A few years ago, I got into the show Extreme Hoarders, an American show revealing the shocking, sometimes even tragic lives of individuals or families living under the massive shadow of compulsive hoarding. From newspapers to coupon-bought frozen foods, Extreme Hoarders would show entire houses engulfed in stuff! I would wonder to myself how anything could ever get that serious, never able to imagine that someone like little old me would ever be like those I was watching. I never have of course, but I am guilty of clutter, as are most of us. Though we might not need entire teams with forklifts to bust walls through our houses in a bid to save us from our mess, in our homes we all have that one drawer in the study, or that chair in the bedroom, that section in the garage, where we dump things we don’t need or don’t want to use, bad purchases, or memorabilia that has somehow found its way off that treasured place atop the mantelpiece.
Astra Holmes and her family
Yes, we are all guilty of mess and clutter, and might be one bad purchase away from seeing that neatly constructed pyramid of clutter collapse. Astra Holmes has made it her life’s work to ensure that proverbial pyramid not only doesn’t topple over, but never gets constructed in the first place. Holmes is a clutter expert – she knows just how to make the mess disappear.
How did you get into the science or the art of decluttering?
I got into decluttering ten years ago, when I had a client with a very hectic lifestyle. Before I could get to the interiors I needed to see the floor, so we did a decluttering project before starting. This got me interested in decluttering, and starting to research techniques to help clients gain control of their home environment. It was amazing how much of a difference it made, to both my clients’ physical space and mental health.
How have you been able to incorporate it into, not only your life but your family’s life?
All children do better in and enjoy having a clean and mainly organized environment. I started when my son was very young, with clothes and toys, getting him to try on his clothes and decide what he had outgrown, at the end of each season; getting him to be responsible for putting his own toys away – at first just into a big basket, and as he grew, into a storage system by category. Then we would do an annual or biannual cull of the toys he didn’t use anymore. There are a lot more needy kids out there, and teaching your child to part with their toys, to give to someone who might not have as much, is a good lesson. For larger children it can be more difficult to change lifetime habits. My husband is a lost cause. He always loses his keys, phone and wallet. “Have you seen my…?” is a constant conversation. So help your kids to develop this life skill now.
What are some of the activities and habits you encourage in your family members to ensure that your house and your lives remain decluttered?
To declutter with your kids, you need to help them by having enough storage and designated areas for their toys, art supplies, and books. It’s no good trying to get a kid to be organized, if you don’t give them the tools to succeed. Ikea and Taobao are an endless resource of storage items, but it can be as simple as an old shoe box too. Classifying containers for young kids is a must. Montessori is a great education technique and teaches kids great life skills. One of the things I really like is that kids “work” is in designated trays, and they are required to put the tray back when they have finished their “work”. You can utilize this technique for toys too. The younger you start with these techniques the more ingrained they become. That’s just how we do it!
What are some ways in which parents can encourage their kids to declutter and live a more minimalist life?
“Toys” is far too broad a term for kids to cope with. You want to do small 5-10 minute fun tasks to get them to start flexing their decluttering muscles. Do not go full Marie Kondo with your kids. Having a few quick games can really rein in the chaos. Kids like games and competition, so making it into a game can really help them to get into the spirit of things. Here are some ideas to help you declutter with your child.
The Games
Toddlers: It can be as simple as to see who can find the most toys to put back in the toy box. Teaching them to put away their toys will save you time and irritation.
Trash Bag Tango: is a quick game, you decide the time limit, go around your child’s room, and throw away rubbish and broken toys. Put on some music, set a timer and get your child to try and find a designated number of items before the buzzer rings.
Pen challenge: In my decluttering WeChat group we are doing a January challenge, quick decluttering tasks everyday for a month. The first challenge was pens. This is easy to do with kids: set a timer, find all the pens in the house. Make it a race, who can find the most. Then get some scrap paper and try them to see if they work; whoever gets the most broken pens wins. Kids love this challenge. Now create a pen zone.
Longer term decluttering techniques for kids
Artwork: Kids’ artwork grows exponentially in the early years. Create a designated area to display it. Each term or year, go through the artwork with your child and decide which are their favorites. Then you can have them easily “collaged” in a frame, with the month/year and create an art gallery wall that shows their development as the years go by. Kids especially love to see their art hanging up.
Clothes: Get your child a clothes basket and create a chore list; one of the chores should be making them put their clothes in the basket as they get ready for bed each evening. You can give them a sticker for every day they manage to do it, or they get a story after they do it, or something that will incentivize your child.
Toy rotation: Get your child to choose twenty (or a number of your choice) toys they want to play with for the coming week/month. Everything else goes in storage. Set a return date like a library book, when they can make new choices. This helps kids really decide what they like playing with, and creates a newness factor to toys that have been stored when they come back out. If they decide after a day or two they made some wrong choices, don’t be militant about it. Let them swap out, once, but then keep to the next date.
One in one out: This technique works well around holidays or birthdays, to keep toy chaos under control. A week or two before the event, explain that they are going to get new toys, and as there is only so much room, they need to decide what they think they are TOO OLD for now. Then as the toys enter your house, get them to decide which toy they will part with, in place of the new toy.
Give us a week’s worth of daily challenges towards decluttering.
All of these games & techniques will help to rein in toy chaos, and general kid clutter. But they need to be consistently applied. Make a date with yourself and your child. These tips will teach your child to love and appreciate what they have, and will save you time and money in the long run. No more broken toys, no more kid clutter in the living room, less time spent clearing up, more time playing and having fun. Kids learn best through modeled behavior, so don’t expect your child to be a neat freak if the rest of your house is in disarray.
What are some of the benefits of living a more decluttered life – both short term and long term?
My belief is that outer calm leads to inner peace, and these techniques should help you find a bit of peace in a frantic life. If you need help with adult clutter, you can always contact me for a one-on-one consultation: astra888@qq.com or join my WeChat De-cluttering challenges.
Photos: DigsDigs, frugalandthriving.com.au, declutter-and-organize.com, wellnesscentreportstephens.com.au
