The Group Hug Expert
Thank you to Nicky Davie of Tidy Girl for this really helpful blog.
Clutter. We all know what that it is, but how do we deal with it amidst the pain of separation and divorce. There is so much “other stuff” going on and it could be that it’s your children’s toys and bits and pieces strewn around your home which are subconsciously causing your anxiety. How much does a child really need?
Children’s clutter
Amidst all the chaos of divorce/ new home/new living space and often smaller space than you are used to I would love to offer some advice regarding how to cope with children’s toys.
I no longer have small children, but I do remember the end of the day when it was time to tidy up and create a room we could all relax in. It was made much easier on the days I managed to encourage my 3 boys to put away the toys they had played with earlier in small chunks! We even had a special song we sang to make it less tedious!
Speak to others and ask questions in The Group Hug Forum
How many toys does a child actually need?
Our children seem to have lots of toys but end up either just tipping out a whole box of toys looking for that special few and then cant/won’t put them back and then just play with the few. In order to help our children de-clutter their toys we can clear out the broken ones and the ones we know they don’t play with. Always try to involve them when having a sort-out and help them to give away their toys to another organisation or children who don’t have many toys. Either a local charity/school/nursery or the Christmas boxes that your school or local nursery get involved with.
Do you think you may be a hoarder? Read more about this on the NHS
Be positive with your requests
Don’t ask them what to get rid of but ask them a positive; what do they really love playing with? Then help them choose the other items they don’t want to play with anymore and give them to someone who may not have any toys or very few. It’s a great habit to build into our children; generosity and kindness.
Since helping her to declutter the toys, a client has since told me it has made the last five months much less stressful and the children have enjoyed having their toys all sorted and organised. Their lives have been made so much easier by just 3 hours we spent together!
Nicky Davie – Tidy Girl
Like I have said before, once you have finished, put all the items for donation in a box and place it in the boot of your car or out of sight and either donate on the day or a day or two later. Do not leave it, or they will just sit there for weeks or maybe even longer in the depths of the garage!
Storage solutions for children’s toys
I also advise on storage, you seldom need to buy new storage and in many cases what you currently have can be adapted to store the remainder of toys left after this process. Simple storage methods are the most effective and shelves or baskets work well for younger children.
Find out more about Divorce and Children
Your children will have less toys to play with but will be able to cope with tidying up less toys and will have learnt to be more generous to others. Winners all round!
Do you need help?
If you need a helping hand I am happy to help and have helped many families regain a less cluttered and more organised living space. The parent and children are much happier too! I am happy to help out post-divorce and to declutter all the things you may have brought with you from your “previous life” – it’s not easy to think about getting rid of items which may hold memories.
Tidy Girl – Nicky Davie features in The Hug Directory – contact her for advice and information on not only decluttering kids toys, but your entire home. She can find ways to help you virtually too with the current situation… and make it fun! There’s no excuse not to be tidy with Nicky onside and she could seriously improve your mental health and wellbeing… x
Comments
Loading…