Is Your Child a Hoarder? By Jo Carmichael
Eunique. Many people – adults and kids are ‘clutter blind’ – they verybody’s view and perception of tidiness and organisation is
just don’t ‘see’ the piles of toys, games or clothing strewn around the room as clutter. They just see it as ‘things’.
Many children enjoy collecting things – toy cars, packets of trending toys from the supermarket, or sets of cards. We need to strike a happy balance on where and how much they can keep, fairly neatly, in the family home without encroaching too painfully on other family members’ boundaries. In this article we are not talking about adults or kids who hoard large amounts of often broken or dirty items inside the home in ways that are not conducive to family living. A psychologist who is skilled in dealing with hoarding and the syndrome is the best person to advise us in this instance. Simply throwing hoarders’ things away can be a backward step. The following suggestions are to help the ‘clutter blind’ or messier child to be tidier and organised.
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Peninsula Kids – Spring 2019
DECLUTTER & SORT THEIR CLOTHING. Start in their bedroom by showing them the clothes in their cupboard or on the floor. Check to see if the clothes are the right size and if they suit them. Remove any that they have outgrown or dislike and will not wear. If the outgrown clothes are being kept for a younger sibling or relative, or are special occasion clothes, put them up on a higher shelf. Make the lower shelves in their room or area available for their everyday clothing and attire – the less there, the easier it is for them to be put away, and to find. Putting their out-of-season clothing up higher can also help them to have a less cluttered environment in the bedroom, which can set them up for a good start to the day.