Children and Clutter, Part I

I've begun planning the next project in the ongoing attack on clutter in my home. At first, I thought a strategic move would be to start on my daughter's half of our junk room downstairs. I figured her half would the easiest for me to sort through, and once it was cleaned up, there would be floor space to maneuver around in again. That would make it easier to clean up my half. The room is actually a playroom/craft room, but of course, there's no room for playing or crafting with all the junk we have stored in there. When I told my daughter I was getting rid of her old toys, I realized from her mood that I was wrong to assume I could just go in and pitch things out without her approval. Afterall, what would she learn from this? She needed to learn how to decide what was junk, and what she wanted to keep. I don't want her growing up to be a clutter bug like me, having to watch the metamorphosis of forgotten toys turn into boxes of papers and unnecessary possessions. I realized I needed a Plan B for the project.

I talked about my plans with my daughter. She wanted more space too in our room, and admitted to me that there were things that she was ready to get rid of. We determined that the best course of action would be to sit down together and create a plan. We would decide what steps were needed to organize the room, and what we were responsible for, in terms of who could throw out what. "Plan B" would be a joint creation. We also decided to set up some rules for both of us, in an effort to keep the clutter out once the room was organized. I haven't set the best example for her to learn from yet, so I think it will be wise for me to remain open to her ideas, and who knows, maybe she will teach me a thing or two.

Next week I will chart the progress we made with our "Plan B." I expect this project will keep us busy for at least a few weeks, as we go from the planning stage to the actual work and rewards of a clutter-free playroom/craft room. I'm looking forward to working side by side with my daughter. I'm also looking forward to the fun I'm sure we'll have.

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