Paring down my things...

(posted on behalf of another user)


I am struggling with something. I have all of our things in storage and we are now going to go through it and bring it back...

I have no problem paring down my things.. but its with my ds. I grew up in a fixed income home where I did not have a lot. And we have a lot of toys..Partially because I run a home daycare, and partially because I buy for my son. (clothes toys, movies)

I struggle because I just want to make sure he is happy...no I do not spend a whole lot on his things, but he has a lot.... I went through his closet to give a donation to value village, and in his closet I noticed some clothing that I had purchased that still had the tags on it. (he is very giving, and knows that no means NO .....he even looks forward to donation time, because he loves to help others)

I want my son to have the things I did not have to be loved, and popular...I was very lonely, didn't get invited over/out a lot was made to feel like a "dork and a loser"

Tears stream down my face as I write this post, because even though my home is/was very tidy (because of the home daycare) I just don't want to be overwhelmed with junk, and I "want to keep things simple"

I hope my post makes sense?

What are you asking? How to do this?

It totally makes sense because we are in the process of going through stuff and sorting and deleting. We have been in this house for 10 years and that is a lifetime for a military family. The advantage to moving every 3 years is that you sort and clean and dispose of accordingly just as often.

The process I use for the kids is to keep some things that have meaning that are just stored in a box. Then we take everything they have and sort it by what they use now, what they will use in the future such as clothes a size too big or games they will grow into more so than use now and also a box of have been playing with for ages - most of which will be things they may be outgrowing. Then each box is sorted. When they get to keep some of each box it makes the sorting less traumatic. From the I have outgrown, I choose what I want to keep for the daycare and we make plans to donate or sell the rest with the money going to a replacement fund for the child - ie the more they get rid of the more money they get to buy new stuff once we move to the new house.

Be very careful that it is your son that wants/needs the items and not you. Try to take yourself out of the picture and let him make the decisions.

Another method is to get a limited number of bins that can be stacked and have him sort into them with the idea of whatever fits he may keep so he also needs to choose from the large items over keeping more small ones - often once one or two big items go the pile looks so much easier to manage.

Also try and sort as much of your own stuff as you can with the idea that if you can eliminate some of your things there is more room for your son's things. As simple as keeping only some tea towels or unused bowls etc.