Why do we have clutter?

Why do we have clutter?

Everyday we buy new items, whether it is groceries, clothes or gifts and such purchases come into our home.  However, the ratio by which things come into our homes and the rate by which we purge is not proportionate.

Everyone has clutter in their homes….some manage to arrange it in pretty bins or displayed nicely whilst others leave it running around haphazardly.

Some of us are good at the rule ‘one in one out’ but others find it difficult to let go of things.

For those of us who find it difficult to let go of things, decluttering can be a long mental process.   There are various reasons why one finds it difficult to let go of things, amongst which the desire to leave things for those we will be leaving behind.

A most common, for us mothers is to keep everything craft, toy and clothing item which our children wore or did when they were young.  These represent a part of our life which subconsciously wish is never over.  We hope that when our children have their own children, they would wear their clothes, play with their toys and look at their crafts.  Let’s be honest….if your parents passed down to you the clothes of when you were a baby would you have wore them to your children?  Probably not.

If you really want to keep some pieces, choose a few and let go of the others.  It would not make you less of a good mother.

However, in our homes we do not have sentimental items that we need to let go off, but other items that throughout the years have accumulated.

Let’s briefly discuss gifts.  Whether it’s for Christmas or birthdays it is likely that we receive gifts which let’s be honest, not always is to our liking.  The person giving you the gift might expect you to put it in a prominent area of your home…but a) it does not go with your home decor or 2) it is not to your taste.

You do not want to offend a relative, so you put it on display but you hate looking at it and you constantly pray that it breaks down by ‘mistake’.

Do not feel guilty, if the time has come to let go of the hideous gift….someone else might find better use of it.

Here is a list of some items you can easily purge which would not make you feel guilty:

1. Old electronics such as phones, ear buds etc;
2. Stained or old towels;
3. Burnt down candles;
4. Clothes never worn;
5. Holey socks….yes everyone has some old pair of socks hiding in the drawer;
6. Expired medications;
7. Worn-out underwear;
8. Old handbags;
9. Empty boxes;
10. Expired vouchers;
11. Hair accessories which you are unlikely to wear again;
12. Make up which has seen better days;
13. Skin care products which you do not like;
14. Old newspapers, flyers;
15. Broken toys;
16. Broken pots and pans.

Do not be discouraged, if you do not succeed at your first attempt.  It can take several months to get your home where you want it to be.  Purging stuff is a continuous process, because our tastes change and what we like today might not be to our taste in a year’s time.

What is important is that you do progress.

Love

Strugglingmum xxxx