By Julie Cliff - Professional Organiser
School holidays are always a great time to declutter with kids.
Having more time at home and a slower pace to the day (no rushing here or rushing there) seems to make the experience more enjoyable.
Here are a few places to start.
Craft
Get the kids to help you go through their craft and sort it out. Put like items together. Discard paints and glue that have dried up or bits that are broken.
Pass on items they have outgrown. Everything will be at their fingertips to whip up a masterpiece once it’s all organised.
Games cupboard
Cluttering the games cupboard is much the same as the craft cupboard. Climb into the back corner of where the games live, get it all out and get sorting.
You never know what you might find and want to play.
Kids clothes
Check the current size the kids are wearing and go through each category of clothing and check that everything still fits right from their heads (caps, headbands etc) to their toes (socks and shoes). Have a fashion parade during the process to add a bit of fun.
Kids bathroom
Charge the kids with the job of decluttering and organising their own bathroom if they have one. Turn it into a fun game where they display their own items or receive a reward of bath bombs or some other bathroom treat once the job is done. Encourage them to be creative in the way they put things together.
Cover cardboard boxes with their paintings or drawings to use as dividers in cupboards and drawers. Put their toothbrush in a coloured plastic cup on the bench. Make a box out of Lego for the soap.
Sports equipment
Get the kids to sort through all sports equipment. I bet they’re forgotten about the things that are in the bottom of the plastic storage tub in the garage or at the back of the cupboard.
Pump up basketballs, soccer balls, then clean items and sort them out. Put a collection of items into a bag or a box so it’s easy to grab and take to the park to play.
Toys
Which toys have they outgrown? How can you use them in a different way? Which ones have they not used for a while?
Bundle up some of the toys and store in their room or the garage so that their is less stuff accessible and rotate them regularly.
Set up a study space
Time at home is always a good opportunity to tweak the systems we have in place. If your child does not have a dedicated study space, the holidays are the time to do it.
Rumpus room
Some kids are lucky enough to have a toy room or rumpus room dedicated for their stuff. Challenge them to declutter and organise it and set it up like a shop so that things are neatly displayed. Put like items together ensure everything is easy to find. Who knows they may even like to play shops once the job is done.
Kids bedroom
Take decluttering to a whole new level and undertake a bedroom renovation during the holidays. Make a detailed plan and give it a go.
Computer desk / gaming area
If your family is anything like mine they have their own desktop computer and another location for their Xbox. Work with the kids to check all cords are being used and neat and tidy (use cable ties or bread ties), discs are in the right cases, all rubbish in the bin, dishes in the dishwasher and then give flat surfaces a good clean.
Next steps?
Choose an area of the house to start to declutter with kids today. To make the process even more fun, put on some music and a timer and get to work.
Julie Cliff is a Professional Organiser at Space and Time, which helps busy mums live easier, less stressful lives through simple and easy to implement organising systems. Sound familiar?
Julie would love to hear from you – info@spaceandtime.com.au
