Family Clutter-6 Easy Steps to Manage It

Clearing family clutter is challenging when decisions must be made by other people

So, you’ve got the clutter clearing bug! You’ve been working through your closets and cabinets, getting rid of tons of stuff that you no longer need, and IT FEELS GREAT! However, you find that you are running into a problem: family clutter and the clutter you share with your significant other or family members.

You may be boldly pitching things that haven’t seen the light of day in years, only to have your partner come home and mournfully retrieve items from the trash. Or perhaps you get stuck, wondering what your beloved would do with the item in your hand that you would gladly chuck out without a second thought. Consequently, your forward momentum stalls out with necessary concern for the most important people in your life. Don’t let family clutter steal your momentum!

How can we keep the process moving forward?

How do we get our partner and kids on board without upsetting feelings?

What do we do in those areas of life where our “stuff” is deeply entwined with someone else?

Here are 6 awesome strategies for managing your clutter together, without tears or tantrums.

Six easy steps to manage Family Clutter

1. Everyone gets a box! Designate a small box for each person in the household, and label it clearly and attractively with each person’s name. Make sure that the size of the box is not too large, or it could be overwhelming. Try a small laundry basket or cute organizers that you can pick up at Target. When you come across an item that needs a decision by someone else, put it in the box. If the item is too big to fit, write a note and include the current location of the item. Leave that item out in plain sight, if possible. Finally, ask each family member to go through and empty their box each day. Include this handy checklist to help them decide how important the items are to them:
2. Surprises at the bottom of the box. Put a note for each family member at the bottom of a full box. Taking a moment to write “Thank you” or “I love you” goes a long way. Make a “coupon” to go get ice cream or some other special treat that is redeemable when the box is empty. On the days when the boxes are particularly full, make the reward a little bigger.
3. Bookshelves – one shelf at a time! If you love a book and want to keep it, leave it upright on the shelf. If you are ready to let it go, tip the book down. Next, have other family members go through the shelf after you. If they love a book that you don’t, have them set the book back upright. Finally, when all family members have made their decisions, give away the books that are tipped down.
4. Deadlines – with BENEFITS. Plan a family garage sale where everyone has the opportunity to make some cash from their family clutter. Give kids the opportunity to show off their newly cleared space to their friends with a playdate, slumber party, etc. Has your partner been longing to try a new hobby or activity? Show how decluttering may be making room for something new and exciting. Schedule a Goodwill pick-up and put the date on the calendar. Offer a reward for whoever donates the most bags of stuff.
5. Check in with how people are feeling. Firstly, engage in conversation about the change in the way space feels after decluttering. Ask family members which space they would like to see cleared next. Be open and curious about their reactions. It may take a while for the feelings of apprehension to pass (“She wants to throw away all my stuff!”). Getting your family on board is usually a matter of being patient and engaging them in the process. Once most people feel the change in how their space feels, they want to get on board.
6. Use the carrot, not the stick. When family clutter clearing is rewarded, the attitudes around it change as well. It is never a good idea to make cleaning or decluttering a punishment. This builds negative associations that are much harder to overcome in the future. Keep it positive and rewarding, and it will be much easier to get (and keep!) your home clutter-free.

Clear your Space – Recharge your Self – Direct your Life

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Christina Laberge

Owner at Wellspring Energyworks

Liturgical Fabric Artist, Composer, Reiki Master Teacher, Space Clearing Consultant, Energetic Better Living Coach - Christina Laberge is living abundantly in the Boston area with her wife, Kelly, her two cats (Tam-Tam and Rosie) and one very cranky parrot (Daisy). She loves choral music, creating fabric art, travel, and riding on the back of a very large Harley motorcycle.

Latest posts by Christina Laberge (see all)

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