The school year is over, and summer is about to begin!
And with that comes the clutter of a school year – binders and notebooks of notes, worksheets, and art projects. What do you do with it all?
Many people stuff it all in a box of “school memories”, never to be seen again… And some people let it pile up in assorted areas of the home.
Instead, have it be an ever-changing and growing section of your home!
It is important to imprint children with the skill to declutter and keep themselves organized, and a part of that is to consistently go through their items such as school work.
1. Set aside some time, fairly soon after their last day of school, to go through their papers from the year. Have them keep special moments that they wish to remember, whether it be important educational content or an essay or work of art they put a lot of work into.
2. Store those items in an appropriate container that will protect them from the elements, and from getting crushed and damaged, and that is large enough to accommodate these items and future ones.
3. Have this be a consistent practice every year, and make sure to go through previous years’ items at the same time. What may have seemed special last year may seem obsolete now. Rather than having the items continue to pile up, warranting a larger container every year, only keep those items that remain special and worthwhile to keep.
4. Going through these items annually keeps up the practice of decluttering and going through items! And after doing this specific area of their life, it will be easier to apply to other areas.
5. Be patient. The first time that your child goes through their items, they may want to keep EVERYTHING. And that’s ok! Try again a few months later and see if there are memories that have faded and things that seemed important at the time, but are no longer. It will get easier and be more efficient. It helps to not put pressure on it, but to do it alongside them! Go through your own papers or souvenirs from the year and show them what you are decluttering.
Is this a practice you can see yourself doing every year?
If you have old schoolwork and clutter piling up from years gone by and want some help, please get in touch! We can set up your space so you can start this practice next year.
