Simplifying/living with less

good_advice

Hello LALA.
I have been decluttering for a few weeks now.
I have blessed quite a lot of unused stuff to other homes, failing that the CS. My home is much better, not that it was a mess to start with. Def. not like those on TV.
We have lived in this house 22 years and collected a lot of things. Some no longer used or needed.

I now look at an item and ask myself if it has been used in the last year?
How many of the same item have I got? for example... I was doing the cutlery drawer yesterday. I simply chose the best 12 knifes, forks and spoons. The rest went in my give away box.
Today, I was counting mugs. We had about 30.
So first looked for chipped ones = binned. then everyone's favorites. Getting rid of about 8 mugs.
The trouble with 6 matching mugs is what if one breaks? are you going to throw out the other 5?

Kids stuff = they are growing all the time. I would wait till they have out grown the shoes and clothes.
Toys, if they have not played with in a long time I would send some to new homes before Christmas.

System

I'd start off by getting rid of the stuff you dont actually need. 14 mugs are fine if you get through a lot of mugs during the day or have a lot of visitors but if your short of storage space or need less then that i would find another home for them.

Toys, i used to box my kids toys up and each day they played with a newly opened box. That way they got to play with everything and didnt get bored with them. Anything that never gets played with, well personally i think thats a waste of storage space and would get shot of it but thats me.

Person_one

Why don't you let your daughter choose her own toys rather than putting them in front of her? Then the ones that are ignored for 6 months can be passed along.

I have to admit to being slightly horrified that you're getting rid of books because you've read them. Do you never re-read the ones you like? Mine are in constant circulation and some have been dog eared since I was about 12. I only give away the ones I don't enjoy at all, and usually only after the second read to give them a chance!

CH27

Person_one wrote: »

Why don't you let your daughter choose her own toys rather than putting them in front of her? Then the ones that are ignored for 6 months can be passed along.

I have to admit to being slightly horrified that you're getting rid of books because you've read them. Do you never re-read the ones you like? Mine are in constant circulation and some have been dog eared since I was about 12. I only give away the ones I don't enjoy at all, and usually only after the second read to give them a chance!

There is something very comforting about re reading a much loved book.

marisco_2

Lalaladybird wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone else is doing/has done this sort of extreme decluttering, any tips and also what do kids actually NEED in terms of toys?

I am a minimalist person and dislike lots of clutter. It is all just more to dust and keep clean isn't it . I had a massive clear out in most rooms last summer and the house felt so much bigger and more comfy.

Just like yourself OP my children have way too many clothes, shoes, toys and books. In the October half term I asked them to have a big sort out and decide what things they wanted to keep and what they felt they had outgrown. It was left completely up to them, as even though myself and family members bought these items, they are the childrens' possessions.

I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of clothes and toys they were happy to part with and how well it had all been looked after. I explained to them that I would sell these things on and anything I made would go towards presents for them at Xmas. They had each asked for quite expensive gifts which I knew I couldn't afford to buy them so we reached this compromise. I booked myself a table at several nearly new sales and made a fair amount of money.

As for what children need in terms of toys I think that greatly depends on their ages. My sons are lucky enough to have their own rooms. They each have a book case. Some of these books are things I have sourced cheaply from Amazon or the Book People. Most of the books are on loan from the library. They both love reading. They each have a desk with loads of paper, colouring pens and pencils etc. We have a huge cupboard which has loads of different board games and puzzles in it. Many of these I have had since my childhood. They like playing card games as well.

They have a ds each and a number of games. In the garage they have bikes, scooters, skipping ropes etc. The garden has a swing and slide. We live in a great location where the children can enjoy lovely country walks and bike rides. We are a ten minute drive to a beach so spend alot of time outdoors. I would rather they were out and about running around using their imaginations than cooped up with lots of games and little interaction with their peers. It is all about having balance really.

MarilynMonroe_2

I had a declutter of toys not that long ago and found the less she had the more she played with, and dug out some old favourites that are getting a second airing. Sometimes with kids too much is too overwhelming.

maman

Judi wrote: »

I'd start off by getting rid of the stuff you dont actually need. 14 mugs are fine if you get through a lot of mugs during the day or have a lot of visitors but if your short of storage space or need less then that i would find another home for them.

Toys, i used to box my kids toys up and each day they played with a newly opened box. That way they got to play with everything and didnt get bored with them. Anything that never gets played with, well personally i think thats a waste of storage space and would get shot of it but thats me.

I'd agree with putting things in 'storage' provided you have the room.

Toys can be brought out in rotation. For older children I'd talk them through a culling process first. If any of it would sell on ebay I'd make sure the children were aware as I'd see it as their money and a good mse lesson.

For household stuff I'd do the same so that when I needed replacements/extra I didn't have to buy them. One of my kitchen cupboards holds everyday glasses (cheapo ones). I regularly [STRIKE]throw[/STRIKE] recycle any that are spoiled by the dishwasher. In a storecupboard I have good glasses for fancy dinners and a load of wine glasses for parties so it's a sort of rotation system.

For the children's clothes, I think while they're growing it's best to keep the amount of clothes and shoes to a minimum. I'd let them grow out of stuff before I got rid of it and then only replace if essential.

I'm into decluttering too but, to use coats as an example, I wouldn't want to manage (unless that's all I could afford:)) with one coat. I have loads of coats for different occasions and I'm in no hurry to buy a new one until any one of them wears out. I'm the same with shoes. I'm happy to sort my wardrobe and get rid of scruffy stuff or things that don't fit but not perfectly good items that I'd wear.

I find decluttering cathartic!! It clears a lot more than wardrobes!

fluffnutter

Lalaladybird wrote: »

... not keeping books I have read...

... if something doesn't get used for at least half an hour at a time it is going to go to the charity shop. What do you think?

Ooh, I'm a real re-reader so I couldn't get rid of the books.

Re. toys, how old are your children? It seems a bit mean to put a time limit on their toys! Half an hour might be more than they can concentrate for unless something's incredibly absorbing. Doesn't mean they don't like other stuff though. If they're old enough, why not ask them?

carefullycautious

Why do children need lots of toys?

Imaginate play is far more important.

I can remember playing trains with my children which consisted of the dining chairs in a line with cardboard boxes as carriages at the back and tins of food out of the cupboards as cargo. We sang our hearts out on those train journeys.

I could name many games played like this.

Maybe not when they are teenagers :rotfl: but you get the idea

Spendless

If I asked my DD for permission to get rid of outgrown toys, I'd still be giving house room to rattles and she's nearly 10 - that's years not months! Am not going to be overly surprised if she doesn't change much either, considering I have a sis-i-l who kept every pair of shoes her own daughter ever wore up until the age of 8 (truthfully!)

Periodically I go thru DD's stuff starting with the easy items, the broken, parts missing etc moving onto the 'too young for them now' or 'not interested in' items.

There is (or was) a site called organised home. Unfortunately they closed the forum where I used to lurk some years ago but one of the suggestions I read on there was to allocate appropriate storage for the toy items eg the polly pocket playsets and you only keep the amount that will fit inside the storage.