CONSTANT DE-CLUTTERING IS A NECESSITY IN OUR LARGE FAMILY
is part of the Write 31 2017 Challenge.
Read 31 Days of Life in a Large Homeschooling Family for more posts.
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After managing the house for the past 23 years, I have learnt that one of the best ways to keep on top housekeeping stuff besides setting up systems and routines is to constantly declutter.
9 people under 1 roof
Everyone accumulates stuff and there are a few of us who like to hoard. And some others who are just too lazy to put away things where they are supposed to be kept. All these mean that there tends to be clutter everywhere.
By God’s grace, we are now nine people in a 4-bedroom HDB maisonette. Big if you are a an average family of 4. But we are not an average family. At this moment, we have 4 teenagers, physical space is a premium here. They physically occupy more space by virtue of their size! And of course they have had more years of accumulating stuff!
Constant de-cluttering is a must
To maintain some semblance of organisation, I have to de-clutter constantly and ruthlessly.
Besides, clutter also makes cleaning the flat much more difficult. We have to keep moving things around the house in order to clean the house thoroughly.
While I am not a naturally tidy or organised person, managing a large family has taught me the necessity of being both. Plus, having allergies mean that a dust free house (as much as possible without killing myself over it) is better for all of us.
Less stuff = Less mess
Therefore, having as few things lying about collecting dust as possible is best. Every item is assessed to see if it collects dust or is hard to clean before it even enters the house, and every shelf needs doors!
However, with teenagers… it gets tougher! With toddlers, I could de-clutter their stuff while they nap and they wouldn’t even know. Can’t do the same with teens!
While we had lots of storage created and built when we renovated our home, everyone still has to do his and her part to keep clutter to the minimum. Because 5 years on, we are starting to running out of space!
Related posts
Decluttering – a Regular Exercise to Contain the Mess
No, I Don’t Need a Larger House
How I Manage Housework with No Maid
Setting Up Systems to Beat the Overwhelm
A Resource for You – Conquer your Clutter Super Bundle
Out of the 38 resources in this super bundle, 3 are specifically targetted at eliminating clutter. Check it out. You have nothing to lose but clutter!
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