The basics of decluttering

5 simple steps for overwhelmed moms

Tidying up. The most ungrateful job in a house with children. Since you have kids, your house has been completely taken over by them. Or at least, that’s the feeling you have! Coming home after a hard day of work to a house full of toys and clothes and to a space where nothing really has its own place isn’t as relaxing as it used to be. Without some form of organization and structure your household will soon feel messy, chaotic and overwhelming. But no need to stress out: in this blog you will find the basics of decluttering made easy in 5 simple steps!

There are many ways to create a streamlined household, but if you’re looking for a long lasting solution I strongly recommend considering decluttering, organizing and redesigning your home. Did you know that having less items in your household means you just have less to consider when cleaning, tidying up and finding a place for everything at home? How to achieve having less items? By decluttering! So let’s dive into these basics of decluttering your household.

But first things first:

Chaos is not a sign of failure..
it's a sign of children!

Wait, isn’t this just a phase like everything else related to children? Don’t we all fantasize about doing much better in the future? Of course bigger kids will help more and make less of a mess .. right?! Honestly?! Let me tell you as a mother of 4 kids: no, but yes!

The most common situation: no, kids are busy growing up. Growing up means learning how to deal with a lot of new things, it takes a lot of their focus and energy, tiding up is just not on their list of priority. Understanding how to maintain their environment in such a way it looks good, feels great and supports focus and better sleep is just one of many things they’ll need to learn. They will need your example to follow, your lessons to be told and your guidelines to play this game. It’s time to teach them the basics of decluttering.

The positive answer: yes, it’s possible! If you declutter regularly, set up an organized system, teach your kids how to help you decluttering and tiding up frequently it can be possible. Ah, and let’s not forget about the importance of creating a interior that supports your lifestyle (read: looks stylish the way you like it, but most importantly, provides the right amount of needed storage space for your household).

So, back to your current phase of life.. is it them or is it you? Isn’t it your lack of energy after all the broken nights? Your high demanding job or your sense of being overwhelmed by all that has to be handled every day? Did you took the time before kids to properly give your house some structure, cohesion and organization?

Reality check:

Let’s face it, life with children is what it is .. messy happiness! Small children means small chaos, bigger children means greater chaos!
Having limited space or budget means you just have to be creative in finding ways to give all items and family members their personal space.
Life with kids often means holding on to toys, books and clothes. In this case holding on to items is just a matter of practicality: the younger siblings might use it in the (near) future. And let’s be honest, isn’t it just the most difficult thing to give away of all baby-related items?! So many memories and precious moments with our children are represented by specific things and furniture.
What about your routines? Do they support your daily life or are you constantly running behind what has to be done?
Renting storage units and garages, buying a bigger house or extending your current one sounds like the easiest solution to your problem. Yet, won’t you just fill this new space again with items you will forget about?

Do you need more space or less stuff?

The real question is: do you need more space or do you need less stuff? From decluttering to renovating, there are several ways to add space to your house when having a cluttered household. I personally believe in decluttering first, then reorganizing by focusing on the functionality of your home and last but not least (re)designing to create a sense of wellbeing at home. This will create a long-lasting solution to your problem.

The difficulty of decluttering

Decluttering is not an easy thing to do: there is an element of decision making to it. And let’s face it, when you have a young family you are probably busy coping with the irregular rhythm of your children, the demanding pressure of your job and your own tiredness and possible hormonal disbalance. In some phases of life you just don’t have the energy for decluttering: it sounds like a foreign word and a far-away concept.

Decluttering can be done in many ways. By choosing one topic at the time (books, clothes, toys, etc.), decluttering room by room, with a help of a friend or a professional. It is about finding the method that makes more sense to you, that speaks to you most about making real change in your life. So how to start?

The basics of decluttering

A good start is by realizing that all the items your decide to hold on to, will need your attention and energy to be maintained. You will need to find a place for it, clean it and store it safely. Every item you decide to keep (from interior junk to your valuables) becomes a high maintenance item in your house from the moment you stop using it for its purpose. Keep in mind that less items to maintain means more time for things you actually love doing!
Understanding what items you actually use on a daily base is important. No overthinking, just try to answer if it’s an item you actually need. Are you currently using it? Will you be using this in the next months? Is there just a memory attached or is the item actually still usable/wearable/etc.? Keep in mind that if it is not a clear YES it is a delayed NO.
Items you are not sure about whether to keep them can be put away in the garage or attic for example. Just wait and see what happens. If you tend to forget about these items it means they lost their purpose in your daily life.
Letting go doesn’t necessarily means throwing away. Donating is a great option: let someone else enjoy what you don’t longer need anymore! Don’t forget to throw these items away or to donate them as soon as you realize you don’t need them anymore in your household! Try to avoid going back on your decisions by putting back items you no longer need at home.
Once you’ve decluttered your space it’s a matter of maintaining it decluttered and organized. Consider repeating these steps on a regular base. A quick 10 minutes end of the day routine will do the trick. A more thorough declutter could be done every month, quartal or during the seasonal change for example.

Inspired to create your own sense of wellbeing at home starting with streamlining your household? As a interior designer and coach@home I support (expat) mothers of young families to no longer feel overwhelmed by the chaos at home and from busy family life. From decluttering and simple routines to a custom interior design, I help you creating a space where you can settle down, relax and truly feel at home (while living abroad). Book a match call to find out how I could be at your side during this process.

Looking forward to meeting you!