How Do I Get My Family On Board with Decluttering?
You aren’t the only one who is looking around and thinking how do I get my family on board with delcuttering? There is no one key and it may take multiple tries, but over time, your family may come to understand and get on board with decluttering their stuff.
Start With Your Own Stuff.
You can’t declutter other people’s belongings so start with your own. Yes, it might feel easier to start in your kids’ rooms, but that’s not fair. You know that.
Whether you start with the vanity in your bathroom or the top of your dresser, this allows you to finish and declutter one spot. This finished spot will help keep you motivated to move onto the next spot and set an example for your family.
Reminder: do not start with your sentimental things. Those are tough. In the beginning, your decluttering muscles might be weak so start with easy things. Give yourself more practice with making those decisions before you get to sentimental keepsakes. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you are decluttering so click here for some easy tips to stay motivated.
Let Your Family See You Decluttering.
Most people assume that the way they grew up is normal. I never thought about decluttering because I never saw it happening. It was done while I was at school so the house mostly looked under control and I didn’t think anything of it.
That didn’t help adult me. I kept things far too long.
You want your family to see that you are making decisions about your possessions in your house and not just where does this belong. They need to see you deciding to let go of what you no longer want or need. The amount of stuff you have doesn’t need to continue increasing all the time.
Yes, there are times when it might be easier to declutter when your kids aren’t home. They don’t want you to throw out broken crayons or piles and piles of old art projects. Use your best judgement, but don’t entirely hide the decluttering process from them.
Harvard has some great tips on how to motivate your kids.
Have A Designated Donation Spot (Or Sales Spot) In The House Will Help Your Family Declutter
It makes a huge difference if your family members know where the spot is to put things they don’t want anymore. If you want to sell, you can have a box that is labelled specifically for that purpose.
If that jacket doesn’t fit your daughter, you don’t want to pick it up off the floor again and again.
If your husband hates the book he just read, he can put it in the donation pile.
Every little bit helps. Remember decluttering doesn’t have to be a big process that takes all day. That donation spot is open all the time; try not to let items linger in this space more than a season. Ideally, you could get those donations out of your house within the month, but at the least, haul everything away as the season changes. Give yourself that fresh start.
For sales items, set yourself a deadline to deal with them and a deadline to trash or donate what doesn’t sell after a set amount of time.
Allow Your Kids (Especially Your Teens) To Donate Their Things They Don’t Want Anymore.
Nothing will discourage your family from decluttering in the future more than if you put the brakes on them the first time they try to independently declutter their own possessions.
Yes, maybe it’s hard to see that very well-used board game in the donation pile. Maybe you are more sentimental about that stuffed animal than your child is, but it is theirs to give up. If it’s an expensive item you can’t afford to donate, then have that discussion, but agree with them that it should leave the house. Take prompt action to follow through on selling it.
And sometimes teens will only declutter one or two things. That is a start! Let them do that on their own schedule.
Create Good Daily Habits Around Putting Things Away.
This may not sound like decluttering but it creates an awareness around the space you have. The space doesn’t change, but the amount you have does change.
Sooner or later, if you haven’t decluttered, you are going to hear “but it doesn’t fit.” That opens the natural discussion around what is in that cupboard, shelf or closet and discuss if anything there doesn’t belong. All families outgrown things.
Offer to Help, But Don’t Make Any Decisions For Your Family When Decluttering
When your family member gets frustrated decluttering that their video game case got stepped on and broken, or they can’t find something in their room, you can offer to help them declutter. You can walk them through the steps you use for your own stuff.
Maybe they won’t identify anything they are wiling to let go of and you’ll have to bite your tongue, thinking that empty Pringle chip can is garbage, but let it go. You aren’t making any decisions. Maybe they will only move their stuff around, but you might notice their video game cases are stacked up next time you walk through that room.
Keep trying. They won’t create a new habit the first time, but give them the tools and, at some point, they may get on board with decluttering.
Communicate with Your Family.
When they see what you are getting rid of, talk to your family about why you are decluttering and engage with them about how the space feels with less. This can be a great way to link your positive feelings about it with the decluttering process and help get your family on board with decluttering. Help them understand why this is important to you. Why is very important.
Discuss things in the store before you spend the money and bring more home. Part of decluttering is stemming the tide of new clutter coming into the house. Yes, we are always going to have new things, but be mindful. I’ve had the discussion in the store about how nice something was, but my teen realized they didn’t have a space at home for storage.
Talk about one in and one out; as you buy new running shoes for your ten year old, set the expectation the old ones will go. Your family wants to be on the same page. It’s easier for everyone. Don’t leave anyone guessing.
You can get your family on board with decluttering. It takes patience and time. Older kids are often more open to decluttering than little ones. Keep working on it. It will be worth it!
