Category: Clutter

Clutter, Declutter, Hectic to Harmonious Online Home Cleanse, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Laura Thompson Bradly, stuff

Simplicity Parenting update

Olof

As I have said in the past my journey into Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids has been a little revolutionary to me. It is changing the way I think about TV and STUFF. How I need to get rid of all the STUFF in my life. What am I calling STUFF? STUFF is the things that I do not love or need in my life but have held on to because maybe one day I might need it or it was given to my child so I don’t have a right to get rid of it. I use to be able to fit every worldly possession that I cared for into 2 bags and move from one country to another. When we moved into this 1500sq.ft. home we had moved from a one bedroom apartment and the house was so empty. We had 2 empty bedrooms and our bedroom was half empty. The living room was half empty and everything echoed. 3 kids later and our, what we thought, large house is now cramped. Not enough room for all of our STUFF. In reality this house is not too small for our family. It is just too small for our STUFF.

I was overwhelmed to say the least and those of you that have followed my blog for a while know that I really wanted to do something about it but honestly, I just didn’t know how, or where, to start and my kids and husband were starting to show signs of being overwhelmed as well. I knew I wanted to take that first step but how? I found Laura’s Hectic to Harmonious Home Cleanse and it gave me the jump start I needed. Helped me focus in on what mattered and what didn’t matter. The first culling of toys happened and I saw how it changed the way my children played and how less overwhelmed I was with their vast amount of toys. It was a lot easier to pick up and not as big of a deal. Laura kept referring to the Simplicity Parenting book. After the cleans was over I knew I needed to learn more about this book and its teachings.

I contacted the Simplicity Parenting group and got to join the current class even though it had already started. Thank you Dr. Kim. I had to play catch up on several weeks of material but each time he lead us through a meditation that really helps put things into perspective. So far we have talked about:

  • Gift-Quirk-Disorder Spectrum
    How to move your child’s quirks towards their gifts and away from potential behavioral and discipline problems.
  • Soul Fever
    How to cool the “soul fever” many children and families experience.(This is when your child is just acting off and you know they just aren’t feeling well mentally.)
  • Decluttering the Environment
    Gain support to simplify books, clothes, toys, lighting, noise etc.
  • Strengthen Rhythm & Predictability
    Experience the powerful and soothing effects on the whole family when daily safety valves of rhythm are strengthened and made more predictable. (I realize that this is something I have a hard time with with each birth. Trying to find the new right rhythm to the now different family)
  • Prioritizing Schedules
    Receive support to dial back busyness and over scheduling.  Rediscover the gift of boredom and the gift of anticipation.(I‘m not one to over schedule if I can get away from it but this has gotten me to feel better about being a homebody)
  • Screens…
    Filtering Out the Adult World         Taking a sensible and objective look at the effects of screen media and designing your own plan around what you feel is healthy. (This one is a problem in our home. We watch way too much TV and it is just too easy to use when I need time to nurse the baby or bath the baby or take a shower myself) 

 This webinar has helped me box up some more toys and there are even more to be boxed up to be put into the toy library to be rotated monthly. Sundays have become no screen days and I try to limit screens even more than before especially after hearing the research that was done with brain imaging on kids that watched too much TV.

On top of taking this webinar I am reading books on how to organize that are helping me do what I´m wanting to do with out  letting myself get sidetracked. I am far from perfect at the moment and doing this with 3 kids under the age of 5 is not easy but I am going in the right direction. I am informing myself and learning from others. I hope to become a simplicity parenting leader this fall and start offering my own webinars to those that need them but until then, I will keep working on my own CHAOS (can´t have anybody over syndrome) and hopefully I will have a home that is open and decluttered and inviting to my family in the months to come. 

How do you keep up with clutter?



Clutter, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Parenting

They Have Radar

Olof

I’ve found out that my boys have radar for when I need to get things done. If I get busy with something they need me for something and with my sleep deprived brain I loose track of what I was doing and forget. If I sit down to knit or organize something they are especially needy of my attention but if I am mindlessly browsing the internet or doing something that is not useful at all then they are fine and only need something every once in a while. Three days ago I was trying to take a photo of Alex when the boys wanted to watch something on TV and while the computer was booting up I went to take a photo of Alex again and somehow in that time misplaced the remote. For the life of me I can’t find it. There are three steps from the TV to where I took Alex’s photo. Sigh…………. It’s the clutter. I know it’s the clutter. Cluttering my house and my brain. Anyway, there is a photo of my 24lbs (11kg) 27inch (69cm) 3 and a half month old Alexander wearing the pebbles vest I made for Odinn when he was 3.

Who can you blame your distractions on?

Birthday, Christmas gifts, Clutter, decluttering, toys

Overwhelmed

Olof

So, I took a few days off around the new year to do some thinking and the last couple of days I have tried to ignore the pile of toys in my living room while I tackle the pile of papers on my desk. Christmas as it is now in our life is not what my husband or I are happy with. It´s just stress. I have a huge family with lots of kids and I have 5 siblings and most of them have husbands or wives and then there is my husband´s side of the family as well. After all the presents came in this year I felt overwhelmed. It was too much stuff. Stuff that was loud. Stuff that has become pollution in my home that was meant to be a sign of caring and love. Thankfully, Alex is too young to know any better and I can return some of his ”toys” and get something useful and needed. I´m hoping the family does not take offense to this since I would much rather people return what I give them and get something they want or need rather than keep something that they really didn´t need or want in the first place. My older boys on the other hand want to play with their new toys of course. I understand that. I have such a hard time getting rid of their toys too. But the flimsy plastic toys are taking over and are against all I want for my family and they don´t play with them most of the time because they get lost in the mountain of toys just taking up space that I don´t have available. There are enough cancer causing chemicals in their life, adding cheap plastic toys to their life where the chemicals leach through their skin doesn’t help. I´m trying to live a simpler life with less stuff. I’m not saying that my children shouldn’t have toys. I love the toys that are well made and something that even their children or grandchildren could play with. Like Playmobil or legos are the plastic toys I´m OK with. They are developmental and help them use their imagination and work through some of their day to day issues. I also love wooden toys like Thomas and friends wooden trains and tracks and art supplies. My boys have their plastic trucks that they play with in the dirt. I don´t mind them as long as they stay out in the dirt pit and they don´t need any more of them until something brakes and needs to be replaced.

After having kids myself I am a firm believer in asking the parent first before giving a gift. Ask what the child needs. I remember getting sheets for my bed for Christmas, socks and sweaters. things I needed not just toys. Yes toys are fun and you want to be the fun maker but how about giving a ticket to the local aquarium or zoo or a children´s play and then take the child. That memory would be much better than any cheep flimsy toy and the parent would love it too.

I only have a 3 bedroom home for a 5 person household. That should be no problem but it is when there is a constant flow if things coming in but little going out. I´m restarting my 52 week challenge with my first post being on Monday about organizing papers to get ready for tax season.Wish me luck!

As I finish writing this I my heart is warm as I hear Magni play with the Playmobil that Santa gave him and his brother this Christmas. I hear him grow developmentally and not be overwhelmed with sounds or violent characters as I have managed to keep their bedroom clean of that stuff. My living room on the other hand has been overtaken as you could see on Monday´s post.

Magni´s birthday is on the first Saturday of next month and sadly I think toward it with a mix of anxiety and joy. The anxiety of having to find space for more stuff but the love that family and friends will be here to celebrate his 3rd birthday.

As I try to do what I believe is best for my family I believe that I will offend some people. I´m sorry about that. I do have  very understanding mother in law that is willing to take some of the toys to her house.

What is the hardest thing for you to keep control over at your house?