The Posh Blog

We have reached the final piece of our 4 part series on Tips to Help Children Cut Clutter.  So far I have explained three different methods you can try to motivate your child to let go of old toys, games, and clothes.  In Part I discussed Money, Part 2 was a Good Cause, and Part 3 was “This for That”, click on the title if you missed one of the previous posts.  Let’s take a look at one of the final methods.

4. A Good Home.  Finding a good home for a toy can be one of the most meaningful ways to help a child let go of a toy.  Some children get very attached to their toys and stuffed animals and knowing that the toy is going to someone who is going to take care of it can be the golden ticket for getting a toy out of your house.  This can be effective but can also cause clutter for someone else, therefore, I often save this method as a last resort. 

Again, for some children and adults, this may be a strategy that delivers great results.  But you have to consider who the items are going to.  Do they have space for the items?  Do they want or need the items?  Are you or your child putting pressure on the person receiving the items to keep them?  What if the person decides to get rid of the items in 6 months?  My advice would be to have a conversation with your child discussing that “the toys now belong to Suzie and when she has finished playing with them she may donate them or give them to someone else”. 

A few weeks ago I wrote a post called Toy Story 3 – Help Kids Donate Toys?  If you have not seen the movie read my post to see how Disney-Pixar dealt with the inevitable fate of our childhood favorites. 

I hope you found this helpful.  If you have a method that has worked well for your children please share by posting your comment below. 

Good luck with your toy management!

Angela

Copyright (C) 2010 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

This weekend I went to my twin nephew’s first birthday party.  They were adorable of course but as I looked at the dining room table filled with gifts I started to think of the new cycle my sister-in-law has entered.  That is the cycle of out with the old and in with the new.  While it may be easier to get rid of baby toys while the baby can’t influence your decision it becomes more difficult as children get older and start to voice an opinion on what they want to keep.  This is Part 3 of my 4 part series “Tips to Help Children Cut Clutter”.  Click here if you missed Part 1 or Part 2.  Keep in mind we are looking for ways to motivate your child to part with his or her toys, clothes, etc. that are no longer being used.

3. This for That.  This tip may sound like you are only inviting in more clutter, but that is not necessarily the case.  “This for that” can be a variety of things.  As one of my clients told me, she told her children “if there isn’t any room for new toys Santa will think you have enough and he won’t bring you any more”.  She said she was amazed at the things they got rid of and how quickly they moved!  Many people try to use birthdays and holidays as a benchmark to help motivate children to reduce their toys.  While the timing is great, you have to remember to follow through.  It has to be a “this for that”. 

The “this for that” method could also be a reward that you incorporate into a Spring or Fall cleaning.  You may have an annual Spring Clutter Fling!  You spend a few hours going through the toys and clothes and at the end of the day as part of your Spring Clutter Fling tradition you go to your children’s favorite restaurant, ice cream shop, go play putt-putt golf, or go to another fun place.  Something that will help the children feel like they are getting a reward for their efforts.  Keep in mind in order to keep the clutter reduced this will be most effective if you make the reward an event or activity, a non-clutter reward so to speak. 

Use your imagination.  You can create your own “this for that” reward as long as it helps motivate your children.  Do you have a fabulous “this for that” idea?  I’d love to hear it.  Leave a comment below and share.

Cheers to clutter going out the door!

Angela

Copyright (C) 2010 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

Children’s clutter is something most parents struggle with.  There are parts and pieces strewn around the house and probably a closet full of toys and games that are not even being used.  On Wednesday in my blog article Tips to Help Children Cut Clutter Part 1 I explained that finding what motivates your child will be your #1 defense against clutter.  The first motivator I talked about was money, click here to read Part 1 of Tips to Help Children Cut Clutter.  The second common motivator is a good cause.

2. A Good Cause. Finding a cause that motivates your child can be huge!  I had one client who called me and told me one of the biggest things she needed help with was helping her teenager let go of an old Beanie Baby collection.  She had tried multiple things and her teen would not budge. 

When I met with her we discussed the good cause method.  We talked about different charities and organizations.  Of course there are great organizations like the Goodwill and Salvation Army, but there are also children’s shelters and orphanages where those children may not have any toys to call their own.  There are women’s and children’s shelters for women and children who are fleeing domestic violence situations.  I also told her about how some police stations collect small stuffed animals so the officers can keep a few in their cars to give to a child if they are in a situation where the officer has to remove the child from the home.  My client had a heartfelt discussion with her teen and the next time I arrived a garbage bag full of Beanie Babies was waiting for me.  The teen was so touched to learn that there were children who had to go through these situations that all but a handful of the Beanie Babies were being donated.  

As I mentioned above learn more about the non-profits in your area.  Perhaps your child will be motivated to help another child who may not have any toys at all.  Perhaps your child will be motivated to recycle toys, donate toys to a local children’s hospital, donate books to a library, or some theaters will take donations to use a props.  The options are really endless. 

If you think your child will be motivated by a good cause then start looking for non-profits in your area and start talking to your child.  You just might be pleasantly surprised.

Tune in next Tuesday for Part 3 of this series Tips to Help Children Cut Clutter and if you missed Part 1 click here.

Is there something that has motivated your child to let go of clutter we would love to hear your ideas!

Happy clutter clearing!

Angela
Copyright (C) 2010 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

One of the top questions I get from parents is “how do I get my child to get rid of some of their toys”?  Parents are often at their wits end.  Perhaps they have asked the child to get rid of some toys, they may have gone as far as setting a specific number that they have to get rid of, or perhaps they have just tried so many times in the past that they know there is nothing they can do to get the child to get rid of some of the toys.  In fact, parents frequently tell me that they sneak toys out when the child is not around. 

But with children, just like adults, I have found that the best way to help them to get rid of the clutter is to find out what motivates them.  It will amaze you to see how a child will jump to get rid of something with the right motivation.  As a Professional Organizer, I have found four ways that motivate most people. 

There is so much to talk about on this that it will be a three part series.  Part 2 will follow on Friday, July 16th, Part 3 will be on Tuesday, July 20th and Part 4 will be on Thursday, July 22nd.

1. Money.  Yes children, just like adults may be motivated by money.  If they are you can take advantage of this in a few different ways. 

Option 1 would be to sell the toys.  This can be in a garage sale, on craigslist, or e-bay.  Discuss this with your child and determine what they will be allowed to do with the money.  Perhaps they can purchase new toys, or the money could go towards a trip to a theme park (like money to spend at Disney), or something else that they have been wanting. 

If you don’t have time to deal with selling things then look at Option 2.  Create a cash for toys plan.  In this case you would pay the child a certain amount for each toy that he or she gets rid of.  For example, $1 for every large toy or set, $0.50 for medium toys, and $0.25 for action figures or smaller toys. Again, it is critical that you discuss what your child can do with the money once he or she gets it. Essentially, you are helping your child to create a goal so that he or she will be more driven to get rid of more toys if the goal is higher.  

Money is just one motivator to help your child let go of some clutter and it may not be the answer for you.  I will go over the remaining three motivators over the next two weeks. 

Good luck!
Angela

Copyright (C) 2010 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

It’s good to be green, but sometimes being green can pose a few challenges.  One question I have received many times is “what do I do with my old Compact Florescent light bulbs?”  Don’t let your old CF light bulbs clutter up your space simply take them to Home Depot where they have these mini-recycling centers set up (as pictured left).  I was in Home Depot with my family last weekend looking for a new tree for our backyard when I snapped this picture with my cell phone.  Sorry it’s not the best quality.  You can also take your old batteries from power tool, like drills, screwdrivers, etc. to Home Depot for recycling. 

So gather up those recyclables and take them to the Home Depot.   Just in time to clean out the garage for the summer! 

Go green!

Copyright (C) 2010 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

I was in one of my favorite stores yesterday, Office Max, and I learned about a new service they offer.  You can now take your confidential documents to Office Max for shredding.  How great is that!  I did ask if this was a national service and I was told yes, but I would recommend that you check with your local Office Max before you load your car with paper.

Here’s how it works: 
You bring in the paper you need shredded.  You pay $0.59/pound of paper you have.  Drop the paper in a secure locked box, similar to a mail box at the Post Office.  A shredding company comes to the store regularly and shreds the documents on-site.  I was told the Office Max employees do not have the key to open the locked box, only the shredding company can open the box.  I was also told an Office Max employee monitors the shredding process to ensure all documents are being shred. 

If you don’t have a shredder at your house, I like this idea because it is quick and simple.  You can keep a SMALL box that you designate as your shred box, where you can add items to it each week.  At the end of the month take the box to Office Max. 

If you are going through old files and you have a high volume of paper to shred then I would consider calling a shredding company directly.  If you are in the Austin area I recommend Central Texas Secure Shredding.  You can take your boxes to them or they can pick up from you.  The cost at Central Texas Secure Shredding is approximately $50-60 for six boxes of paper. 

Here’s to clearing out your old files securely!

Angela