Step 4: Save the Special Stuff

You know your kid better than anyone. You know that your kid needs that nasty old Mickey doll to go to sleep, or refuses to sit still unless they are holding a vending machine bouncy ball.

Here’s how it works:

This one (should be) pretty self explanatory. For heaven’s sake, save your sanity and don’t dump what they use on a regular basis. When in doubt, remove it (“hide it”) for a couple of days. If they consistently ask for it, they’re not ready to part with it. Battles of will are fought and lost (by the mom) every day.

I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed this series on chucking the crap your kids bring into your home. Whether it was once well-loved, or loved with the passion only a child can feel for all of 5 minutes, some times we just gotta take our home back!

Step 3: Send it to “Storage”

Ready for a more serious purge? It’s time to break out the laundry basket… and it helps to have a good poker face, too.

Here’s how it works:

 If I’m cleaning with the “help” of my kids and know I need to get rid of some stuff, start by organizing. Items they are currently attached to can be organized (try little bins with these fun labels).

What to do with the stuff you are ready to toss? Put stuff they’ve lost interest in into a basket. Don’t put it in a trash bag, unless you really want problems. If they ask, just calmly say you’re moving some toys into storage for awhile, or taking this (broken) toy to be repaired. I was shocked that my kids didn’t react to hearing their toys were headed out the door. But after all, you are just sending it to go to “storage,” or to “be fixed,” or even “to Grandma’s.”  It’s coming back, right? No need to panic.

More often than not they will be so excited to re-find their favorite toys among all the piles, that they won’t even notice the basket. They will be rolling around their newly clean room, or climbing under the bed that you took the effort to vacuum under, so a few toys in the basket won’t even be on their minds. I will warn you about this step:

you must take it out of the house ASAP.

The novelty of a clean, organized, toy-labeled room will wear off. If you’re me, you may have left the basket conspicuously in the living room. And sooner rather than later they will start noticing their “favorite” doll (the one that hasn’t been touched in weeks) or the broken remote control to a remote control vehicle you no longer even have. Their priority of getting those toys out of the basket will become a life and death issue for them.
Don’t be me. Get the stuff out. Now! Do it!
Go! Go! Go!

Step 2: Hide the Evidence

Whether they are gone at a friend’s house or have gone to Grandma’s for the weekend, they cannot know you tossed their treasures. This is absolutely imperative. Hide it under other garbage in the trash can or take it out to the bins outside… But whatever you do, hide the evidence!

Here’s how it works:

Once you’ve taken out their treasures trash, leave no reminders behind. Children are out of sight out of mind thinkers, and if they can’t see that you threw out their dead plant in a plastic cup from spring last year, they won’t know it. They won’t ask. My kids have never asked about a specific item I’ve gotten rid of because it never occured to them that it was gone. If you’re getting rid of their rock/gravel collection, you better get rid of every.last.rock or there will be
H-E-Double Hockey Sticks to pay when they get home!

This is a series on chucking the crap your kids have and hold on to — for better or worse. Click here for more.

Step 1: Send them to Grandma’s House

Or send them to school. Or over to a friend’s house. Try swapping with a mommy friend: you clean today, I’ll clean tomorrow. Whatever you have to do to get them out of the house, do it.

Here’s how it works:

The first time (and last time… hmm) my kids went to Grandma’s house, I ran through the house before I went to pick them up. I tossed old candy, mylar balloons that never die, McDonald’s toys, and “special drawings” that are, in reality, just scribbles. I know it, you know it, they don’t know it, and are you really about to tell them? Probably not. Best not to hurt their feelings.

Once they are gone, get off Pinterest/Twitter/Facebook/your time waster of choice, and move it. You likely have a limited time to work. Toss all the crap that they don’t actually care about, unless they see it in the garbage.

]]> http://confessionsofaslackermom.com/cleaning/chuck-your-kids-crap-series/how-to-chuck-your-kids-crap-step-1/feed/ 2 http://confessionsofaslackermom.com/cleaning/chuck-your-kids-crap-series/how-to-chuck-your-kids-crap-a-series/ http://confessionsofaslackermom.com/cleaning/chuck-your-kids-crap-series/how-to-chuck-your-kids-crap-a-series/#comments Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:27:26 +0000 theslackermom http://confessionsofaslackermom.com/?p=1631

It starts slowly, innocuously. A baby shower for your first precious angel, due any day, perhaps.
A small toy, gifted.
A rattle.
It’s all so innocent.

A year later, another party for your sweet angel.
A board book.
A toy which purpose seems to be to make noise.
A walking toy.

Fast forward several more years.
Your child begs for little toys at the Target Dollar Spot.
It’s only a dollar, you know.
You get the newest learning gadget for their birthday.
Because this is your precious, sweet angel.

Then comes the hoarding.
Valentine’s cards from kids they don’t know.
Stuffed animals that come with their own web pages.
Those dollar toys that have somehow, over the last year, multiplied by one hundred.

And suddenly it dawns on you…
you are drowning in their crap.

It’s time, my fellow mothers. It is time to
chuck. their. crap.
{I’m going to tell you how.}

Join me for a 4 part series on chucking the crap in your own home. Check out the new post each day!