Reducing Kid & College Clutter

This week Kathryn Porter, de-cluttering expert and author of Too Much Stuff: De-cluttering Your Heart And Home, is answering questions from my blog’s readers.

Rachelle asks:

How do you keep your kids from running around and "cluttering" after you just finished cleaning?

To prevent children from cluttering the freshly cleaned home, set boundaries on where they can play. Designate a play room to contain any messes they make. This could be a room designed for that purpose alone or it could be a family room where other adults gather. Another good rule of thumb is to allow only one toy out at a time. Before the matchbox cars come out, the legos must be put away. Also, to the extent possible, have your children clean with you. Let them take ownership of a clean house. If they vacuum the carpet, they may be more careful about tracking mud on it.

How long should I keep my high school and college memorabilia, textbooks, term papers, etc? I graduated from college in 1982 but still have several boxes of memorabilia in my garage. Is it time to consolidate? What tips can you give me for deciding what to keep and what to let go of?

The college textbooks are outdated. It's a safe bet that it's time to let go of them. When deciding what to keep, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is there a special memory that goes along with this item? (Just because you enjoyed gym class is not enough reason to keep your old gym shorts.)
• Is this paper one of my best pieces of work? (You don't have to keep every paper you ever wrote. Instead pick your favorites and toss the rest.)
• How likely is it that I will need to refer to this paper again? (Beware of keeping things "just in case.")

For more about Kathryn, visit www.clutterwise.com/

You can purchase Kathryn's book from my Exploring Adoption bookstore. For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com.