize the significance of recycling to instill eco-friendly habits.
Celebrate Progress: Acknowledge the hard work and effort put into decluttering as a family. Celebrate the progress you’ve made and the positive impact it has on your home and family life. Consider creating a reward system or planning a special family activity as a way to mark the achievement.

Decluttering with kids is a transformative process that goes beyond creating an organized living space. It teaches valuable life skills, cultivates a sense of responsibility, and enhances family dynamics. By approaching decluttering as a collaborative and educational endeavor, you not only create a more peaceful home but also set the foundation for a mindful and intentional way of living. Embrace the journey, involve the whole family, and savor the benefits of a simplified and harmonious home environment.

Guide to Decluttering

1.Only spend time on your specific daily task.

2.Do not get side-tracked or distracted.

3.Work within a time of day that you have the most energy and stamina. This is one of the most useful declutter motivation tips. Listen to your body and work at decluttering when you feel the most alert and energized.

4.Avoid thinking too long about whether to keep or discard an item. This is one specific way for How to Be Ruthless When Decluttering.

5.Avoid cleaning during your declutter. The goal is to purge the dead weight. Getting rid of the clutter is your priority. Cleaning can be accomplished later. Read on for more declutter motivation tips and my room specific deep clean checklist, though, as you will begin cleaning after your declutter.

Hacks for Decluttering

Supplies Needed:

1. boxes -preferably ones you can donate (Avoid plastic storage bins because you may be tempted to just store the items and not part with them.)1. boxes -preferably ones you can donate (Avoid plastic storage bins because you may be tempted to just store the items and not part with them.)

2. sturdy trash bags

3. marker/pen to label boxes

Decluttering Tip: Avoid using storage bins to declutter. Storage bins tend to tell your brain to “store” the items for later. That is just delaying decisions. If you aren’t getting rid of items when you declutter, you are not truly decluttering. This is why I recommend a trash bag, also. A trash bag tells your brain to “trash” the item.

Obviously, recycle if you have that option. The boxes you use should be ones you are willing to part with, so I recommend sturdy cardboard boxes. As to donations, there are many charities that will come pick up your items for you at your home.

I use one in particular where you can book an appointment for pick-up online. This is so convenient, as it saves you the hassle of hauling stuff away yourself. Scheduling that pick-up also motivates you to declutter by a certain date.

Steps for Decluttering

1. Start by eliminating trash first- use a sturdy trash bag

2. Sort items by category if needed so you can see what you have

3.Get rid of items that don’t work or that work poorly, expired items, anything you don’t love, anything that you’ll never use again

4. Box up the donations and trash/recycle the rest

5.Select a charity to donate your items and schedule the pick-up if that is an option

How Do You Declutter Your Entire House (and get it deep clean?): Need to deep clean?

First, My How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen list can be found here.

Second, My How to Deep Clean Your Bathroom list can be found here.

Third, My How to Deep Clean Your Kids’ Rooms list can be found here.

Fourth, My How to Deep Clean Your Living Room list can be found here.

Fifth, My How to Deep Clean Your Bedroom list can be found here.

You can get your printable Daily Housekeeping Routine and Deep Cleaning Your House Schedule here. This 15 page printable kit is delivered digitally to your email for you to print and personalize. What Does a Deep Clean Include? It includes a daily schedule, calendar pages, and deep cleaning checklists for every room and area of your home. Check out the link above to see a sample page of what you’ll get in my printable set designed to help you create your personal Homemaking Checklist.

Also, you can get the complete digital printable copy of the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series Calendar and Checklists here. The printable digital download is delivered to your email. It includes 25 pages of printable calendar pages and checklists to help you declutter every room in your home. You can find that here.

New to deemiddleton.com and don’t know where to start? I recommend going in this order:

Step 1: Check out this post on the 1st step you should take to get organized. If you don’t have a calendar, you can grab my free weekly printable calendar page here. It is in my shopify store, but it is totally free, so you won’t be prompted to put in any payment information. It is a free download and will be delivered straight to your email.

Step 2: Create a daily Housekeeping Schedule. You can use this series to start to set up your own schedule. You can also use this simplified weekly schedule.If you often ask: What is the fastest way to clean a dirty house? Or, if you struggle to get organized and have tried and failed time and again, you can likely find out which of these 11 reasons cause you to fail to get organized.

Step 3: How do you remove clutter? How Do You Declutter Your Home?.…Sign up for the Declutter Series and get your entire home decluttered in just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.”Declutter Your Home” checklists are provided in each email.

Step 4: What is the fastest way to clean a dirty house? Use a timer and use the Deep Cleaning Checklists above. They will help you get your home sparkling after you’ve decluttered.

Interested in becoming a full-time blogger like me? Check out my blogging series. At the top of every page on my blog, you’ll find a drop down menu. Just select the BLOGGING category.