How To Declutter With Kids…
As parents, we all know the struggle of managing our children's ever-growing collection of toys.
While we do everything we can to stem the flow (that’s a blog for another time), they often keep accumulating. It can be overwhelming and challenging to keep everything organised and tidy. But fear not! Here are some tips to help you and your child declutter their toys and create a more organised and stress-free home.
But fear not! Here are some tips to help you and your child declutter their toys and create a more organised and stress-free home.
Let's do this together.
Involving your child in the process is key to making decluttering a positive and empowering experience. Explain the benefits of decluttering, make it fun, and encourage them to make decisions about which toys to keep or donate.
Sort it out.
Sorting toys by category helps identify duplicates and ensures that all toys are accounted for. You can categorise toys into groups such as board games, action figures, stuffed animals, and puzzles. This is really your first step in a big declutter. If you’re doing smaller categories one at a time, ensure you’ve grouped that whole category before you begin.
Keep the ones that bring joy.
When decluttering, focus on keeping the toys that are useful and bring joy to your child.
What do they absolutely love playing with?
What do they spend hours of their time using?
What toys are great, solid sets that all your children love using together?
Ask your child/ren which toys they play with the most and which ones they have outgrown. For older children, you can even use the Marie Kondo method and ask if the toy "sparks joy." Younger children often respond well to suggestions like, “I haven’t seen you use this in a long time, do you feel finished with it?”
Donate or Sell?
Once you have identified which toys your child no longer wants or needs, decide whether to donate or sell them. You can donate toys to local charities, hospitals, or schools.
Alternatively, you can sell toys online or at a garage sale and use the money to purchase new toys or experiences. Some kids get a real kick out of taking the money they earnt at a sale of via marketplace and spending it on one new item or experience such as a trip to the bowling alley.
I find that the sooner you can get the toys out of sight the better! To the point that we use black plastic bags to bag up the toys we’re taking for donation. And let me tell you…my children are very used to a good old decluttering session! Once they’ve made that decision, out of sight, out of mind helps them stick to it. This is why I lean towards donation, especially for children. Many children are very kind by nature and will want to help children who have less, so this appeals to them. Please remember to only donate toys in good useable condition.
Organise.
Finally, establish a system for organisation. It doesn’t need to be complicated, use storage bins, shelves, and labels to keep toys in their designated categories. Encourage your child to help put their toys away after playing to maintain a tidy space. My hot tip here is to never overfill the bins, shelves or baskets. Aim for a maximum of 70% full so that children can easily return the items to their spots, and have space for more toys that may come in during the next gift giving season such as Christmas, birthdays, Eid-al-Adha, Chinese New Year, ect.
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By following these tips, you can make decluttering a fun and positive experience for both you and your child. Remember to take it step by step, involve your child, and focus on keeping the toys that bring joy and create a clutter-free home.
Most of all, don’t make it a battle and please don’t be disheartened if they don’t take to it the first time. Short, regular decluttering sessions are very helpful at establishing this as a routine and simple a part of what your families does to maintain their home. With persistence it will become a normal part of life…my 7 and 4 yr. old’s are nearly there after several solid years of regular decluttering. Give it time!
If you’re having battles with your little one, remember that professional organiser and declutter coaches like myself also work directly with children in their spaces. We often find that children are more willing to work with someone different who isn’t their parent and has skills to tackle the situation in a new and fun way.
Heather Jones
Professional Organiser
& Declutter Coach
Heather is an aspiring minimalist and the founder of Orange Organising Co., specialising in decluttering and organising homes in Orange and Central West NSW. You’ll often find her knee deep in other people’s clutter, with a sense of humour around the interesting items she may find and a strong drive to implement creative solutions that work for her clients. She is passionate about bringing a sense of calm, clarity and functionality to people's homes and lives.
With over 20 years of experience in people-centred fields, Heather has worked closely with a diverse range of individuals and firmly believes that every situation is unique. As such, she provides a personalised, judgment-free service to all her clients.
As the pioneer of organising and decluttering services in Orange, Heather is dedicated to upholding the highest industry standards and delivering exceptional results to her valued clients. Her commitment to excellence is reflected in her membership with the Institute of Professional Organisers since 2021.
