Engaging Children In Decluttering

Very often it’s so much easier to put things off until you have the ‘time’ to do them.

Problem is, does that time ever appear?

There’s a saying that you ‘make time’. Sometimes you just need to get started and the time will find itself.

There’s another saying – ‘You are what you repeatedly do’.

And I like to declutter 20 things in 20 minutes repeatedly.

So, on my journey to a simpler life, a clutter free life, when at home – I do a daily declutter.

Even when the Kids are off school. Which, as I am sure you can imagine, can be a little challenging.

Similarly to what Erma Bombeck said, “Cleaning the house while the children are growing is like shovelling the sidewalk before it stops snowing.” – Decluttering while children are on summer break is exactly the same. Clutter appears not disappears.

Unless, you engage them in the process. And to engage them it has to be fun!

How do I make decluttering fun?

Like this…

My cake-decorating cupboard desperately needed decluttering (see above).

Amongst my throw out items were small pieces of various coloured icing.

One of the reasons I love baking so much is that it’s a fantastic creative outlet, and you eat the finished article. No clutter there then – even if it creates an expanding waistline! Consuming the finished article is (or at least ‘should be’) a pleasurable experience.

As I culled my cupboards, the Kids were happily moulding sugar into amazing masterpieces.

It was such a great suggestion from me, Mom, that Second-Born added it to their summer-break schedule!

The sugar sculptures are unlikely to get eaten as the tylo powder sets them rock-hard. But it saved the icing from the bin. We’ll display them in the clutter-cabinets for a while.

Rather than #nowastetastesgreat it’s #nowastelooksgreat

How’s your decluttering going? How do you get the kids involved?