Learn how to let go of kid clutter with insights from a professional organizer. Discover strategies for decluttering and organizing, preserving childhood memories, and curating digital images. Explore the emotional attachment to clutter and the rewards of professional organizing services. Find out how to create a sense of community for kids through displaying photographs of loved ones and friends. End with gratitude and encouragement for listener feedback.
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Quick takeaways
Creating a balanced approach to organizing children's mementos by combining physical and digital archiving methods.
Periodically reassessing and curating sentimental items to maintain a meaningful collection while avoiding excessive clutter.
Deep dives
Preserving Childhood Memories
When it comes to organizing and archiving the items and artwork from your children's early years, professional organizer Nona Driscoll suggests a balanced approach. She recommends keeping physical and digital mementos, such as creating digital scrapbooks or videos of special moments, as well as printing out select photos and keeping them in meaningful places like medicine cabinets or drawers. Driscoll also advises periodically going through and editing the items, letting go of what no longer brings joy or holds significance. Additionally, she emphasizes the importance of curating pictures that capture the community and relationships surrounding your children, helping them develop a sense of belonging and love.
Getting Started with Organizing
For those who feel overwhelmed by the task of decluttering, Nona Driscoll suggests using a timer to break the process into manageable chunks, starting with just 10 minutes at a time. Scheduling regular sessions on the calendar can also provide structure and ensure progress. Driscoll encourages a mix of physical and digital organizing, finding a balance between saving important keepsakes and avoiding excessive clutter. By adopting these strategies and embracing the joy of organizing, individuals can create more organized and manageable living spaces.
The Significance of Letting Go
While it can be challenging to let go of sentimental items, Nona Driscoll highlights the benefits of periodically reassessing the items we save. She explains that each time we revisit our memorabilia, we gain a fresh perspective and become better at releasing things that no longer hold the same meaning. Driscoll encourages individuals to trust their judgment, recognizing that it is okay to keep a little more when it comes to preserving memories but also being mindful of not saving everything. Ultimately, finding a balance allows for a more curated and meaningful collection of items.
Modeling Organization and Safety
When it comes to children's rooms and clutter, Nona Driscoll suggests finding a balance between allowing kids to express themselves and providing guidance for maintaining safety and a reasonable level of organization. By periodically tidying with or without their involvement, parents can instill important habits and teach children the value of keeping their space manageable. Driscoll also emphasizes the positive influence of growing up in an organized environment, which can influence children to become more mindful of their living spaces as they grow older and share their spaces with others.
Kids generate so…much…stuff. A lot of it is memorable. Videos of their first words? So cute. Colorful drawings that progressively get better? Masterpieces. Trophies, stuffies, books? All valuable. The problem: There’s no way to keep everything. So how do you figure out what to cherish and what to toss? On this episode of How To!, co-hosts Carvell Wallace and Courtney Martin bring in Nonnahs Driskill, professional organizer and founder of Get Organized Already. She has lots of insight into why we value certain items, what it means to have an organizing mindset, and how to archive your child’s life in a way that works for you.
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Podcast production by Derek John, Joel Meyer, and Rosemary Belson.
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