Episode Description:
You want to give your kids a great childhood that doesn’t deprive or overwhelm them and sets them up for success. And, you also want them to grow into adults who know how to care for their things and can feel that their mom cared for them deeply in their childhood days. You may have heard people say that moms who declutter deprive their children somehow. In today’s episode, I’m shedding light on this belief and explaining how decluttering creates a peaceful home for which your children will enjoy and be thankful.
You might think.. Or have heard people say that moms who declutter are depriving their kids in some way – that they are sad beige children, with said beige toys and smell like eucalyptus.
They’ll tell you that a clutter free home boring, you have no hobbies, personality or decor or that you’re kids are missing out on regular childhood things or something educational – and the reality? I have more of everything that matters in motherhood. Specifically the way I spend my time. WITH MY KIDS
Decluttering allowed me to amplify my creativity and my personality on a daily basis through my activities, and it has transformed the way I play and connect with my kids. I am more patient and have way more energy to give them, which is the exact opposite of deprivation.
And you know what? Even my kids personalities and preferences are amplified post-decluttering.
Their personalities are infused throughout our home and we have space to honor and display the things we find truly sentimental. They love when we pull out our memory boxes, and regularly add to it. Decluttering is the opposite of deprivation, it allows for what we WANT to truly thrive.
Think of it like weeding a garden. Weeds aren’t inherently bad, and I actually have a soft spot for dandelions. But if weeds are taking over my raspberries, you better believe those will be what I choose to remove instead of letting my raspberries die.
The same is true for the clutter in your home. Yes, some of that stuff might be perfectly fine stuff. And you might even have a soft spot for it – but if it is consuming your time, your energy and your space it has to go. The other option is to let everything you want and love, die.
Weeds don’t need anything from you if they want to take over everything. What DOES need your attention are your crops. They are sensitive, have ideal conditions and need your love and energy poured into them.
The same is true for clutter in your home.
Less is more when it comes to a great childhood and it allows for more play, connection and enjoyment.
One of my students said once that decluttering was her getting rid of the things that made it hard to love her family.
And that’s the truth. Your clutter demands your energy – clean it up, organize, think about it, spend every spare minute trying to get control over it finally. And then the people in your home (the crops) end up deprived.
Now, it’s not necessary to reduce every single weed in order for a garden to thrive. The same way it isn’t realistic to have a home with ONLY the barest of bare essentials in it. So.. how do we find the balance here of enough stuff to live a GREAT fun and still relaxing life as a family?
Main Topics Covered in this Episode:
- Why a clutter-free home ISN’T boring
- The ways decluttering has benefitted my family and me
- How decluttering is like gardening and weeding