Decluttering is an essential life skill that every child and adult should learn. Managing things, keeping what we need, and getting rid of what we don’t are some of the techniques we should learn to follow a minimalistic lifestyle and also to keep our surroundings clean. Parents must teach their kids to manage their stuff and keep it in its proper place if they really use or need it. But sometimes parents too don’t know how to get rid of the mess and keep things organized. There are some tips which would help us to keep our stuff organized.

Knowing our needs and wants

Our houses are full of things we don’t want. Whenever we go shopping, our eyes get attracted to unnecessary things, and we buy them as well. Slowly, so many unwanted things start to accumulate in our house and a mess is created. It is always good to analyze whether we really need a thing before we buy it. A kid needs books to read, toys to play with, and nowadays, due to online classes, they also need a laptop or desktop for their studies. But some grown up kids also have smartphones with them. The question here is, do they need it at that stage? Some parents may give their child a phone for security and to keep track of them, but a smart phone is not required for such purposes. We should be able to differentiate between our wants and needs and get things accordingly.

Modelling desired behavior

We always want our kids to behave in an appropriate manner, to know what they want, and also to manage themselves. We feel our life would be easier if they started managing things. We try to instruct them and tell them what is wrong or what is right. But children don’t learn through simple instructions. They learn through observing others. Parents should always behave in the way they want their kids to behave. While cleaning the home, involve your kids and let them be a part of the cleaning process. Ask them what things are important and get rid of the mess. This is how they would understand what a mess they are in and how to get rid of them when they grow up.

Instill good habits.

Decluttering is not about tossing and throwing things, but it is about instilling good behavior and habits among children. The moment a kid understands how to clean and manage his or her stuff, they also learn to behave properly and a sense of positivity grows in them. They may ask themselves questions before buying anything to understand if they really need it. In the same way, while cleaning their rooms, they would think about the things that are important to them. This is how they would also learn to analyze things and develop their decision-making skills.

Let go of things.

As part of the cleaning and decluttering process, our kids can learn how they can discard things responsibly. Sometimes it is really hard for us to detach ourselves from things that were our favorites but are of no use now. Rather than throwing away such things, they can be given to somebody who can use them or give them to charity to somebody who really needs them. When we give something to somebody, it really gives us internal happiness. This is how they would learn to give back to the world and grow up as responsible citizens. They also learn to understand the needs of the poor and needy and always help them.

Decluttering is not only the process of getting rid of unwanted items from our homes, but it is also the process of getting rid of unwanted feelings.