Time for a clean up!

With the holiday seasons just behind us, we have all seen some things making it into our households - whether we like it or not. And this is especially the case for those of you with kids. I always like to say that ever since I had my daughter, things seems to mysteriously find its way into our home while we’re asleep.

As you might know from previous articles I wrote, I enjoy knowing what I have, seeing what I have and finally use what I have. With kids, this mantra is rather difficult to maintain. I personally struggled finding the balance of enjoying an organised home while letting my daughter just being a kid. I understand that my needs are not necessarily hers - She needs to be surrounded by those million tiny pieces of paper, those toys packaging etc… I suppose it gives her a sense of security. On the other hand, all these just increase my stress level 😂

I also don’t want to become the mother that made things magically disappear. After many trial and error, here are the few things that worked for us. It has kept her space organised yet kid-friendly. Best of all she is now able to do it all by her own.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER

Part of the Mari Kondo methods works with kids but don’t dare ask if it brings them joy because, yes, everything - even the little piece of LOL Doll packaging - gives them joy. Instead, restart by moving all of their belongings to a different room and divided them in different categories.

This is a great way of showcasing that their belongings won’t leave the house without their consent and it also makes them appreciate the potential of their now empty room. Once all is removed, work on the category they love the least, and work up to the one they love the most. In our case, we started with clothes and end up with toys and her drawings for last.

Keep in mind that when we started this process, my daughter was already 7 years old. Before that age, this method was simply not manageable. For the categories they absolutely love and won’t let go, don’t hesitate to sub-divide them again in order to make some progress.

CREATE AN INCENTIVE/ REWARD

Just like you need an incentive, the little ones do too. We worked on a few but one of the main ones was that all the pieces she was letting go will be either donated, sold or recycled. For the sold items, I made a deal with her - If she helped with the listings, half of the proceeds will go to her. Otherwise, everything will go to me 😂. And now that she is 10, it is time for her to own it all if she does all the work of course. I always made sure that those sessions are kept short so she would not dread the “lets go and declutter” activity.

BE PATIENT

Easier said than done. And, yes, expect some tears even when you have the best intention at heart and the patience of an angel. It is hard for some to let go and sometimes it is with the strangest things to you.

At times your kid will be bored and absolutely uninterested to go through the piles you diligently organized for them, so try to make it fun. In our case we used this time to simply catch up on things as well as reminisce the when/where that particular piece was acquired. We have also been exploring different genre of music via Spotify - all of this made each session easier and great bonding times.

Last but not least don’t forget to think about an immediate REWARD. It could be as simple as a scoop of ice cream after you are done.

MAKE IT A ROUTINE

Don’t let your kids clutter overwhelm you and them. Hence, once you have taken care of the big bulk, schedule a cleaning/organization session often. I go through her clothes at least once a month very quickly and edit out what she has outgrown. Christmas, Chinese New Year and birthdays are also a great time to do this overall status check.

Now that her room is organized, it is also super easy to see what she is clearly not using anymore and what should be tackled on our next 20-minute cleaning session.

WHEN IN DOUBT BAG IT!

There will always be some pieces that will be harder to let go. Instead of insisting, just place them in bag and store them away for a bit. I keep it all in an Ikea bag and place it under her desk. More often than not she won’t even look into it for weeks right on time for our next session where magically she is ready to say goodbye.

GO SHOPPING!

I know it is not a great incentive but I am sure that among those sessions your kid or yourself notice that certain things are missing from their space. In our case, it is the place to keep together all the arts and crafts supplies so they will actually get used versus being scattered all over her room.

And don’t hesitate to hunt for such pieces on second hand platforms.

It took us 3 years to perfect the process and get to this routine. Her room is now not only more inviting but also more conducive for her to enjoy her things. I can also see that she approaches her belongings in a more grounded way and is becoming more mindful of what she surrounds herself with.

The proof was that her latest letter to Santa was concise and short.😊