Have you ever thought, “I just need someone to give me permission to throw this out”? That’s what this Permission series is all about. We’ll walk through room by room, list 5 items per room, and why the items can be easy to get out of your house.
As always, it’s your house and your stuff. You may actually need and use the things I suggest you toss. But if you don’t, give yourself a little more freedom to find a little more peace in your house by tossing things that you don’t need.
Today we’ll be in the kids’ rooms. If the pantry is my favorite area to declutter, kids’ rooms are my second favorite. I’ll keep it to 5 types of items but there are so many more. This might be one of the easiest areas in your home as well. Maybe.
Depending on the age of your children you can some of these into a game. Have a scavenger hunt, have a fashion show, play a few rounds of “this is my favorite” show and tell. The opportunities are endless. It’s never too early to start modeling and teaching order in a home.
1. Kid’s meal toys
For years people have been bringing tiny junk into your home and you’ve not stopped it. In fact, you’ve encouraged it. You swing by a drive-thru because who has time to unload the kids, the diaper bag, and yourself, cross the crazy parking lot traffic without having a kid hit by a car all to get a quick meal that you don’t have time to make at home. (Another story for another day.) And somehow your kids know that this fine establishment will give them a TOY with their food and insist on it. That little tiny junk just builds and builds in your home. I hate to break it to you but they weren’t meant to last. They cost 2 cents to make and they show it. You have all the permission in the world to let your children enjoy the toys that they asked for and love and that you spent good time and money purchasing.
ACTION – dig out those junky little kid’s meal toys and toss them in the trash.
2. Outgrown clothes
The sad truth is that even if we put bricks on kids’ heads they WILL grow. Growth for children happens fast. Just take a look at the first year of their life clothes. You have newborn, 0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12. Depending on the size of your sweetie at birth your infant can wear up to 5 different sizes in one year. It’s mind blowing really. After that it’s every 6 months with new clothes with the seasons and all. There is a giant caveat here for those of you who are sentimental and a tiny caveat for those who are thinking of having more kids. If you are sentimental, most of us are to some degree, start a bin. Label it “(baby’s name here) keepsakes” and put it in a place that you will be able to add to it when necessary. If you are thinking of having more kids, go through the outgrown clothes and pick out the clothes you like. Put those in a bin labeled “Summer/0-3 mos BOY” or whatever the appropriate season, size, and gender.
ACTION – open up those tiny drawers and pull out the outgrown clothes, donate or keep for sentimental reasons. Take those sentimental items out of the drawers and put in a labeled bin.
3. Broken toys and shredded books
There might be some tears here. Yours. You spent money on that battery operated talking chicken whose bottom beak is missing, has a hand-drawn mustache, and may sound a little possessed. Here’s the good news, that toy was loved and has come to the end of it’s chicken life. Send it on it’s way. There are some toys that just aren’t worth keeping around anymore. While we’re at it, if the book has more tape on it that page, it’s probably time to toss that one as well. Oh, you love that specific hard copy of that book? Great, toss that in the sentimental bin.
ACTION – dump out the toy bins, check for all the parts, keep the toys that are still viable. Empty the bookshelves, keep the books that you enjoy and are readable.
4. Socks
Easy peasy. Missing a match? Too small? Holes? Stretch out? Out they go. There will be more laundry discussion next week.
ACTION – open the sock drawer, toss the tossables.
5. Blankets
This is mainly for those of you with infants and toddlers and preschoolers. At your baby shower you received a dozen or so baby blankets and swaddles and towels. You didn’t like them (don’t worry, I won’t tell) so you went out and bought your own. Now you have a preschooler and 57.5 baby linens. Take a little trip back to “outgrown clothes” and, viola, you’re ready to go.
ACTION – open the blanket drawer and keep those that are meaningful and will be used.
