What is Minimalism?
According to Joshua Becker, in this article, minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it.
Where to start?
So, you’ve heard of minimalism, and what it can do to improve your life. Awesome! Now, you’re ready to get rid of the excess stuff that is demanding all of your attention! Great! I know how overwhelming it can be when you are ready to start on a minimalism journey, but have no idea how or where to go about it. Also, full disclaimer, I’m totally still in the process of decluttering. Minimalism is not a destination. It can be a long, slow process, but it is totally worth it. There are plenty of tiny victories that are so rewarding and satisfying. Let’s dive in head first, shall we?
When trying to decide where to start, it is helpful to make list about the points of contention in your day. What seems to be taking up most of your energy? Is there something you and your partner are constantly arguing over not being done? Is there a task in your day that you absolutely dread? Make your list, keep it to 3 things or less, and start there.
For me, it was toys, dishes and laundry. I will get more in depth on each of these items, but my kids and I were constantly in battle about picking up their toys. Dishes and laundry, as I’m sure you know, are never ending.
Now it’s your turn. What are the top three things that take away energy from your family and the things you truly want to be doing? Do you think minimalism can help with these things?
Room by Room
I’m not going to tell you where you need to start and in what order you need to go in. I honestly don’t think it really matters. As busy moms, sometimes you only have one option of where you can work because of your kids. I’ve gotten hung up on programs because they were telling me to work on my bathroom, but all of my kids were awake and I didn’t want them running around like crazy upstairs while I decluttered! I could more easily clear out my entry closet while they played in their playroom, for instance. So, I won’t be boxing you into an order of rooms but, more or less telling you the basics of what you need to do in each room to get it where you want it to be; uncluttered and easy to maintain.
Playroom/Toys/Books
Wherever you keep your toys, they can be overwhelming and overflowing. Between holidays and birthdays and the occasional grandparent who just loves gift giving, the toys can PILE UP.
Are you constantly fighting with your kids about cleaning up their toys? Have you lost it and threatened to throw everything away? I know I have. I’ve even gone as far as throwing everything into garbage bags while my kids watched, stunned. Yikes.
Toys, for me, were an easy place to start because I wasn’t attached to them at all. I really don’t like toys in general, which makes me seem like a bad mom, but I get annoyed by all the little pieces and especially the noise-making ones! Also, I was finding that my kids didn’t play with them for very long because there were so many of them!
All of the noise making, battery operated toys were the first to go. You don’t really think about it, but noise making toys add mental clutter to your day. Kids are noisy enough, there is no need for extra noise coming from the playroom! Also, I believe it stifles their creative play. My kids now make their own noises for their trucks and animals! An added bonus is that I didn’t need to keep around a bunch of different sized batteries!
Next, I got rid of all duplicate toys and excess pieces that had no set to go to. You don’t need one of the same toy for each kid so they don’t have to share. How will they ever learn? Sharing is something kids need to start learning at a young age and it takes a while to actually grasp it! Learning to wait and be patient is an important life lesson. Now, this isn’t to say that my house is without it’s battles, far from it! We have daily struggles and fights in our home about toys. Some days, I think it would be easier to just buy another of their favorite toy of the day because I spend my day constantly correcting their behavior and reminding them to share. But, I would rather spend my day teaching them than cleaning up the extra toys I’ve bought.
The next thing is to watch and see what your kids are actually playing with. Are they just dumping out the Lincoln Logs or are they actually taking the time to build with them? Have they touched their stuffed animals in the past month? I hear from my friends that every time they think they can get rid of a toy, their kid plays with it once and they keep it. My answer to that is to try packing it away. If your child doesn’t comment about it’s disappearance or ask to play with it, get rid of it. I do this periodically with our toys to make sure they are getting the most out of what they do have.
Now that you have it narrowed down to the toys they play with on a regular basis, don’t make noise and aren’t duplicates, you can decide what toys to keep in the playroom and which to store away. Toy rotation is a wonderful thing for keeping my kids engaged with their toys. I keep half of the toys in the playroom and the other half in one tub downstairs (I don’t keep more than can fit in those two places.) I rotate them on no schedule, just when either my kids ask for something from the basement or I see a toy not being played with very often. We follow a one-in-one-out rule with the rotation and everything has to fit on their one shelf (excluding larger toys) in their playroom.
Keep in mind that this is a process that will continue. Before each holiday or birthday, where they may receive a toy, I mentally prepare to get rid of something we have to make room for the new item. I try my best to know ahead of time what they are going to get so the gift giver knows it will be played with and loved. I want to make sure we don’t receive duplicates of toys we already have or items I know my kids won’t play with. This is obviously easier with family than with friends!
Books
Books are one of the hardest things to get rid of for my kids. I love books and my kids love books and I love that they do! I really have to control myself when it comes to buying books for my kids. There are so many great ones out there! I’ve limited myself to one small bookshelf for the kids books. We are very lucky to have a wonderful library in our town and we utilize it often! This is a great way to let your children explore new books on a regular basis without cluttering up your home with them. But, if you really love books, keep them. Minimalism is not about depriving yourself of things that you love!
Art Supplies
If I’m being honest, we don’t have many art supplies in our home. I tried multiple times to let them have art supplies, but found that they just gave me added anxiety. Now, they have a few coloring utensils. Every once in a while I let them use my art supplies or they craft with old cereal/Amazon boxes. I don’t leave art supplies out. I keep them tucked away in my office and they have to ask for them. This is mostly because my dogs like to eat crayons for some reason.
Just Start.
Don’t be intimidated. If you work a little at a time, you’ll see great results. Your kids probably won’t notice and they will most likely even be happier with less choices! You’ll get more peace and quiet, and you won’t have to badger them (as much) to clean up their stuff! Winning!
Tell me, what is your biggest struggle in terms of decluttering your kids toys?? Have you been swept up by the minimalism craze?
