5 Ways to Motivate Your Kids to Help Declutter
August 24, 2021 | Family Life
One of the best ways to motivate children to help declutter your home is to make it a family activity. When everyone gets involved in cleaning up simultaneously, it’s like a team sport, and who doesn’t love sports?
While teaching children how to do chores is an important part of parenting for many, decluttering and organizing are lighter tasks, making it easier to have fun no matter your child’s age.
Learn From The Experts
From Netflix’s Tidying Up with Marie Condo to Hulu’s Hot Mess House, there are several home organization shows to watch for tips and ideas to demonstrate the importance and benefits of keeping an organized home.
Introducing these concepts in the form of entertainment is an easy way to help motivate your kids to help declutter around the house. From overflowing playrooms to exploding closets, these shows offer real families workable strategies and ideas.
Older children are sure to appreciate seeing what happens when families allow clutter to take over. And much like adults, the sooner children start to grasp the value of organized bedrooms and decluttered spaces, the better.
However, if you have younger children, look for opportunities to use their favorite books or TV shows that talk about the benefits of helping others and keeping their rooms decluttered.
Start With Small Tasks
As adults, we’re accustomed to taking on large and lengthy projects. Because children’s attention spans are shorter, it’s easier to motivate your kids to help declutter if you start with smaller tasks by category. Try not to push them past their energy and focus limits if you want them to enjoy the process.
Working as a team, and with well-defined tasks, like picking up and putting away toys allows you to teach by example. Also, by taking the teamwork approach, you’ll find your child will have fewer opportunities to procrastinate or get distracted.
Of course, one of your goals is for your children to learn to appreciate the benefits that come with keeping the floors and surfaces decluttered. Additionally, when children learn to value their belongings, it’s easier to take care of them properly.
If you have more than one child, labeling baskets or shelves with their names will give them a place to quickly store their backpacks, toys, schoolwork, and sports gear. When you simplify the decluttering process, it’s easier for everyone.
Declutter Daily
According to research, decluttering daily helps to organize our spaces, which in turn helps us focus. In other words, clutter competes for our attention. Even so, keeping a home clutter-free can be an immense challenge at times for parents and individuals who are working from home.
By setting aside time as a family, parents send a clear message—things may get messy, but we can work together to get them back on track. Whether decluttering your kitchen or your books, get your children involved in the decision-making process.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how doing these types of activities together sparks conversations you’d otherwise miss out on having with your children.
Another helpful tool is to create a “Decluttering Our Home” chart that turns into a fun art project as well as a useful tool to keep track of everyone’s progress.
It won’t always be easy, but empowering your kids to make decisions by letting them choose what things of theirs to donate, recycle, or throw away will help them take the initiative to keep decluttering as they get older.
Future Proof Your Efforts
We live in a society that’s constantly inundating anyone with a smartphone or a TV with messages to buy things. So once decluttering becomes part of your family’s ritual, the challenge will be to maintain a streamlined and organized home.
One popular strategy recommended by organizing professionals and parents alike is the one-in-one-out rule; if you buy something new—a toy or piece of clothing, for example—help your child identify something similar to donate.
Giving away toys could be a challenge for some kids. If this is the case with your child, identify the toy to donate before buying something new. This will teach delayed gratification and create an opportunity to talk about helping others and families with greater needs.
Provide Incentives
You can help boost your children’s motivation to help declutter by providing some simple incentives. Unlike chores, decluttering shouldn’t necessarily be tied to an allowance or a financial reward.
Instead, ask your kids what they think fun and free rewards look like. You might be surprised by their answers. You can also help with some suggestions like choosing what to watch on family movie night.
Declutter with Metro Self Storage
The popularity of decluttering isn’t expected to wane anytime soon. And for good reasons! However, here at Metro Self Storage, we understand getting rid of possessions can be challenging for anyone.
Our conveniently located storage facilities provide a wide selection of clean, reliable, and well-lit units to meet your storage needs—all with the benefit of flexible month-to-month leasing. You can store all types of household belongings, including family heirlooms, seasonal sports gear, holiday decorations, and more with confidence at Metro.
Additionally, select Metro Self Storage locations offer climate-controlled units to protect your belongings from extreme temperature swings and humidity. Find your local Metro Self Storage and rent your storage unit today!
