We are getting a dumpster in a week in order to do a major clean sweep over here. I'm not a pack rat per se--I'm just horrible about consistently sorting through the stuff that comes in the house and beating back the clutter on a daily basis. One of the big things to tackle is the kids' rooms. How do you do it? Make your kids select favorites and then haul the rest? Do it when they aren't home? I really need their rooms to be cleared out but i'm nervous about how to do it.
Hi there a cleasn out of the kids room is a fantastic idea. I myslef clean my childrens room when they are not home as this way they do not complain when i throw out toys they no longer play with or are broken. You coulld ask them to help you and see how it goes, if they complain about throwing some toys out try telling them that they are going to some boys and girls who do not have any toys. I find this works well with my children. They are then more willing to pass toys on to other children that are less fortunate than themselves. I hope this works and good luck with the cleaning.. I must do my kids rooms again soon to but i may wait until they are back at school. Hugs
We've always worked doing it with the kids. Pulled everything out - clothes, toys, books, everything. One big pile on the bed or in the middle of the room. I found it worked well to sit with the child, pick up one thing at a time and then decide which of three options.
Option 1 - keep. Give to the child and have him put away neatly where it goes.
Option 2 - give away. Pop in a box to go to the op shop or friends/ family with younger kids.
Option 3 - throw away. Sounds like you've got this one organised.
Takes us about 1/2 hour to 1 hour with the kids. They don't seem to mind if we're in there with them, but not much gets done if we leave them to it. The promise of doing something fun the next day usually helps things along too!
I never like the idea of throwing out or giving away the kid's stuff without them knowing - I know I'd be very upset if someone threw out my stuff without my knowing. We've never had a problem with the kids wanting to keep everything - ours get very excited about giving things they don't use to their younger cousins and 'the children who have less than we do'. (Even though half the stuff I bought at the op shop in the first place!!!!)
I tackle room by room - one Saturday for bedrooms (including Mum and Dad's!) and the next Saturday for living room, kitchen, outside toys and garden shed etc. Two big days but it gets it over and done with. I found doing 1/2 hour a day just made it drag on for months! I prefered 2 big days and then it was done, but I know some people would like to spread it out.
Good luck - now just don't fill up the house with new stuff!
two problems: they haven't done this on a regular basis, so they aren't too eager to give things up. also, there is way too much stuff for the space they are in, so there's no "place" yet for each thing. so i think involving them 100% might run me into problems. what would you say to a newbie who has never done this before? your family seems like it's in the groove?
Hmm.. had to put my thinking cap on for this one..
How does this sound - Pull everything out and put in on the bed or in the middle of the room. Empty out all the drawers, shelves, boxes etc. Then tell the kids that they can keep all the toys/ clothes/ books which will fit neatly back into the storage in the room, and everything else has to go. Some lables on shelves and boxes might help with this. That way you can limit how much stuff they actually can keep but they get to choose what they keep. Do you think this might work? Perhaps you could incorporate a time limit too, and at the end of the time anything which hasn't found a neat place.
Do your kids have many hand me downs? Any toys or clothes which they have which came from somewhere else, point it out that that item was given to them by someone who didn't need it any more and they should give some of the things they don't need any more to someone else too.
I think it depends on the child but I would see how they go or help them as that would help you to see how they are dealing with it. My 15 year old still can't see the point in a clean room. Everytime I say doesn't that feel better but he can't see the difference. If you get a child that takes pride and likes a clean room you are laughing. I have one like that only. If you do it you will get a clean room but they may not keep it that way if they haven't done it. They take more pride the more they do themselves and they can feel good about donating to the children who have no toys.
When my cherubs were little there was a kid clean and a mum clean and yes they knew the difference.
Let them know that the bin is coming and that your plan is to do a sweep of the house. Let them know it is time to sort through and declutter their things, explain that it means anything that they havent played with for 12 months would be something that they would get rid of, if they have something special that hasnt been played with but they want to keep it because great aunt Soph gave it to the thats ok for 1 or 2 things but not a reason to keep everything...I would then provide two packing boxes one for the skip and the other for 'if its to good for the bin' this bin is for the poor children in the community. I would provide the boxes during the week with the understanding that if they choose not to go through their things you wil do a mum clean (you do it yourself). That way there is no come back you have provided the opportunity to them and they have chosen not to take it up so if something goes then its to bad.
I think 'spring' cleaning is an excellent skill to have and kids are never to young to learn it and by allowing them to make choices as to this is no good to this may be fun for someone else you are value adding to the experience.
this is VERY helpful to me. i think giving them a choice, but also having a deadline and a standard will be very motivating as well. telling them about the dumpster is a really good idea.
I do this every couple of years. And manage to feel a damn bin everytime too. I let the kids do it. They are given a toy box each, and that is the only amount of toys they may keep. And that box is one that fits under the bed. Make sure that they go through it early enough so that they have time to sort through everything and then change their minds after. You rkids are old enough to do it themselves. Then on the day, ensure that they are the ones throwing them in the bin.
I'm thinking that if you tell them that you're about to get rid of some things from their rooms so they have to pick ones that they want to stay, they may pick almost all of them! So, maybe you can ask what their favorite toys are (without giving away the fact that you're getting rid of things). and then do the hauling while they're out.
this is my first inclination, too, but maybe there's a third way. the tricky part is figuring out which would be the best experience for them--having to decide and clean out their own things or coming home to a very clean room that felt very relaxing and organized.
I would personally have them Go through their toys and explain to them that there was a lot of children that didnt get no toys etc for xmas and being that they got so many nice things, wouldnt it be nice to share some of their old stuff...
Also have storage containers, and if the lid dont fit, donate the Toy......
If all fails , send them away for a couple days and do it your self...
all the best with it, and will be thinking of you as we have to do this later on.....
i think having a bin of stuff to keep is very helpful--with a natural limit. that way the container is a natural measure to help them decide and i'm out of it. thanks, cazza.
Id say use both methods get them to choose what there keeping then ship them out of the house whilst its done, other wise you know you'll find they descover more hidden treasures they havent seen in months and want to keep were as if there out they wont see them and probly will never rem they ever had them.
This is good advice. I did this, but found that I too was keeping things because of sentimental value! We did manage to clear out a lot though, although, still a long way to go. Now at 17 all I would like is for her to clean her room. Full stop. I can't ask, I can't insists, all I can do is stand by and look at the hazardous waste pile up on the floor! You would think that at 17 a young lady would take some pride in her room, but you would be wrong! Go for it!!
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