10.17.2011

Day 17 - Clutter Free Kids' Rooms

Welcome to Day 17 of the 31 Days to a Clutter Free Home series. We're back to working our way through the home this lovely Monday morning - moving onto kids' rooms.

Our first baby, Levi, is 15 months old. So I will in no way claim to be an expert in kids' rooms. Still, my short experience so far has taught me that LESS is so much MORE.

I'm going to talk about de-cluttering pertaining to kids' clothes and toys later this week, so I won't spend a lot of time on those topics today.

Basically, the point I want to get across is that even if you live in the good ol' U.S.A. like me, the land of extreme abundance, you DO NOT need all that stuff from Babies R Us or Target for your baby. Their sales ads might lead you to believe that you do need all those gadgets with all those bells and whistles and that you would be an unfit parent if you didn't buy it all, but I'm here to tell you it will be ok.

In Levi's room, we have a crib (with a teddy bear in it), a glider / ottoman, a dresser and a bookshelf with some books and toys. And he is completely content. For a couple months we used a swing. And another couple months he enjoyed his exercauser. Other than that, we don't have much else for him.





Every baby is different. One baby may just love an exercauser while another baby might prefer to lay on a blanket rolling over. My advice is to wait and see your baby's personalitiy and then buy the extras based on that. So, before your baby is born, all you need is a bassinette/crib, a rocker of some sort, and a place to store clothes and diapers, and clothes and diapers and wipes. Life will be so much easier and your home will feel more spacious if you don't rush out and buy every gadget known to baby.

And once your kids get older, it is important to periodically re-evalutate their needs. Even in Levi's short life, I've re-organized his room probably 5 times. Pack up (for the next child) or donate toys that they've outgrown. Always work on editing your belongings to simplify your life. And most importantly, remember that it's ok, as the parent, to say NO when they want the next "whatever".

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

My second slept in a bassinet (Fisher Price Rainforest). I stored all his clothes and diapers on bottom and changed him in the bassinet or on the couch/bed/floor. Instant (and mobile!) nursery.

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