Back-to-school time is a watershed time of year for many of us. It’s when the lazy days of summer come to a close and it’s time to get organized for the school year. If you’re a student, that means reorganizing closets, lockers and even your bedroom. If you’re a parent, it can mean getting the house in shape for the suddenly very busy schedule that’s about to begin. Either way, it’s a perfect time to take the opportunity to shed some of your “stuff” that’s been weighing you down. Here are some tips for shedding stuff in honor of back-to-school time!
Make it a Family Event! We all know that once the school year begins, it’s harder to find time to spend together as a family. School commitments, increased social schedules and the overall business that comes in the fall and holidays can make family time a challenge. Take this opportunity as a family before the school year starts to sit down and work together to clear out old “stuff”. Decide who in the family will handle each part (garage, bedrooms, old holiday decorations) and then have family check-in updates each day to see how it’s going!
Incentivize Your Kids: You can incentivize your kids to take reducing things before back-to-school time seriously. You don’t need to incentivize with “more stuff” either! You can reward your kids with trips to their favorite eating establishments, promises of hosting a party for their friends or even extra tv time or phone minutes.
Have a Purpose: The point of reducing “stuff” before back-to-school time is to make your household run more efficiently when your schedule picks up in the fall. So don’t just limit yourself to saying “let’s get rid of stuff.” Have a plan to make closets more organized for finding outfits quickly in the morning, kitchens more organized for finding quick snacks or making meals more efficiently, and the overall plan to not be worn down by “stuff” when you’re trying to manage a busy life.
Set a Check-In Point for the Future: Plan to have a family sit-down before the holidays to see how well you’re maintaining your “stuff reduction.” Set goals about keeping things organized and not buying so much stuff that drawers are overflowing again. Having a check-in point later in the year can also make sure that you don’t go into the holidays “stuff heavy.”
Back-to-school is a perfect time to make changes in your life because your schedule will be changing as well. Take advantage of it to create family unity around the idea of reducing clutter and dependence on consumer goods!
