Organizing a home is a big job. Living with children now makes that job seem like the ocean tides... endlessly washing in and out. Clothes, toys, books in, and clothes, toys, books out. It can be overwhelming at times. Where do you start?
Today I'm going to tackle laundry in this blog. Whether your child is a teen or a toddler, I'm going to suggest a fashion show. When you propose the fashion show to your child, dangle a "carrot" at the end of the chore. Whether their reward is one NEW item to add to their closet, or a ticket to a movie, the reward in this case is important.
Secondly, you are going to give them a little talk about why donating clothes or giving them to a friend or cousin is important. The goal will be to take each category down by two, if possible. Meaning, if they have 8 sweaters, choose 2 to donate/sell/eliminate.
Before you move into action, clean off the bed and make it. You will use this as your sorting surface. The bed is nearby and big enough for this task. Also have a cardboard box as your "donation catcher."
Start with this question: Is there anything in this closet that you just don't like or don't want anymore? If yes, grab it quick and toss it in the donation bin. DON'T try to talk them out of this toss. It could de-rail the process. So even if you like the sweater they want to toss... bite your tongue. Anything damaged, stained or beyond repair should just get tossed out.
Next step... Ask them if they've outgrown anything? This is where the fashion show begins. Cue the music. This should be a fun activity. Seriously, cue the music.
The third step is to group like items and get them to select their favourites (jeans, sweaters, skirts etc) . Favourites get to go back to the closet. The 2 least favourites go to the donation bin. Think... "American Idol" elimination.
If you get into negotiations, ask them to put the item on. Then ask your (teen) what they would wear with it? Where would they wear it? When will they wear it? (This negotiating step doesn't work with toddlers, and we've likely exhausted their attention by this point anyway.)
Finally, look for places to donate items that add value for you. For example: Please Mum stores in Canada are offering store credit when you bring them clothes (clean, no damage). It's 50 cents or a dollar credit per item, but it can add up to new clothes from their store. For your teen, Warehouse One is offering $10 credit on a pair of new jeans when you give them your old ones. Until Feb 26th only, at participating stores.
Don't forget this method can be applied to your own closet. When was the last time you had a fashion show for yourself, or your spouse?
No comments:
Post a Comment