Parenting Pointers: With A Growing Family, Comes Growing Clutter

The older you and your children get, the more clutter that seems to accumulate in your house.  It can often feel as though you're buried in the mess.  Organization and cleaning it up can seem like a chore, especially when you're not sure where to start. Here are some tips for getting organized and ridding yourself of all that extra rubbish.

Sort It Out

As tedious as it may seem, the first thing that you'll want to do is sort through all of your clutter and decide what to keep and what to throw away. While you’ll want to keep objects of sentimental value (photos, letters, your kids’ awards and school projects), you should probably get rid of clothes that no longer fit, stuffed animals that are no longer loved, or appliances that are no longer working.  Organize things into piles of trash, stuff give away, stuff to store, or stuff to use now. Start with a single room, or even a cabinet for that matter, and make your way slowly throughout the rest of the house.

Get Rid of It

Now that you have your clutter sorted into manageable piles, you know just what to do: get rid of it! The stuff that you committed to throwing away should be taken to the dump immediately. Doesn't that feel better? If you had a pile of items that were only lightly used and still in good condition, take a load to your local salvation army, goodwill, or even the nearest homeless shelter. If there's stuff that you'll use now, put it in its proper place. For everything else that you plan on storing, start organizing!

If you have some high quality stuff that you just don't need anymore, why not host a yard sale? Yard sales can be a perfect way to get rid of all that clutter in your house while making a little extra cash. Put up fliers around the neighborhood, wipe down the stuff you want to get rid of, and have your family create price tags. Be willing to negotiate on price—remember, you want to get rid of this stuff! Anything you don't sell should be donated, not restored within your home.

Storage Organization

The things that you plan on keeping should be stored in an organized manner that's easily accessible, but not in a part of the house that's already overflowing with stuff. One of the best places you can keep stuff is in the garage or in the basement, and installing storage shelves or cabinets is highly recommended. Once your shelves are in place, choose bins that are easy to lift and are stackable. Make a bin for each of your children.  Have your kids choose exactly what they want to keep and what they want to toss. Label each bin accordingly, and place everything nicely within the bins. Later, you'll be grateful that you took the time to do such a thorough job.

Byline: Alexis Gormley likes to start off the new year by going through the house and getting rid of clutter.  Look here to find out about her storage methods!