Decluttering the Empty Nest

Quote of the Month

” If only I had more laundry to do” said no empty nester parent ever.

-Unknown

I thought this picture might be more fun than a bin of dirty laundry….but I digress. Since my nest just became empty, I thought it would be timely to talk about the subject of children’s rooms once they’ve flown the coop.

So how long do you have to keep your kids’ stuff?

This is a question that I’m asked by those brave enough to ask it. Some people WANT to hold on to their children’s things….it’s fun to relive life’s special times by seeing old momentos of younger days. And then there are the parents who want their children to take everything with them or toss it. There is no right or wrong here, it is really a matter of space and needs for the space.

This month’s Tips and Tricks is directed to those parents who want to take advantage of the new space that has opened up.

Look at the space that has been vacated. How do you feel when you walk in there?

If you’re overwhelmed by the volume of stuff that’s been accumulating over the years, then that’s your clue that you can take decisive action to downsize and declutter the contents.
If you smile lovingly at how the room looks and know that you can use it as a guest room in a pinch or that your child can still sleep there when they’re in town, your work is done. Go read a book.
Back to the overwhelmed folks –

Is there any trash in the room that you can easily pitch?
Are there any clothes from early childhood that you know you can give away?
Are there old magazines and books that you can bravely recycle or give away?
Are there old photographs that you can gather in a box and put on the top shelf of the closet?
Are you WILLING to text your child and ask permission to get rid of whatever you find annoying?

And yes, in a perfect world, your child would have gone through all of their worldly possessions BEFORE they moved out, but that doesn’t always happen.

Without overwhelming you further, try doing 1 of the above mentioned suggestions and see how you feel. WARNING – the only mistake you can make is renting a storage space to store your children’s things for ‘someday.’ The cost of storing their stuff for years on end is much more than the cost of buying new when the time comes. Being overly sentimental is costly! I am not suggesting that you toss EVERYTHING, but honestly evaluate the most precious items so you’re not transferring the overwhelm to the next generation.

Aim 4 Order is more than happy to provide hands-on help to anyone wanting to transform a child’s room into a useful productive space once you have an empty nest. And, in case you’re wondering… my daughter’s room is now being used to store eBay merchandise (definitely not what I had in mind) and my son’s room is my full time office now that he took his bed with him. One out of two ain’t bad!

Ebay Item of the Month

Class Rings!

Your old class ring, or those of your parents or children, can do very well on eBay. Contact Howard for more information.

“Helping Baby Boomers and their Parents Lighten their Loads.”

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of stuff in your home, contact me. Together, we can transform your home into a happy, tidy place where you can feel at peace. We can also get you ready for your next move… more enjoyable, faster and easier!