Decluttering with Kids

by Clarissa Adkins | More from this Blogger

28 Dec 2006 10:36 PM

The biggest challenge for me this past summer was keeping my house decluttered in case potential buyers came to view the house. With a six-year old boy on my hands and my husband out of town, I wasn't sure how long it would be before my hair was pulled out in its entirety. The truth is that the atmosphere became somewhat militant.

The initial decluttering went fine because I had the adrenaline to keep me motivated. My realtor telling me that she decided to use our house as one of the weekly realtor reviewed homes certainly gave me an extra boost as well. In other words, at approximately 9:30 a.m., I had a caravan of realtors show up and parade through my house. I made coffee and even had cookies out. The house was more clean and perfect than it had ever been. Walls had been repainted, baseboards wiped down and faucets shined. Within ten minutes they were on their way to see another house. All I could think was how many hours I had spent working for such a short lived speckle of time.

The next thought was more of a panicky garble - exactly how was I going to keep it this perfect? On paper, it seemed like everything was just a matter of putting one thing back exactly where you got it from when you were done. This basic principle of tidiness that my grandmother taught me would work for me, but what about a six-year old boy and his friends?

The summer couldn't be as carefree as summers past. There was no way. We made it through, but my son had to deal with a level of neatness that most boys never dream of in their worst nightmares. I found solace in the backyard, above-ground pool. It was a self-contained area for them to play and it gave me a reason to take a break from my thoughts as well. Sitting by the pool for an hour or so forced me to step back from my newly designed military complex. If I could convey anything to someone going through the same situation, I would say to find a similar containment idea. Clear out a room and give them one toy at a time to play with so that you can keep track of everything. Yes, this is going to seem extreme, but if it keeps you from losing your cool later in the day when the real estate office calls for a late afternoon viewing, then do it. Decluttering: The Cheapest Way to Redecorate

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Learn more about Clarissa Adkins

Clarissa is a wife and mother, a yoga instructor and a freelance writer. She most recently has moved back to her home state of Virginia.

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