The kids are home for the holidays and they are saying they are bored so it’s the perfect time to give them microtasks for decluttering! Notice I said microtasks - you are much, much more likely to get cooperation when you are very specific with the ASK and the TASK. 

It’s overwhelming when we ask kids to declutter their room because they often don’t even know how to start. Giving them very specific little tasks or challenges will head off their overwhelm. Even adults benefit from breaking big projects into smaller steps. These micro tasks are ideal ways to transfer some organizing skills while parents get the benefit of less clutter in the home to manage. Place the focus on strengthening organizational habits by celebrating small victories and avoid family friction! Here are some ideas for your kids by major age groups:

Elementary - Middle School: Clothing and toys 

At this age, kids are growing so fast that they turn over a wardrobe every 9 to 12 months. Give them a white kitchen bag and write their name on the bag with a sharpie. Ask them to fill the bag with clothing items that no longer fit. You can even add a challenge by setting a timer for 30 minutes. For this age, the outgrown clothing are usually hiding in the dressers or closets, so suggest to your little ones to start looking there. The bonus from freeing up these valuable storage spaces is that the clothing that fits now has a place to go. Another challenge idea might be to ask kids this age to review the play room for 5 toys that they have outgrown. Make a big deal out of donating the items and grab some hot chocolate together.

High School: Clothing and books

At this age, your time is limited before they start rolling their eyes. For older students, ask for the bag of clothes and make a suggestion that they look for books that can be donated. There will be at least 5 books in their room that were assigned reading that can be donated. Old notebooks or school papers can count, too! If your kids are old enough to drive, ask them to make the thrift store run with their stuff and throw in some of yours, too!  This is a great way to get them and some of the Amazon boxes out of your house for a much needed break!

College - Older: Memorabilia 

It’s not uncommon to see mom’s hanging on to things that belong to their very adult children. For adult children that don’t live with you, use questions like “Is there anything in this drawer or closet shelf you would like to take home or have me save for you?” Open ended questions work best because they imply no judgement or pressure. This approach is also more likely to result in action instead of push back. If they say NO, believe them. 

And that is my biggest tip for parents with kids of all ages -  when they say they don’t want something, honor that decision. I get it - I’m a mom and I’ve made this classic mistake of asking “ARE YOU SURE?”. The real win here is to give our kids confidence to make decluttering choices so try to avoid second guessing their decisions. The goal is to teach our kids the skills of decluttering while gaining a little more breathing room in our homes. Don’t forget to celebrate those wins!