Declutter It!

Organizing Problem: Your family is not on board

by Jennifer on May 19th, 2008

One huge organizing issue is that one or two people in a household will be organized but the rest of the family just goes along their merry way tossing stuff wherever.

Solutions:

Explain why: Too many times we just say “clean because I say so.” Use basic reasoning such as if we always organize as we go, the house is easier to tidy up, leaving us all more free and fun time. Or, tell the truth, that you feel better and happier when you don’t have to see clutter 24/7. Organizing is not for everyone; not everyone finds it essential to daily life. Fact is, if your family knows your reasoning they may be more inclined to help out and keep things decluttered.

Ask don’t tell: It’s easy for you to organize; you know your system. However, your system is not the be all and end all of solutions. Ask your partner and kids what how they think the house should be organized. Show them some options and allow them to choose their favorite systems - i.e. bins, a toy box, or shelving units. Don’t place a table for keys and mail in the hallway if you know darn well that your spouse always puts stuff in the dining room. Have two key areas or compromise. Working together as a family to plan an organizing system will encourage that the system is more likely to get used.

Know your family: I like to see tidy stacks and clean lines - to me that’s organized. My son is more architecturally and artistically inclined, meaning he creates these oddball systems of organizing. He’ll set rocks and Lego creations out all over the place; which frankly, looks cluttered to me, but if you take the time to see what he’s doing, you’d know that he really wants people to be able to see the rocks and Legos laid out as he’s put them, so he keeps the areas around them tidier. If you take away the rocks and Legos, he’ll leave stuff laying around all cluttered, because there’s nothing to see. Find out your family member’s styles - clean lines, toss and go, artsy or business like, out in the open vs. behind a closed cabinet, and go from there.

Shut the door: This works well for cluttered kid rooms. Face it, what harm is it going to do to shut your kid’s bedroom door, then you don’t have to see the clutter. Make some rules of course; they have to be able to get to the door or window in case of fire, and no health hazards allowed. By health hazards I mean dirty dishes that can turn moldy, and smells from dirty clothing drifting into the hall where other family members are affected. Some kids won’t ever be tidy as kids; don’t play a game you can’t win, your time is better spent doing other stuff.

How do you get your family on board the organizing train?

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POSTED IN: Children's Spaces, Organizing Basics