As part of my series on decluttering with kids, I want to talk about getting them involved.
If they’re around and you can’t have the time without them, then why not teach them how to declutter and organize?
We’re always, well I certainly am, always learning a bit more about getting organised, a bit more about getting rid of stuff that I don’t need anymore, and these are great things that we can pass on to our kids. If we do everything around them and don’t get them involved in it, then how do they learn?
A lot of people talk about decluttering and organising, especially about organising being a skill that don’t have. We’ve all heard things like “Oh I’m just not organised” But actually it’s a skill you can learn.
While we’re learning this skill, then why not teach our kids it?
Obviously it’s about being really safe with that, but there’s always ways that you can get your children involved in the process. I’ve worked with many people who’ve had kids around at the time, and we’ve needed to get on with stuff but let them get on with stuff as well. So we get them involved in the process.
Simple things like if we’re doing the kitchen, we might give them the cutlery drawer.
So we take all the sharp things out obviously, get them to put the knives in one bit and the forks in one bit and the spoons in another bit and get them to kind of put things together. This helps them realise what goes with what and which way up it goes.
It’s like many of the toys that kids have, you’re just doing it in a different way.
A lot of the stuff that we have, especially in kitchens, is really interactive, it feels fantastic and it’s all different. They’re learning about shapes and all that sort of stuff.
Plastic tubs is another thing that comes to mind, getting them to try and find the right lid that goes with the right tub. In that then you can be figuring out which you’ve got that don’t have lids anymore, which ones you’ve got that stack up. They can help you with that as well you know.
And all of a sudden you’ve organised a kitchen drawer and a cupboard or part of a cupboard, that’s been annoying you for ages and they’ve been involved in the process. They’ve also learned how you do it.
And it’s about that, it’s about teaching them, but it’s about getting on with what we need to get on with which can be very very difficult.
With clothes you can get them to try and pair up socks or shoes, or find the t-shirt that goes with the trousers. Maybe even try getting them involved in what they like and what they don’t like.
One of the most important things about decluttering especially is about getting rid of things and talking to them about “Okay you do like that, but really does it fit anymore? It looks a bit worn, maybe it’s time for that to go?” And getting them to start making these choices is going to help them in later life.
So get them involved where you can.
Try and make it a bit of fun and hopefully that will help you out.