Do you have an issue with letting go of things? Well, guess what? Chances are so will your kids. We all know that kids, for the most part, learn their behaviors from their parents. Cluttering, disorganization and hoarding is no exception.
They will watch you not putting things back where they belong and they will learn that setting up their environment so that it is easy to live and work in isn’t important and making life harder is the way to go. If they hear you justify holding on to something by saying, “I might need it someday” they will learn that getting rid of anything means being deprived later which instills fear and lack of trust. If they see you wearing clothes that don’t fit, need mending or not a complimentary style and they will learn that putting their best foot forward doesn’t matter. They look at all of the items that you buy that are more than what you need and they learn that having a lot of stuff is what living is all about. So I think you get my drift. Your kids are watching and if you are a clutter bug and can’t let things go easily then your kids may grow up having the same problem.
So at this point you may be asking how do I stop my kids from aquiring the same behaviors I have when it comes to stuff? And the answers are simple. Model organized behavior and start teaching them now how to let things go. Continue reading »