I think I mentioned some time back that one of the areas of doom when it comes to decluttering my house is my daughters bedroom. It is mostly awkward because for now she is living elsewhere while going to university so that adds a degree of difficulty I didn’t really want to deal with. It is not for me to decide what she wants to keep and I cannot be bothered sending long convoluted emails or wasting precious phone minutes to have her decide long distance.
Luckily for me she came to visit the week before last and I warned her ahead of time that she was going to have to help me do some decluttering in her bedroom while she was here. She actually took it all with good grace and complied willingly if not too enthusiastically. That is she just did it and didn’t complain. We didn’t get through everything but I was happy with the progress we made and the rest can wait until her next visit.
She had fun reminiscing over some of the items we found but willingly let them go. Others she kept and we put back where we found them for now. I must admit I just dumped all the stuff out in the garage and had not been out there to sort through the piles until yesterday. All the extra hours I have been doing at work have left me a little short on time since she left. Some of the items went into the recycling bin and the rest will be donated to charity.
ITEM 191 OF 365 LESS THINGS
A pile of old papers and Rolling Stone magazines that she would not part with previously have finally found their way to the recycling bin. Hooray this was the stuff I really wanted to see go.
Hi Colleen, so glad to hear that your daughter cooperated with you on the decluttering project. I don’t think much about all the clutter I left behind with my mom when I moved away for college but that’s now all moot because she ended up tossing everything before she herself moved. Fine by me. I honestly beleive in the saying out of sight, out of mind when it comes to material things.
Hi Belinda,
out of sight out of mind is so true. Thanks for that you have just inspired my post for Monday (Sunday your time).
My daughter leaves for university this fall. It is less than 2 months away and I have been encouraging her to declutter/clean out her room. She’s really not interested, I’ll probably just end up shutting her door and pretending the mess isn’t there.
Hi Carrie,
when my daughter left home I just packed most of her stuff in the wardrobe and made a lovely new duvet cover with matching pillow shams and used the left over material to do some wall art. Then I took a photo and emailed it to her. Of course her reaction was “how come you didn’t make it all pretty when I was there”. And of course my reaction was “I told you I would pretty it up when you started to keep it tidy, well now that you are gone it is always tidy so I only did what I promised”. Whenever she is home it is a complete mess again.
I think it best to let your daughter know that if she doesn’t declutter now you will have to do it for her once she is gone. That ought to scare her into taking action.
now ihave inherited your daughter and the mess whats my solution
Hi Barbra M,
all I can say to that is, don’t send her back! Her room here is lovely and tidy while she is at your house. The solution is beat her mercilessly with a big stick. HA HA just kidding.
Glad to know that my message got through I will answer another time enjoy reading bits and pieces as to your solution on this one I would have to catch her first as she escapes from her room to the car.