The Christmas decorations are being stored away and I am left with a home that needs a cheery uplift for the next several weeks of winter. It is time for a good dusting and clean-up before I pull out some light decor to brighten the home.
Adding a little color helps to brighten the rooms before spring. This is when I have the annual "urge to purge." With limited closet space, I have to decide how much we need and what can be given to others.
We have kept the very sentimental items over the years. Also, I store away toys and books that we can pull out to use when hosting other little ones. We also have kept some of our "younger" toys for our future grandchildren to use someday.
I keep in mind that each child in our home has different interests. They collect and keep items that are special to them. I teach each child how to care for his or her toys and things properly. They learn to put their belongings away in an orderly manner. This habit takes time and practice to develop. All our kids' rooms go through times of order and disorder. When their room looks like it has reached the "point of no return," we go in and we restore order. Currently, we are going through files and papers in our own room which also happens to be my husband's office area. Needless to say, it isn't too pretty right now, but it will get done.
While the kids were young, I would prefer to work with them rather than purge for them. Each child separates their things into piles: trash, recycle, give-away, things to keep, items for their memory box, and tiny treasures that are kept in a special box and put away. We included the "maybe pile" if they were not sure what to do with an item so they could think about it later. This keeps the process of organizing moving.
This is not a fast project. The room is going to look worse before it looks better. As much as I would like to haul in the garbage bags and just "get it done," I know that that this not a good attitude towards my children and their things. I only have to look at my own closet of things or room to remember how easily things get disorderly. Would I want someone to come in and haul away my own belongings for me?
After the items are sorted, the trash and recycling are taken out, our giveaway bags are in the car, and the memory and treasure boxes are put away, we give the closet floor a good cleaning. Then comes the task of putting our items away in an orderly manner. We use our storage bins, hangers, shelves, and racks in a way that makes sense. Items we rarely use go on the highest shelves. The clothes are carefully hung by type of garment. Seasonal clothes are sorted and stored away for later.
Items played with the most should be in bins where children can reach them, clean them up, and store them easily. Children need a system where they put their dirty laundry and where they put their clean clothes. My children work with me during this process so they learn where to put their things away. It is important to teach our kids how to sort, clean, and store items properly so one day, Lord willing, they know how to manage their own home.
My teenage girls have learned how to organize their closets after years of trial and error. Belts, purses, and shoes are placed in an orderly manner. They have learned that the floor of a closet can easily become a disaster if they don't keep track of what they have. I taught them that they should only keep what they really use and be sure to pass on to others what they don't use. Each of us at home has one closet area for our things. That is all we really need. We teach our children to shop wisely and be grateful for the gifts they receive.
Over-shopping for the sake of shopping (which can lead to hoarding) needs to be addressed right at the heart of the matter. Overindulgence in our things can be a sad indicator of self-love. This will burden your budget and your whole family more than you may realize. For me, shopping over the years became more of a happy careful selection instead of a careless emotional fix. Carefully focusing on the details of our home budget and remembering the real needs for myself and our family helped me to separate any emotional attachment to shopping.
Even on a budget, some of you may need to organize to see, like I did, the realities of our many "weekly small bargain purchases" that are needlessly filling our closets and drawers. See it for what it is, confess it, and then clean it out.
Ladies, our true comfort is found only in Christ. If you are emotionally burdened, depressed, or burned-out do NOT go shopping to comfort yourself. Take the time to read His word and pray. Confess the habits you may have formed over the years and have those you love hold you accountable to forming better habits of spending and caring for your home. He will give you the wisdom, grace, and willingness to manage your home in a way that will be a blessing to you and your family.
The benefits of organizing are many. It is well worth the time and effort. You learn what you are sentimentally attached to and carefully put away what you would like to pass on to your children. Sometimes you find something you were looking for. Our children will play with a set of toys that they haven't played with for awhile. We take the time to reminisce about someone special who gave us a particular gift. We put items in a place that will be easier to remember where they are. Happily, we create a wish-list of what we really need. The reward is counting your blessings for what the Lord has provided for you and remembering to care for all that He has given to you.
When you willingly give to others you will not out-give the Lord. Often we have had something come to us in return that we really needed. He knows our hearts. He helps us to be willing to work in our homes in a way that blesses each other.
We are a family striving to help one another live together at home in a way that is beneficial to all of us. We strive to respect each others' things. We ask before we borrow and we are expected to return it. We need to lend willingly, and we should trust one another and treat one another's items with care. We save for what we want and we give to others what we don't need. This is a simple way to keep promoting godly unity in your home and help to build a haven for all of you. By God's grace, we strive for our home to be an orderly, peaceful place that is blessed by the Lord and reflects a heart of gratitude and contentment.
