Before You Scoff at that After Photo
I post a lot of before and after photos on Little Red Stool Organizing's social media accounts. Every once in a while someone will scoff and say something like, "that's never going to look that nice again" or "wow, that's an after? it sure looks like a before."
For those looking at an after photo like this one, thinking, "there is no way that will stay that way," here are a few things for you to think about.
If you want to keep up with things like all the pieces to a toy (puzzle, etc) then it will take discipline.
It takes you teaching your children for them to keep up with their things.
If you can't keep up with things well (no shame in it) you weren't taught (no shame to your parents/caregivers) so it would benefit you to learn and to teach.
Creative play can come from not having everything in one place (YES!) but it also can come from not having a lot of toys and being able to actually put things back and take them out.
Keeping things tidy comes with age and learning, start them young just like anything else it takes times and consistency.
If you think, "um, I would never keep up with that," then you probably aren't super interested in organizing anyway. I LOVE that there are so many different kinds of people in this world! We need each other. We structured people need you spontaneous people. Thank you for being you!
There are the near-magazine photos, sure. But there is another type of photo that you might also scoff at. The ones that might still look like before photos.
For those looking at an after photo like this one, thinking, "that looks like kind of like a before picture," here are a few things for you to think about.
Sometimes it takes going through things a few different times to really know what you want and like.
Some homes have limited space to store things. This could be the only "closet" that this home has.
While some people want to spend money on all matching bins, some people either can't or don't want to spend money in that way when they can use what they have on hand.
If you have a lot of hobbies or a hobby with a lot of supplies, it is difficult to let go of any of it. And perhaps none of it needs to leave the home.
Progress is progress. This area has been gone through and each item was decided on to stay. It would only be a before photo if this hadn't been decided on in any way.
It is fun to be able to work with individuals. People who have different opinions, passions, and talents. People whose experiences have them on their own roads. And each person is loved and honored with grace as we work through their spaces and their confidence.