With so many things you can easily purchase online, it’s equally easy to bring items into your home. This builds up unnecessary clutter, which can be very stressful to handle. In recent years, there has been a rise in decluttering as a self-care method; many people tidy-up their homes to manage their mental health. This reiterates a study on the popular decluttering method KonMari, which found that removing visual clutter had a positive effect on mental health and wellbeing. For some, this process has also become a way to empower themselves and take control of their spending habits.

Decluttering is the act of deciding what items are useful to you and getting rid of things that you don’t need. Of course, it’s not easy to declutter if you’re parenting young children. There’s a lot to consider before starting a decluttering project, but as lifestyle writer Lazzie Lynn notes, decluttering can be an opportunity for your family to bond. Your children likely have tons of toys, books, clothes, shoes, and other stuff that are just lying around. You may be able to find unused items in good condition which can be donated, given to a friend or relative, or sold online. By involving your children in cleaning up, you can teach them to be responsible and self-reliant. Here are some tips to keep in mind when decluttering the home with your children:

Keep your kids safe

One of the most important things to remember when decluttering is to ensure that your children are safe. Our post on “The most common accidents which may affect young children” highlights how infants and toddlers are the most prone to accidents when you’re not looking. When decluttering, make sure to keep small objects — like coins and medicine — away to prevent the risk of choking. You can also take extra precautions to keep your kids out of dangerous places, such as the kitchen, by installing the no-drill Safety 1st Pressure Gate in the doorways between areas.

Sort their toys and declutter one at time

Your child’s attachment to toys can make it difficult to declutter. One of the ways you can help your children choose what toys to keep is by gathering all their toys in one room and sorting them into different categories. From there, you can limit the number per category and let them decide what to let go of. Another way of deciding how many toys they can keep is by having a designated container: once that container fills up, you need to get rid of a toy before getting a new one. The OBaby Maya Changing Unit storage has three 34L capacity drawers where you can easily put away their items. You can also remove the changing area to be used as a stylish, flat-top drawer as your child grows older.

Give your child an incentive

Sometimes, your children might be unwilling to help you out in decluttering because they’re not in the mood for it. Research from the University of Edinburgh reports that external rewards can help motivate children in their tasks, with more accurate responses. In short, it helps to give your kids a goal to work towards. It could be something simple, like taking them out for ice cream immediately after cleaning out the house. Or, the items you declutter can go to a yard sale to fund a family beach trip. In either scenario, the versatile Noordi Fjordi 3in1 Travel System is a perfect carrycot, pram, and car seat, so your infants and toddlers are comfortable anywhere you go.

Getting your kids involved in decluttering can be a tricky but rewarding process. Aside from cleaning up after themselves, they may even become more thoughtful in buying toys. Your family will appreciate the value of the things you own, as well as living in a tidy home.

Written exclusively for Samueljohnston.com
by Allie Cooper